Society

Haiti is only 960 km SE of Miami (a 1 1/2 hour flight), yet worlds apart. Lying in the Caribbean Sea, just southeast of Cuba, Haiti occupies the western 1/3 of the island of Hispaniola, with the Dominican Republic occupying the eastern 2/3.

Haiti is a poverty-stricken land of urban overpopulation, denuded hillsides and a people suffering the wounds of civil strife and oppression. Yet despite the extreme poverty, hunger and suffering which the Haitian people face, they maintain a sense of dignity and pride which is very amazing and inspiring to witness.

It is also a vibrant country of colorful art, fantastic music, cloud forests and anintensely spiritual people whose humor and passion are legendary.

The modern world’s first black-led republic, it boasts a unique culture and an incredible artistic tradition. The language, dance and music of the Haitian people reflect a syncopation between the spiritual and material worlds that shouldn’t be missed.

Vodou, long misunderstood, is a richly textured religion smuggled from Africa and hidden among the Catholic rituals of European missionaries. Haiti’s colonial architecture, all gingerbread and plazas, is alive with the music of Africa. Its surprisingly fine cuisine, of Caribbean ingredients prepared according to classical French methods, attracts gourmets from the other side of the island. And, though human need has torn down much of Haiti’s forests and jungles, there is still unspoiled nature that ecotourism can preserve. Haiti is not yet set up for the Club Med crowd, but the open-minded adventurer will find a country whose contradictions will linger in mind, heart and spirit.

Full country name: Republic of Haiti
Area: 27,750 sq km
Population: 7 million
Capital City: Port-au-Prince
People: 95% African descent, 5% mulatto and European descent
Language: French
Religion: 80% Catholic, 16% Protestant (an estimated 50% of Haitians also practice Vodou)
Government: republic

Education and Literacy

 As of 1982, 65 percent of population over age ten had received no education. Literacy rate estimated at 23 percent in 1987, but increasing as result of higher enrollments, beginning in late 1970s. Private schools overtook public schools in primary school enrollment in early 1980s. Chronic shortage of qualified teachers, mainly because of low pay. University of Haiti major institution of higher education.

Health

Malnutrition widespread, especially among children. Prenatal and postnatal care inadequate, contributing to high infant mortality rate of 124 per 1,000 live births in 1983. Most child deaths attributed to infectious diseases (especially diarrheal ailments), malnutrition, and acute respiratory illness. Most adult deaths from malaria, tuberculosis, parasitic diseases, and typhoid.

Human Rights

The 2009 US Human Rights Reoprt on Haiti states that

Haiti is a constitutional republic with a population of approximately nine million. International observers assessed the 2006 presidential and parliamentary elections as generally free and fair, after which President Rene Preval and the new parliament took office in May 2006. Parliament confirmed Jean-Max Bellerive as the new prime minister in November 2009. Haiti has a multiparty political system. Elections for one-third of the Senate’s members, originally scheduled for late 2007, occurred in April and June 2008 and were also generally considered free and fair. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces, but in some instances elements of the Haitian National Police (HNP) acted independently. The UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) consisted of approximately 9,100 military, police officers, and civilians who assisted and advised government and security authorities.

The following human rights problems were reported: failure to hold timely parliamentary elections, alleged unlawful killings by HNP officers, HNP participation in kidnappings, overcrowding and poor sanitation in prisons, arbitrary threats and arrests, prolonged pretrial detention, an inefficient judiciary subject to significant influence by the executive and legislative branches, severe corruption in all branches of government, violence and societal discrimination against women, child abuse, human trafficking, and ineffective enforcement of worker rights.

Filed under: Society's by admin