Aug
24
Haiti’s Emerging Cultural Economy
Kylti is a new Diaspora-led organization with a mission to sustain and advance Haitian arts and culture. At the Haiti Cultural Economy Forum in Washington, DC this past weekend, founder Marcel Wah and several other outstanding speakers laid out a vision of “remaking the landscape, retaining the spirit” as a strategy for the rebirth of Haiti through her arts and culture.
The Forum was held at the Haitian Embassy in Washington, with the help of Stephane Rosenberg, the Cultural Affairs Counselor at the Embassy.
The program featured Haiti’s Cultural Policy Officer, Ronald Paul; Stan Kuiperi, Cultural Policy Advisor to the Government of Aruba; Dr. Tatiana Wah, Haiti Policy Advisor to the Earth Institute at Columbia University; Régine René, the newly-appointed Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince; and provided space for the 35 or so participants to dialog, connect, and share their initiatives as well as their aspirations and visions.
The presentations were clear, informative, and often inspiring, as well as in some cases brutally honest. Ronald Paul described the history of Haiti’s approach to various cultural issues, including copyright protection, tourism, the recognition of Creole as an official language, and the importance of economics in the discussion of cultural policy. Here are a couple of excerpts from the translated transcript (M. Paul delivered his presentation in French, with the transcribed text but without a translator):
It is a fact that since the January 12 catastrophe, the urgent need to organize culture’s contribution to development has become unavoidable. It is becoming clear to every actor that the social aspects of our cultural policy, including reinforcing our identity, social cohesion and peace, would only be hollow rhetoric if this policy is not utilized in a manner to make accessible both the means of production and cultural goods. Today, more than ever, we are left with this approach to culture and no other alternatives.
However, let us be clear, there is enough room in our approach that would render it possible for a kind of development that would not sacrifice for the sake of profits our vision and stamp upon the world. From the start, we will need to recognize that our cultural practices are the vehicles for our existential anguish that is universally translated into our relationship with our visible and invisible environment… After all is said and done, we must not lose sight of our goal to create an environment whereby growth is not measured by the degree of alienation between consumers and producers of cultural goods, but rather the degree of of self-awareness as a human in his or her despite our differences. This is not only an opportunity for culture to be both the starting point and present at different stages of economic development, but also an opportunity to assert and defend our own specificity.
This is a remarkably sophisticated analysis of the real purposes of culture, while recognizing the imperatives of contributing to the restoration of both the spirit and the physical needs of a society that has suffered a massive human and economic catastrophe, on top of years of disarray, disorganization, and powerlessness.
After outlining Haitian culture’s strengths (a rich cultural heritage, and unparalleled creativity in the visual arts, literature, and crafts) and weaknesses (weak management capacity, low industrial productivity, limited availability of production and distribution tools, and minimal usage of both modern and tradition media of communication), M. Paul raised profound questions such as how to promote greater citizen participation, and how to have cultural activities contribute to and reinforce social cohesion; and makes practical recommendations to strengthen cultural industries and increase both the role and the recognition of Haiti’s unique cultural heritage both domestically and internationally. In the end he called for government to play a facilitative role, and for private investment to take the lead in developing Haiti’s unique cultural and economic opportunities.
The other presentations were equally well-conceived, from Tatiana Wah’s clear-eyed assessment of the needs on the ground, and the long-standing failures of policy and planning; to Régine René’s description of the role she hopes to play and her representation of the needs and desires of Haitian-Americans to contribute to the rebuilding of Haiti; to Marcel Wah’s gentle but profound encouragement of narratives that are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, and emotionally impactful.
One of the very clear messages of the Forum was the need for capacity-building in the Haitian civil service, as distinct from the political leadership of the Haitian Government. Without resources, training, appropriate communications strategies, and oversight, the Haitian state cannot provide services, collect revenues, maintain order, and serve the needs of the citizens. Yet another was the need to value the arts and culture in ways that have previously been neglected or suppressed in the Haitian context.
Beyond the formal presentations, moreover, there was ample opportunity for productive networking and for genuine connection at many levels. Robert Saad spoke passionately of creating Apparel for Life, a different kind of textile enterprise, and the emergence of a new “Made in Haiti” focus in several major retailers. Others spoke earnestly about architecture, design, innovation, and the truly indomitable spirit of the people. All in all, we made many new friends, and identified another strong pillar upon which a sustainable future for Haiti can be based.