Haiti: History and Hope

This document summarizes key information about Haiti's history and the role of women, as background for V-Day's work supporting women in Haiti. It outlines Haiti's colonial history and independence, the impact of US intervention over the 20th century, and the history of violence and the women's rights movement. It then discusses the devastating 2010 earthquake and V-Day's response, including establishing shelters and legal support, and their 2012 campaign focusing on gender-based violence in Haiti.

The document summarizes the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. It provides background information on Haiti's geography and population. It then describes how the earthquake killed over 200,000 people, reducing Haiti's population by around 9.7%. Aftershocks continued for weeks after the main quake. The earthquake destroyed infrastructure including the UN headquarters, and the dead had to be buried in mass graves due to the sheer number of casualties from the natural disaster.

The document provides an overview of key issues facing Cote d'Ivoire in 2013, including national divisions stemming from tensions between northern and southern populations, ongoing border security issues and cross-border violence, the need for security sector reform as the military integrates rebel forces, and economic recovery challenges as food prices rise sharply. U.S. strategic interests in Cote d'Ivoire include promoting stability in West Africa, supporting democratic governance, and fostering economic relations.

The memorandum provides an overview and assessment of the key issues facing Cote d'Ivoire in 2013. It discusses the country's history of coups and civil war since 1999 which divided the country and disrupted its economy. While a democratically elected government is now in place, national divisions, the legitimacy of the president, security sector reform, border security threats, and economic recovery remain important challenges. The memo outlines U.S. strategic interests in promoting stability, democracy, and economic relations in Cote d'Ivoire and West Africa more broadly.

The 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan highlight differences in vulnerability between the two countries. The Haiti earthquake was closer to the capital and more deadly due to high population density, lower GDP, less prepared infrastructure, and greater poverty levels in Haiti compared to Japan. The Japanese were given an earthquake warning while no warning was possible in Haiti.

Large scale labor migration from Olancho, Honduras to the United States accelerated after 1998, when Hurricane Mitch devastated the region and resulted in the United States offering Temporary Protective Status (TPS) to affected Hondurans. As growing numbers left for the United States, the loss of productive youth to migration and the development of new local economic opportunities combined to create shortages of labor available for traditional uses of local natural resources in rural communities. Remittances from abroad and sentimental factors also contributed to the erosion of local labor supplies, leading some rural producers to phase back on mixed cropand-livestock strategies and focus more exclusively on cattle production for milk, other dairy products, breeding stock, and meat. This transition has, in turn, had repercussions for local land use, contributing to deforestation for pasturelands at the same time new demands for wood for carpentry workshops has emerged.

The document discusses three main issues facing North America: terrorism, urban sprawl, and cultural diversity. It covers the September 11th terrorist attacks and the international response. It also addresses the problems caused by uncontrolled urban growth and sprawl, and some proposed solutions. Finally, it contrasts Canada's cultural "mosaic" approach with the United States' traditional "melting pot" model, and the challenges of integrating diverse immigrant populations.

The document provides an overview of countries in East Africa, including Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, Burundi, and Mauritius. It discusses the geography, history, capital cities, and current issues facing many of these countries. In particular, it mentions conflicts and genocides that have occurred in Rwanda, Uganda under Idi Amin, and ongoing instability in Somalia.

The Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on January 14, 2015 received, in a special meeting, the Foreign Minister of Haiti, Duly Brutus, who delivered a report on the political situation in his country. During the meeting, the Council approved a Declaration in which the OAS expresses its support “for the constitutional Haitian authorities and all stakeholders in their commitment to hold free, fair, and inclusive elections as soon as possible in accordance with the constitutional provisions for the renewal of the democratic institutions.”