Lawrence E. Harrison, the Director of the Cultural Change Institute, looks at the history of Haiti and what events may have led to its vulnerable state before the earthquake.

18 November 2011 Last updated at 11:25 ET

Haiti's president launches plans to restore army

People wishing to volunteer for the armed forces attend a training session People are already indicating their readiness to join a possible new force

Haitian President Michel Martelly says he is setting up a commission to study plans for a new security force, 16 years after the military was abolished.

Mr Martelly said the panel would look at the aims of the new force and ways of replacing UN peacekeepers who have been deployed since 2004.

International donors have argued that Haiti's focus should remain on rebuilding after the 2010 quake.

The Haitian army was long associated with rights abuses and coups.

Mr Martelly had been widely expected to announce the creation of a military force but his announcement appeared to signal a change in that plan.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark Armed Forces Day, the president said a civilian commission would examine the restoration of the army.

"The commission will have 40 days to prepare a plan to rehabilitate the army which should be presented by 1 January," Mr Martelly said.

"From that moment on we can start to think about the withdrawal of UN troops."
Police training

The army was abolished in 1995 by then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been overthrown in 1991 and returned to power three years later.

However, political turmoil continued in the ensuing years and since 2004, the UN's stabilisation mission, Minustah, has operated in the country.

Major donors, including the US and Canada, have said Haiti has the right to have its own army. But they point to what they see as more pressing issues for the nation.
Housing in Leogane funded by Carter Foundation for 500 families on 8 November Much rebuilding work remains to be done in Haiti

"Canada fears that creating a second security force will significantly reduce the resources available for Haiti's other important priorities," John Babcock, Canadian Foreign Affairs spokesman told AP.

These include rehousing those left homeless by the January 2010 quake; dealing with a cholera epidemic and re-training the national police force.

Mr Martelly campaigned on a promise to restore the army and has tapped into anger directed against Minustah forces, which some Haitians see as foreign occupiers.

"It does seem Martelly has sought to channel anti-Minustah sentiment to bolster support for the reactivation of the armed forces," Mark Weisbrot from the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research told Reuters.

"The risk is that with this move, Haiti's bitter, longstanding divisions, which are never far from the surface, could come back with a vengeance."

La República Dominicana anunció hoy que en 2012 cuantificará a la población extranjera en el país, la mayoría haitiana, a través de una encuesta que será financiada por la Unión Europea y que recibirá apoyo técnico del Fondo de Población de las Naciones Unidas.

La encuesta, que se realizará en junio y tendrá un coste de 1,4 millones de dólares, permitirá conocer la población extranjera, caracterizar sus principales atributos sociodemográficos y estimar su contribución económica, en especial, la haitiana, dijo el ministro de Economía, Temístocles Montás.

La delegada de la UE en la nación, Irene Horejs, destacó la iniciativa y argumentó que "un Estado fuerte que hace políticas inteligentes necesita información comprobada en el territorio y
saber por tanto cuántas personas hay es un elemento fundamental".

La República Dominicana cuenta con 9,3 millones de habitantes, según los datos del último censo nacional de población, y aunque no hay cifras oficiales, se estima que casi un millón de haitianos residen en el país.

Rough Translation:

The Dominican Republic announced today that in 2012 it will conduct a census of the foreign population in the country, mostly Haitian in number, through a survey that will be funded by the European Union and will receive technical support from Population Fund United Nations.

The survey, to be held in June will cost $ 1.4 million. The census will reveal the foreign population, its main attributes : socio-demographic and estimate their economic contribution, particularly the Haitian portion said Economy Minister Themistocles Montas.

The EU delegate in the nation, Irene Horejs, said the initiative will provide the Dominican State with valuable information. "[A] strong state makes smart policies based on verified information in the territory and [needs] therefore [to] know how many people there are."

The Dominican Republic has 9.3 million inhabitants, according to data from the last national census, and although no official figures exist, it is estimated that nearly one million Haitians live in the country.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/ultimas_noticias/2011/12/111207_ultnot_dominicana_inmigracion_ar.shtml

Thank you Atabey for such a clear cut, enlightening video. I loved the way Lawrence Harrison expressed himself, did not mince words, spoke openly and frankly but above all matter of factly.

I am glad the the DR will finally begin to quantify the number of Haitians in the DR. It is the begining the first step to finding a solution to a problem out of hand. However, I hope it is not used against the DR as a way to create propaganda to force the DR to keep Haitians in the DR.

"If any Haitian tells you that he doesn't believe in Vaudou, he's lying".

This guy is a fraud. LOL!

He's lying............

I believe what the topic pertains to which is basically the Cult of Voodu is only one of many factors. I do notice Haitians seem to get sensitive with this topic the most.

Guillermone,

I was waiting for him to say something poignant, he didn't. He made it simplex and unworthy of a so-called expert.

Anyone of us could have said exactly what he said. No detailed analysis was given. No comparison of the different classes, the success stories, the different leaders etc...

The above quote that I used is his, not mine. I guess he speaks for me too.

He gives the impression that Religion is/was the main thing holding Haiti back. Too simplex. Eschew Vaudou and bingo, we're on our way.

As far I'm concerned, Haitians are too damn religious (coming from a former altar boy).