Haitian Diaspora: Three Practical Ways to Make an Impact in Haiti?
Like many countries in the world, the Haitian diaspora represents a very important stream of revenue for the countries’ GDP. However, the impact of the Diaspora on the country remains more on a micro level than a macro level. On this short article, I will present 3 practical ways that the Haitian Diaspora can take their impacts to a macro level to better benefit the country. These practical ways are economically, Socially, and Politically.
Economically
From 2017 to 2020, the Haitian Diaspora contributed an average of 3 billion US dollars into the country, which is an average of 30 percent of the country’s GPD. However, the impact of this contribution remains on a micro level instead of macro level because the contribution goes to family members and close friends that are in need of monies for food, school tuition, and/or healthcare. In economy, it is called remittances. Haitian Diaspora needs to turn their remittances into Diaspora Direct Investment (DDI) in order to create a greater impact in the country. Turning the remittances into investments will help in job creation, a stronger economy, balance of payment, etc. In 2012, Eduardo Rodriguez-Montemayor provided 2 important points for DDI. First, ‘Diaspora Executives in Multinational Corporations can use their influence to persuade MNCs to bring investment in the home countries’. A term we can use for that is Greenfield Investment. Second, ‘Diaspora who occupy positions such as managers or owners of MNCs can develop strategic partnership with startups in their home countries to develop and finance viable projects’ or products. Besides of the DDIs, some countries or their Diaspora created private investment institutions to invest and create jobs into their home countries. Some examples are bonds, mutual funds, private equity companies, etc. The Haitian Diaspora Direct Investment in Haiti can be a stimulus for Foreign Direct Investment in the country. The Haitian Diaspora can play an important role in distributing Haitian products in different part of the world, as well as bringing back tourism in the country.
Socially
Socially, the Haitian Diaspora can make an impact in providing better education to the Haitian population. Haitian educators, school advisors, and other professionals can volunteer themselves as mentors to the youth of Haiti in order to empower them and support them in their personal and professional growth. Also, impact investment — which would have an economic aspect on it, too — can help to address social issues such as waste management, drugs and alcohol abuse, premature pregnancies, gang’s affiliation, and so much more. Socially, the Haitian Diaspora can make an impact in creating better citizens and leaders for the country.
Politically
Politically, the Haitian Diaspora can make a bigger impact in Haiti by organizing themselves as a block in the host countries through Political Action Committees (PAC), serving as crisis mediator in Haiti, being a part of institutional reform through knowledge transfer, and serving as key regional and global partners.
Why a strong Diaspora PAC?
A PAC can be an important tool for Diaspora Diplomacy. This is not a wheel that the Haitian Diaspora would have to invent. Many Diasporas from other countries use that tool to shape the host country foreign policies into their home country’s best benefit. One important example is the Jewish community. The Jewish community plays an important role in United States’ foreign policies decision toward Israel. They do that through http://aipac.org/ which is one of the largest ethnic lobby group in the US. For so long, the Haitian Diaspora complains about US implication in Haiti’s politic. This is not something that will change. US will always be a part of Haiti’s politics. However, what can change is the policies of the US toward Haiti. And one way for that to be done is if Haitian Diaspora organize themselves as one solid group, become a voting bloc — as a voting bloc, candidates will always come to you for endorsement. As you are endorsing candidates, you are making friends in Washington. Who doesn’t need friends in DC? — and last, a strong PAC. With lobbying Haitian Diaspora can share US policies toward Haiti.
Diaspora as Crisis Mediator:
The Haitian Diaspora, if organize, can play a crucial role in easing the everlasting crises in Haiti. As citizens of the country, the Diaspora has enough interest to encourage different parties to engage in meaningful dialogue to solve the country’s political and social crises. They can build strategies to initiate dialogue and propose meaningful recommendations for crisis resolution, peacebuilding and security implementation, and so much more. For example, to solve the 30 years crisis in Northern Ireland back in 1960s to 1990s, the Irish Diaspora in America put pressure on both the US government and the separatist forces the different groups to the negotiating table. The Haitian Diaspora can do the same if organize.
Knowledge Transfer:
In Haiti, the different institutions are weak and outdated. One of the reasons is the lack of brain power in these institutions. During the Duvalier regime, many educated Haitians had to flee the country due to their oppositions to the regime. This brain drain continues in the recent years due to continuous political and socioeconomic crises. The Diaspora can bring enough brain power to encourage institutional reforms and digitalization. This will help in strengthening Haiti’s various institutions and close the gap for corruption.
Key Regional and Global Partners:
As Haiti has limited resources to keep diplomatic ties with many countries in the world, one way the country can solve that is to use the Diaspora to serve a point of contacts for key regional and global partners. The Diaspora has the regional and global experience, language and acculturation to conduct the negotiations on behalf of the government. Leveraging the skills set of the diaspora to take advantage in the region or globally would be a smart choice for any government. That would save lots of resources.
Reference:
Rodrigues-Montemayor, Eduardo. “Diaspora Direct Investment: Policy Options for Development.” Inter-American Development bank. Integration and trade Sector (September 2012). Policy Briefing. No. IDB-PB-183.