Will Haiti smile again?

The news and images of the devastating effects of this week’s earthquake in Haiti will be firmly imprinted in the collective consciousness of people, organizations, and governments around the world for a long time. But will the imprint remind humanity long enough? Many of us will be inspired to donate money to the rescue and relief efforts that are now gaining momentum. Some people will feel called upon to dedicate the rest of their lives to rebuild the country. All Haitians are compelled to do this and undoubtedly will, including the Haitian Diaspora. Moments of crisis can bring out the best in all us. Remember, giving and being compassionate brings joy, even in the direst of circumstances.

While all of us seize the moment to contribute to provide comfort to the Haitian people in a manner that is right for us, we should also pause and contemplate what created the calamity’s severity in the first place. Yes, the earthquake to be sure, but perhaps more so the lack of resiliency of a fragile society hollowed out by a long history of  irresponsible national as well as international governance and plunder that produced the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country with per capita income of about two dollars a day. Could it be that humanity’s collective consciousness of this moment will inspire sustained acts of greatness in support of building a resilient, peaceful, sustainable Haitian society?

When palaces, cathedrals, homes, and shanties come crumbling down and the pre-existing order is literally reduced to rubbles, a historic window of opportunity opens to lay the cornerstone of a new society. Why not turn a failing state into a model of hope for the future? So much is possible when we focus our thoughts and intentions. Think of well conceived reconstruction projects of buildings, homes, and schools (50% of the population is less than 18 years of age) that can better weather hurricanes and earth quakes, integrated agroforestry projects that convert CO2 into things Haitian people and the planet really need, such as food crops, trees, reconditioned soil, safe water, biodiversity. Think unleashing entrepreneurship and innovation creating integrated sustainable village communities featuring adequate water and sanitation, solar and wind power, internet connectivity, learning and extension services, and more.

It will take a tipping point of courageous, strong yet incorruptible visionary leadership with great authenticity in not only Haiti, but around the world. Plans will soon be drawn up that will shape the future of Haiti. As these plans are being formulated, humanity’s profound intention for Haiti needs to be to transform the collective consciousness of the horror of moment into one of sustained conscious action towards a life-sustaining, vibrant society.

This morning’s article in the Washington Post, Building a Future in Haiti, by Bernard Kouchner, the French Minister of Foreign and European affairs and founder of Médicines Sans Frontières, appears to echo the above view. The Minister’s proposal represents a hopeful sign that it may be possible to convene an international conference that moves beyond the customary pledges for the immediate humanitarian relief and tackles the long term challenge of the reconstruction and development of a transformed Haiti. A window of opportunity may have opened to create a new society indeed.

Will Haiti smile again? It is really up to all of us. And we all need to play our part. Power of One and its partners are actively working on launching our Haiti Transformation Initiative – Let Haiti Smile Again!; a series of practical actions with large potential impact on the reconstruction and development process and future of Haiti. We are planning to submit our proposal for consideration to the Ambassador of Haiti, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and dignitaries from around the globe in the days ahead. People, organizations, and governments are also invited to donate in support of the Initiative as individuals, Energizers, Catalysts, Change Agents, Ambassadors, or Patron.

Our first step will be the Creation of a Safe Space for Dialogue and Reflection. Building on dialogues organized by Power of One and its partners in the past, the Quantum Dialogue – Let Haiti Smile Again! will convene at the earliest possible time a diverse set of 75-100 stakeholders as part of a two day process centered on a new paradigm of consciousness-centered economics (we call this Quantum Economics) in order to put the cornerstone in place that will catalyze the transformation of the collective consciousness of the moment into one of sustained conscious action towards a life-sustaining, vibrant Haitian society.

About Power of One – Power of One seeks to inspire and empower integrated action by people and organizations toward transformation to a peaceful, sustainable global society. Drawing on advanced sciences and collective consciousness, we develop initiatives, partnerships, and collaborations that stimulate creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovative financing and business models in service to the whole.

For more information, check our website at http://powerofone.org