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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Hello all,</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Following and pondering Haiti with you all. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I recently contacted friends who worked in Haiti for many years for their thoughts on some of the GSBN conversations.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">and forwarded to them Martin's post (see below) - Barbara's comments follow, with some good links,</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Thank you Kelly and David for for your ever wise sign posts on this complicated journey. </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">What a dance balancing action with wisdom, experience, and compassion.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Kim</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Dear Kim,</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Thanks for the interest in Haiti and the website Haiti Patrimonie. As you know I am no expert on Haiti, but I have talked to many who are, so here are couple of quick thoughts about the comments in this thread:</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="2" color="#0024f8" style="font: 10.0px Arial; color: #0024f8">1. There is rice grown in Haiti, but no evidence of bales, and unknown quantities of available straw. Hand baling, or rebaling, may be necessary. Shipping bales to Haiti has its ironies, but is better than many of the toxic and unsustainable materials being shipped there right now.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> There may still be some rice grown in Haiti but the rice-growing was wiped out a couple of decades ago when the USA insisted that Haiti drop its protective tariffs on rice. The market was immediately flooded with cheap US rice and farmers were out of work. They flooded into Port au Prince to find jobs, which were not there, and languished in the huge and terrible slums of Cite Soleil, La Saline and others.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> In my view it is not a good plan to ship natural products to Haiti -- you don't know what insects or diseases you may be inadvertently importing. Hispaniola is an island, and may have specialized ecological needs or vulnerabilities.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" color="#0024f8" style="font: 12.0px Arial; color: #0024f8">2. Earthen or stabilized earth floors.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">During the dry season this would work but in the rainy season torrential tropical downpours turn the earth to mud. Shelters need to be on some sort of raised platform (rubble?) so that the water can drain underneath. In addition many areas are subject to flash floods because of the deforested mountainsides. Haitians, and NGOs which have been active in Haiti for many years, know where the dangers lie.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" color="#0024f8" style="font: 12.0px Arial; color: #0024f8">3. </font><font face="Arial" size="2" color="#0024f8" style="font: 10.0px Arial; color: #0024f8">I don't want to preconceive what's appropriate, which is always the central question. What’s appropriate?</font><font face="Arial" size="2" style="font: 10.0px Arial"> </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="2" style="font: 10.0px Arial"> Good point. </font><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> Haitians need not only shelters but training, jobs, and perhaps most of all, respect. All development work in Haiti , from water supplies to health to shelters needs to include education, a living wage for Haitian workers (as many as possible), and involvement of Haitians, either community leaders or government officials, in the planning and implementation of any plan. Also, all development aid should aim to include funding for ongoing maintenance for at least a decade.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">4. Please do not do anything that would encourage large numbers of people to stay in Port au Prince. There is essentially no city left, and it may be dangerous for a long time -- the fault that precipitated the earthquake has probably not finished moving. Most Haitians have family in the countryside and mountain villages, and Haitians still tend to live in extended families. With some help the land can be fertile again, and the mountains can be re-forested for water and soil retention. Labour-intensive agriculture within a decentralized government structure would be a good way for the nation to start to feed itself and slowly rebuild.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Here's a little background information that anyone going to Haiti to help should pay attention to:</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman">~CBC The Current Special on Haiti: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2010/201002/20100203.html"><font face="Arial" size="3" color="#0021e7" style="font: 12.0px Arial; color: #0021e7"><u>http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2010/201002/20100203.html</u></font></a></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">-- part 1, with Wade Davis, is particularly good on voudou</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">-- part 3, interview with <b>Patrick Delatour,</b> who seems to be in charge of rebuilding. Whoever goes down should try to get a meeting with him.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">~Recovering from Disaster — Partners in Health and the Haitian Earthquake</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" color="#0021e7" style="font: 12.0px Arial; color: #0021e7"><a href="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp1001705"><u>http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp1001705</u><u></u></a></font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">~Video: Fault Lines (Al Jazeera) includes excellent interview with Haitian economist by Avi Lewis: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuUt12usDVs"><font color="#0021e7" style="color: #0021e7"><u>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuUt12usDVs</u></font></a></font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Apparently Medecins Sans Frontiers and the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Haiti have gone to World Shelters: <a href="http://worldshelters.org/home"><font color="#0021e7" style="color: #0021e7"><u>http://worldshelters.org/home</u></font></a> -- not sure whether it's help for housing or medical suites.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Thanks for giving me a chance to put my/our two-cents worth in. </font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Cheers,</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Barbara</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; "><b>Kim Thompson</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; ">Straw Bale Projects</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; ">2699 Northwood Terrace</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; ">Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 3S9</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; ">tel. 902-453-2429</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; ">e mail: <a href="mailto:shipharbour@ns.sympatico.ca"><font color="#0024f8" style="color: rgb(0, 36, 248); ">shipharbour@ns.sympatico.ca</font></a></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" color="#0024f8" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; color: rgb(0, 36, 248); "><a href="http://www.naturalbuilding.ca/">www.naturalbuilding.ca</a></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" color="#0024f8" style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial; color: rgb(0, 36, 248); ">"Tradition and modernity are merely two sides of the same coin - and must be dealt with simultaneously. Building cannot be a rigid dogma, but a living, organic, ecological project. It is about continuity, based on memory, common sense and experience and is the foundation of invention." Hasan Uddin Khan</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0024F8" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></span></font></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div></body></html>