It’s One To Bring The Snake To School
And The Other To Make It Seat Down

Emmanuel W. Védrine
 

Photo © Chantal Boulanger.

"We are under extreme pressure from the international community to use violence,"General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro told a congressional commission in Brazil. ‘I command a peacekeeping force, not an occupation force...'

The general went on citing the United States, France and Canada among countries pressing for the use of force against armed groups. Brazil, in way, is backing up its early promise, having a mission to help rebuilding Haiti :

‘…We are not there to carry out violence, this will not happen for as long as I'm in charge of the force… Brazil is demanding U.N. donor nations deliver $1.2 billion in aid they have promised to rebuild Haiti ." (Brasilia, Brazil, Dec 2 (Reuters).

To summarize from the above quotes, Brazil, in a way, shows certain MORAL VALUES as a peace keeping force that does not want to get caught in the middle of a CIVIL WAR among Haitians.

Using VIOLENCE against VIOLENCE is not the best way to stop violence (as many of us with moral values may summarize it) and that's why U.S foreign policy, in many cases, has failed where they have created more hatred for themselves throughout the whole world [re: THE USE OF FORCE (instead of REAL DIPLOMACY) as a means to solve some INTERNATIONAL CRISIS].

Most of the time, the United States relies on that Latin saying: “CI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM” (He who wants peace, prepares for war). Imagine Nelson Mandela made use of that saying after ascending to power? How would South Africa look today? Would APARTHEID begin to disappear? Would there be hope for long-term peace there - a dream that Mandela and so many others had been cherished, a dream that so many had sacrificed their life for?

First, to disarm these bandits in Haiti (to whatever groups they belong to), would be to get information about them, then to look for them and put them behind bar (and create safe records of them to keep them on the watch constantly) in order for security to reign. Remember that the 1987 Constitution has abolished the DEATH PENALTY, and by the way in certain countries where it still exists, it does not prevent some people from committing crimes.

I am pretty sure that the Haitian population knows who is causing disturbance in whatever neighborhood they are living. So, right there is a rich source of information for those who are currently leading the country. The next step for the government to be taken would be to CREATE ACTIVITIES to keep everyone busy doing something. An INTERIM GOVERNMENT should not mean that administration is just there holding the seat for the next president elect . It should rather be an opportunity to demonstrate leadership that can have a POSITIVE IMPACT on the next administration and those to come. Why do we have so many bandits in Haiti ? The answer is SIMPLE: no activities to keep everyone busy in the country. Of course the absence of that will produce gangs of all sort.

Imagine that every young person in Haiti would have a school to attend, a place to learn a trade, would a have a job somehow …! (I use “young” because if we carry out a research, we will find out that most of these gangs are youngsters in their twenties or even younger though we'll also find those in their thirties and up).

One would not see these folks hanging out in the streets, meddling in gang activities, and those who are sleeping “à la belle étoile” throughout Port-au-Prince (among them, many innocent ones). Truly, they did not invent their situation and the Haitian society should have a MORAL OBLIGATION to do SOMETHING POSITIVE to help them since they are also members of the Haitian society at-large.

If you tell them (these trouble makers) don't hang out, don't commit crimes, don't do this and that… you MUST then create something for them in order to do away with it. One of my problems with Haitian leaders (which I call LOSERS most of the time) is that most of them don't have A LONG TERM VISION for Haiti . Their ONLY dream is ASCENDING TO POWER and once they get there, they don't know what the hell to do (their hands are tied up and they can not think of doing something positive to leave behind as legacy for those who will succeed them). It takes GUTS to become a good leader and to develop good leadership.

There should be a FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE between the HAITIAN POLICE FORCE and the HAITIAN PEOPLE. That was one of biggest problems of the LATE ARMY (they were considered as the people's enemy instead of playing the role of their guardian angels - be it under the Duvalier or after the collapse of their brutal regime). Once that kind of TRUST is built between THE HAITIAN POLICE and THE HAITIAN PEOPLE, there will be incredible success (in sharing information that will help a lot with the problem of security).

There SHOULD be also CONSTANT DIALOGUE between THE GOVERNMENT and THE PEOPLE (tell them what is being done, what needs to be done, make them aware that their participation toward the country's development - something crucial and you who have the lead, are going to create channels for their participation to be fruitful [“application du COMBITISME pour le developpement global du pays”]. A government must create an atmosphere to show the people that they are working for them and for the well-being of their country. No Haitian politician will succeed without putting that into practice.

People with weapons (be it police, former army members, gang members) tend to attack those with no weapons or innocent people. That's a coward act. Logically, those who carry LEGAL FIREARMS (such as the police force) may ONLY use them in the case of SELF-DEFENSE, but for many years Haiti has been a cowboys country. So, EDUCATING THE POLICE and THE HAITIAN POPULATION is something CRUCIAL in order to meet some KEY objectives toward peace.

(E. W. Vedrine - Dec. 3, 2004 )

Mennen koulèv la lekòl se youn, fè l chita se de

E. W. VEDRINE

«Nou anba gwo presyon nan men kominote entènasyonal la pou itilize vyolans”, jeneral Augusto Heleno Ribeiro deklare a yon komisyon depite nan peyi Brezil. ‘Mwen kòmande yon fòs k ap mentni lapè, pa youn ki la kòm fòs k ap okipe ...'

Jeneral la site Etazini, Lafrans ak Kanada pami peyi k ap bay presyon pou itilize fòs kont gwoup ame yo. Brezil, nan yon sans, ta eseye kenbe pwomès li te fè avan, asavwa li gen yon misyon pou ede nan rekonstriksyon Ayiti:

‘…Nou pa la pou fè vyolans, sa p ap fèt osilontan mwen an chaj fòs la… Brezil ap mande peyi donatè Nasyonzini yo pou bay $1.2 bilyon pou èd yo te pwomèt nan kad rekonstriksyon Ayiti.» ( Brasilia , Brezil, 2 desanm 2004 (Reuters). [Tradiksyon anglè – kreyòl: E. W. Vedrine)

Pou rezime sitasyon anlè yo, Brezil, nan yon sans, montre sèten VALÈ MORAL kòm yon fòs k ap mentni lapè ki pa ta renmen tonbe nan mitan yon GÈ SIVIL ant Ayisyen.

Itilizasyon VYOLANS pa meyè fason pou estope VYOLANS (kòm anpil nan nou ki gen valè moral ta rezime l) epi se pou rezon sa a politik Etazini nan Zafè Etranje pa gen siksè kote yo kreye plis hèn pou tèt yo nan lemonn [re: ITILIZASYON FÒS (olye VRÈ DIPLOMASI) kòm mwayen pou rezoud kèk KRIZ ENTÈNASYONAL].

Anpil fwa, Etazini chita dèyè pwovèb laten an: “CI VIS PACEM, PARA BELLUM” (Si w vle lapè, prepare lagè). Imajine w Nelson Mandela ta mete sa an(n) aplikasyon lè l te monte sou pouvwa? Kijan Afrikdisid t ap ye jounen jodiya? Èske APATED ta kòmanse disparèt? Èske ta gen espwa pou lapè alontèm nan - yon rèv ke Mandela ak anpil lòt moun t ap nouri depi lontan, yon rèv anpil sakrifye vi yo pou li?

Premyèman, pou dezame bandi sa yo Ayiti (a kèlkeswa gwoup yo apateni), se ta jwenn enfòmasyon sou yo, epi chèche yo pou mete nan prison (kreye bonjan dosye pou yo dekwa pou rete vijilan gen kontwòl yo) pou sekirite ka blayi. Sonje Konstitisyon 1987 la aboli PÈN LANMÒ epi an pasan, se yon santans ki ta egziste toujou nan dotyen peyi, men sa pa evite kèk lawon nan sosyete a kontinye fè krim pou sa.

Mwen sèten pèp ayisyen an konnen kilès k ap simen latwoublay nan kèlkeswa katye kote yo rete. Donk, la a menm gen yon sous enfòmasyon trè rich pou sa yo ki gen renn peyi a nan men yo aktyèlman. Lòt bagay nesesè pou gouvènman an ta fè se ta KREYE AKTIVITE pou angaje tout moun nan fè yon bagay. Yon GOUVÈNMAN ENTERIMÈ pa ta vle di youn ki jis la k ap fè yon kenbe pou lòt prezidan eli a . Sa ta dwe pito yon opòtinite bab e moustach pou demontre lidèchip ki ka gen yon EFÈ POZITIF sou gouvènman ki pral pran mayèt la e sa yo k ap vin annapre. Poukisa Ayiti chaje ak bandi? Repons lan SENP: pa gen aktivite pou kenbe chak moun okipe nan peyi a. Pa gen dout absans koze sila a pral pwodui tout yon seri gang.

Imajine w chak jèn ayisyen an(n) Ayiti ta andedan yon lekòl, yon kote y ap aprann yon metye, gen yon travay y ap fè kèlkonk…! (mwen di «jèn» paske si nou fè yon rechèch, n ap jwenn majorite nan gang sa yo se yon seri jèn nan laj ventan ou menm pi jenn toujou byenke n ap jwenn sa yo ki nan trantèn ou plis toujou).

Moun pa t ap wè ekip sa yo ak make lèsanpa nan lari, mele nan aktivite gang, ak yon seri jèn k ap dòmi nan lari lèswa, tout kote nan Pòtoprens (pami yo, anpil inosan). Vrèmanvre, se pa yo menm ki envante sitiyasyon sa a e sosyete ayisyèn nan ta dwe gen yon OBLIGASYON MORAL pou fè yon bagay POZITIF pou ede yo paske yo se mann menm sosyete sa a.

Si w di yo (ekip solid, ekip tyòbòlmekè sa yo) pa make lèsanpa nan lari, pa fè krim, pa fè sesi, pa fè sela… ou DWE kreye yon bagay pou yo pou kapab fini ak sa. Youn nan pwoblèm mwen genyen ak lidè ayisyen (ke m rele PÈDAN anpil fwa) sèke majorite nan yo pa gen yon VIZYON ALONTÈM pou Ayiti. SÈL rèv yo se MONTE SOU POUVWA epi yon fwa yo fin monte, yo pa konnen de ki lakyèl sa pou fè (2 men yo mare epi yo pa kapab panse fè kèk bagay pozitif pou kite dèyè kòm eritaj pou sa k ap vin ranplase yo). Fòk ou gen FYÈL pou vin yon bon lidè epi pou devlope bonjan lidèchip.

Dwe gen yon ATMOSFÈ AMIKAL ant FÒS POLIS AYISYEN AN ak PÈP AYISYEN an. Se te youn nan gwo pwoblèm LAME DEFEN an (yo te konsidere kòm ènmi pèp la olye zanj gadyen l – ke l te sou Duvalier ke l te aprè rejim brital sa a te fayi). Yon fwa tip KONFYANS sa a fin tabli ant LAPOLIS ak PÈP LA, pral gen yon kokenn siksè (nan pataje enfòmasyon ki va ede anpil nan rezoud pwoblèm sekirite a).

DWE gen tou DYALÒG MANCH LONG ant GOUVÈNMAN AN e PÈP LA (di yo men sa k ap fèt, kisa k dwe fèt, fè yo pran konsyans de patisipasyon yo nan kad devlopman peyi a – yon bagay trèzenpòtan epi etan gouvènman ki gen mayèt pouvwa a nan men l, ou pral kreye kanal pou patisipasyon pote fri [ aplikasyon filozofi KONBIT la nan devlopman global peyi a oubyen aplikasyon filozofi «grès kochon an kwit kochon an» ]. Yon gouvènman dwe kreye yon atmosfè pou montre pèp la ke l ap travay pou li e pou byennèt peyi l. Oken politisyen ayisyen pral gen siksen san yo pa ta mete bagay sa yo an(n) aplikasyon.

Moun k ap sikile ak zam (tèlkòm polis, ansyen manm lame defen an, manm gang) gen tandans atake sa yo ki san zam oubyen moun inosan. Sa se travay moun lach. Lojikman, moun ki pote zam legal (tankou manm fòs polis la), ta dwe SÈLMAN itilize l nan kad DEFANS LEJITIM men depi plizyè ane, Ayiti tounen yon peyi kòbòy. Donk, EDIKE FÒS POLIS LA ak PÈP AYISYEN an se yon bagay TRÈZENPÒTAN nan kad atenn kèk nan objektif KLE vizavi lapè.

(E. W. Vedrine – 3 desanm 2004)

Emmanuel W. Védrine
E. W. VEDRINE CREOLE PROJECT, Inc.
P.O.B. 255962
Dorchester, MA 02125-5110 (U.S)
e_vedrine@hotmail.com, e_vedrine@yahoo.com