Leadership

In his documentary “Assistance Mortelle,” director Raoul Peck, of Haitian descent, recounts in two hours what is by now an obvious, undenied and undeniable truth about post-quake Haiti: the untold treasures sent or given by well-meaning people (mostly foreigners) to help Haitian victims did very little good. Instead, they were wasted by (mostly foreign) corrupt or incompetent people or systems.

In spite of the very dreary feel and look of the film (did the quake’s rubble piles reach all the way to the sky, hiding the country’s breathless sunsets?), one scene is memorable. Jean-Max Bellerive, the former Haitian Prime Minister/Minister of External Cooperation/Co-chair of Reconstruction Commission (with Bill Clinton), groans: “if the international community cannot solve Haiti, what else would they be able to solve.”

His question left me stunned with shame, anger, disbelief. That man held three key roles for the country in the post-quake period (not even President Preval was more important!), and yet he felt quite comfortable telling the world that it was their duty to “solve” our problems.  How could he be so unworthy?

That moment confirmed for me an unshakable truth.

In Haiti, both national and international entities often promote “consultation” and “participation” of “all stake holders” as essential tools of a successful (Haitian) society.  Seeing Mr. Bellerive’s self-damning question, I was reminded that those groups are wrong: what we need above all in this country is one true leader, responsible, bold, and visionary.