Immediately after Jan. 12 every major media house had its attention on Haiti. The international community rallied aid and logistical support with the United States showing leadership by taking control of the situation. Concerts were organized; charity events launched and millions of dollars raised. There is no denying the fact that Dartmouth's response has been overwhelmingly successful and the United States as a global leader has fulfilled its moral obligation. However, our collective forgetfulness and our tendency to slip back into our own small worlds, causes us to neglect the aftermath and undermine the veracity of our ideals. And in this, Dartmouth is not alone.
Four weeks after the earthquake, most media houses turned their attention to the next "big thing" Super Bowl XLIV. Society is gradually returning to the "normal" life and in weeks to come, Haiti will again be another nonentity.
In the last decade, several tragic incidents comparable to Haiti's plight have occurred. And like this one, support came from every corner of the globe. When the dust settled and the most assistance was needed in rebuild the affected communities, however, the world's attention was elsewhere. As American Samoa was recovering from the devastation of flooding, concern was instead on Tiger Woods' sexual promiscuity. As Nicaragua recovered from Hurricane Felix's blow, Brad and Angelina hypnotized the world. There are countless similar examples that undermine our committed efforts at truly helping devastated regions recover and rebuild for the long term. So after the media houses are out, and the United States finally hands Haiti over to international organizations, we risk following similar patterns.
In the coming months, Haiti is going to need us like they did at the onset of this recovery. The Students at Dartmouth for Haiti Relief have set the pace by discussing Dartmouth's commitment to long-term involvement. It is a laudable effort, but efforts should go beyond discussion. We should start asking ourselves if emergency relief alone is enough. Tough and complex situations call for bold and ambitious leadership, and so we should take practical steps to ensure that Haiti rebuilds and rises out of the ashes. Similar incidents have turned some nations and societies into basket cases; Haiti should not degenerate into one. Turning the tables around will involve practical studies of aid in rebuilding devastated societies. The one question we ought to ask ourselves is: what does a successful recovery and rebuilding for a nation like Haiti look like?
There is an ongoing debate on the effectiveness of aid. One school of thought argues that countries that receive pure donor aid become aid-dependent, and standards of living are not improved consistently with the economic assistance flowing into those countries. However, that argument misses the point. Giving a devastated neighbor a helping hand and a leg up should not be subject to economic theorization. I am not a development economist but common sense tells me that to deny Haiti aid based on some economist's ideological beliefs is inhumane. It will be practically impossible for Haiti to rebuild without international donor aid that addresses the most pressing needs, invests in the future of the community and is both long term and sustainable.
So in the coming months, let us not cease sending aid to Haiti our neighbors there need it desperately. International organizations involved in relief efforts there should not only treat the injured, but should follow Partners In Health's leadership in establishing a model of health care that is sustainable and efficient. The United Nations, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank should package donations and aid that rebuild and re-invest in the socioeconomic development of Haiti. They should hold Haiti's government accountable and only reward performance. And Dartmouth should leverage the present momentum by engaging students nationwide in a drive to make Haiti's rebuilding a national movement.
