Washington, DC—Haitian Ambassador Raymond Alcide Joseph and his wife, Lola Poisson-Joseph, discussed the current situation in Haiti and the plans for the future to a gathering of WFPG members and guests on February 3, 2010. The event was moderated by Mary Beth Sheridan, Diplomatic Correspondent for The Washington Post, who recently returned from covering the disaster in Haiti.

The Ambassador opened his remarks by expressing pain for what has happened to his country, but also a kind of joy. He explained that Port-au-Prince will now experience the changes it has needed for decades. "This gives us an opportunity to do what we should have done long ago," he said. Ambassador Joseph also encouraged the event participants to continue their interest in Haiti; "I am challenging you to stay with us. I want you to say to me, say to Haiti, say to the US, 'We are in with you for the long haul.'"

Ambassador Joseph explained that Port-au-Prince is a city built for 250,000 but now houses over 2 million people. Therefore, the earthquake proved that, "Port-au-Prince is an ecological catastrophe waiting to happen." The Ambassador spoke of plans for a UN conference at the end of March, where the issue of whether to move the capital of Port-au-Prince to avoid future disasters will be discussed. He does not believe, however, that the capital can be realistically moved elsewhere. Instead, he sees reconstructing a smaller Port-au-Prince with "sister cities" built nearby to keep people in the area, but not necessarily within the city itself, as a solution.

The Ambassador also discussed the status of the Haitian government saying, "I know that people have said that Haiti has no government," but he insisted that the government is working to the best of its ability in the midst of the crisis. He also explained that Haitians have benefited from the organizing efforts of the American military and do not subscribe to the rumor that the Americans are invading.

In addition to the positive influence of the American military, the Ambassador believes that one of the most hopeful signs of the relief effort is the influx of members of the Haitian diaspora now returning to Haiti to lend their assistance. "The people who have been gone for almost five decades are rushing back," he explained, citing the doctors and other professionals who have volunteered. He hopes that some of these individuals will eventually return to Haiti permanently to continue the rebuilding process.

Mrs. Poisson-Joseph spoke specifically to issues regarding women and children and expressed her belief that full recovery for both groups can be achieved. In response to a question regarding the possible adoption of children orphaned by the earthquake, she explained, "Rather than starting the adoption process now, we should form programs to let the children mourn." She went on to explain that once there is more stability in Haiti, she believes that the adoption programs should resume and new adoption processes can then begin.

Ambassador Joseph also discussed the question of children falling behind in school. He explained that the Haitian government is using large tents as interim schools and that the government will continue searching for other options for keeping students on track. Explaining that, "The Haitians are very innovative and will find ways of catching up."

On the issue of the sudden influx of foreign aid to Haiti, Mrs. Poisson-Joseph commented on the importance of the accountability of NGOs, the organizations receiving the majority of donations. Her vision for the best use of these funds requires that, "NGOs should get together and do collaborative work" in order to prevent duplicated efforts.

Proceeds from this event were donated to the Embassy of Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.