Since the 1986 fall of the Duvalier dictatorship, Haiti has struggled as it moves toward democracy. The country is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, and the public is frustrated with the limited degree of progress made in addressing issues such as poverty, public safety and corruption, which threaten the country’s political stability.

With the 2nd U.S. presidential debate as a backdrop, 25 visitors from 12 countries came to Hofstra University in New York in mid-October to exchange information about putting on debates in their own countries and witness first-hand the intricacies of organizing the Oct. 16 matchup between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.

Two years after the devastating January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the country is attempting to rebuild with the help of development proposals prepared by citizens. These efforts, known as roadmaps, or “cahiers de charges,” have been endorsed by elected officials across the country as a way to demonstrate that they are listening to citizens and have set specific goals for reconstruction and development efforts.