The long-term prospects for Haiti

Since the devastating earthquake rocked Haiti last Tuesday and killed thousands, the world’s response to the immediate crisis has also been filtered by reflections on the long-term challenges facing the Western Hemisphere’s second republic, and poorest nation. Today on Radio Times, we’ll take a look at Haiti’s long-term prospects for recovery and rebirth. Acclaimed Haitian novelist EDWIDGE DANTICAT, still hoping to hear from several family members herself, will join us to discuss the spirit and rich culture of the Haitian people, and how that is serving them in these difficult days. ROBERT MAGUIRE, director of the Haiti program at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C., will discuss the big-picture problems confronting Haiti now, including how development aid has siphoned population from rural areas to Port-au-Prince and outside factors that have contributed to famed government corruption. Finally, UCLA geographer and best-selling author JARED DIAMOND will discuss the environmental factors that have made Haiti so much worse off than its Hispaniola neighbor, the Dominican Republic. That’s a chapter in his brand-new book, Natural Experiments in History.
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[audio: 012110_100630.mp3]