The hemisphere’s second oldest republic, Haiti today continues the transition toward democracy that began in 1986 with the fall of the Duvalier family dictatorship. The consolidation of democracy in Haiti has been hindered by the highest poverty rates in the western hemisphere, limited access to education, corruption and a winner-takes-all political culture. Elections in 2006 gave former president René Préval a second mandate to lead the country, and Haitians elected senators as well as municipal posts in 2006 and 2007.
While these elections provided a new degree of legitimacy to the government, the country’s political stability remained fragile. Riots erupted across the country in 2008 in response to the rising cost of living, resulting in the dismissal of the prime minister. After several months of failed nominations, a new prime minister was confirmed. Shortly thereafter, hurricanes ravaged the country, leaving hundreds dead and thousands homeless.
In April 2009, Haiti held elections to replace one-third of the Senate, with a second round of elections planned for June. With the terms of nearly half of the members of the Senate already expired, these elections are key to ensuring that the legislative body can maintain a quorum and continue to function.
Since 1986, NDI has worked with Haitian political and civic leaders to strengthen democratic practices and institutions.
Civic Forum/Civil Society Advocacy
To respond to the need for a more informed and engaged citizenry, NDI initiated the Civic Forum (CF) in 1998 and has carried out the program in the majority of communes in nine of Haiti’s 10 departments. Beginning in 2007, NDI began a three-year effort to bolster Haitian civic advocacy efforts under the Civil Society Advocacy (CSA) program in a consortium with the non-government organizations Pact and Internews.
The CF/CSA program begins with civic education and evolves into the formation of community action groups that carry out locally-led citizen initiatives. In the first phase, community-based Haitian trainers guide citizens through discussions of basic democratic institutions and values using NDI’s Citizen’s Guide: From Civic Education to Civic Action, a 12-part civic education manual in Haitian Creole. The discussions are structured to enable citizens to practice democratic values, including political tolerance and inclusion, as they learn about the branches of government, the constitution and their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
The majority of groups participating in the program then form community action groups called Initiative Committees (ICs). After receiving NDI training in such areas as community organizing, teamwork and project management, ICs identify local priorities and work to organize their community to respond to community needs. Approximately 180 ICs across the country have organized hundreds of projects to date, including the construction of health clinics, schools and roads, the provision of job-skills training, HIV/AIDS education, reforestation and watershed conservation, potable water, and the development of self-sustaining kitchen gardens.
The majority of ICs use labor and materials donated by the IC members and/or the community to complete a project. These donations underscore the strength of community support for IC projects, which increases their sustainability.
Under the CSA program, NDI is helping ICs to come together to play a central role in formulating community development plans on commune, departmental, and regional levels. In a “visioning” process, community members chart the future they want and begin to plan the types of development activities and political outreach needed to achieve that vision. Through these efforts, ICs work to engage citizens in addressing the immediate needs of the community while also striving to link short-term recovery from natural disasters or political upheaval to long-term community improvement efforts. As ICs gain greater standing in their communities and begin to take on larger projects, they have formed Communal Coordination Committees (CCCs) to organize projects across larger geographic areas.
NDI has worked with the CCCs and other civil society partners to draft a campaign plan, raise local awareness on the issues, and launch advocacy campaigns. In Cap Haitian, NDI has helped Haitian groups build a broad-based coalition, including representatives from the private sector, which focuses on increasing local input into tourism development to create employment opportunities in the region. The coalition has reached consensus on a tourism development plan and the private sector has started to make investments according to the plan. Moreover, this coalition has met with Ministry of Tourism representatives to discuss its priorities for the government’s tourism plan.
NDI is also providing assistance to a citizen campaign to secure support to combat a devastating insect infestation that has claimed lives, livestock and crops in the Limbé area. As a result of advocacy efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development has provided pilot eradication devices in the communes of Limbé and Bas Limbé. Through outreach to Senators from the area, the campaign helped to ensure that funds in the government’s budget for next year includes resources dedicated to addressing the issue. While the funds allocated would be insufficient to eradicate the infestation completely, the campaign will continue to advocate for a comprehensive remedy to the problem.
