I’m a doctor of clinical psychology, a proponent of psychological reparations issues. I am developing a cohort study at the University of Miami School of Medicine, to investigate the long-term health effects of the sociopolitical crisis in Haiti (The Haitian Well-Being Study)1. I am also an expert in the study of intergenerational trauma and its management. I continually receive requests from colleagues desperately seeking free psychological assistance to support Haitian refugees of all ages facing the stress of the migration process, economic precariousness, social isolation, acculturation, and racialization in the United States, Canada and even France.
I have never experienced, felt and observed so much pain, dread, despair and helplessness in the face of the development of the situation in Haiti. I have lived most of my life in Port-au-Prince. I only have distant memories of political instability from my early childhood. On the other hand, my memories are more vivid with regard to my experience of the earthquake of January 12, 2010 in Thomassin. While I was still in the postpartum period, I survived with my baby, in my wardrobe, the worst natural disaster in the history of Haiti, the heavy toll of which amounts to more than 300,000 dead and thousands of amputees.
People around me have lost mothers, children, sisters and brothers, or spouses. However, the legendary Haitian solidarity and the hope of being able to rebuild a new Haiti were palpable!
Occasionally, I joined the first Psychotrauma Center in Port-au-Prince. I had only one dream: to help and then leave to pursue doctoral studies in France and return home to advance research on the consequences and psychological care of survivors of the earthquake and other significant events!
Thirteen years later, flour la pa vin nan menm sak. In 2010, Haiti was ranked 93e out of 163 countries in the global peace rankings. In 2022, it loses 22 places and finds itself in 115e position. While in January 2023, Haiti celebrates 219 years of independence and commemorates the souls engulfed by the disaster of January 2010: the island is going through one of the worst socio-political conflicts in its history, and innovative solutions are needed to save the first black Republic.
Peacebuilding
In the last quarter of 2021, together with a group of academics, caregivers, including myself, expressed our concerns to global health leaders. Among our recommendations was the launch of a culturally sensitive Haitian peacebuilding movement that brings together scientists, academics, intellectuals, professionals from all walks of life, local leaders, human rights defenders, political activists , religious leaders and a council of Haitian elders. What is meant by peacebuilding?
An accepted definition of peacebuilding sees it as “a process that facilitates the establishment of lasting peace, and attempts to prevent the resurgence of violence by addressing the root causes and effects of conflict through reconciliation, institution building and political transformation and economic”.
If one of the primary purposes of peacebuilding is to help repair and rebuild fragmented social relationships, then scholars and peacebuilding practitioners should be familiar with the basic concepts of peacebuilding studies. on trauma and vice versa.
In the aftermath of the genocide against the Tutsis in 1990, Rwandan society made the choice to articulate the approaches to healing the trauma of the genocide with the promotion of a culture of peace.
Several Haitian colleagues have made it clear to me that building consensus in Haiti is impossible. They evoke the proposals for ending the crisis which end up failing. Should we lose hope and give up? Absolutely not !
Wars between rival tribes have been a part of human existence since time immemorial. With each generation new weapons have been developed and armies have become more effective at killing or incapacitating the other side. In the past, war was the only way for countries to get rich, by capturing a rival’s gold and treasures. This is no longer necessary today, as science and engineering provide the means to live together peacefully. In the case of Haiti, it is precisely this role that Haitian science, particularly Haitian psychology, should play within the framework of a peacebuilding movement. Psychology, through its body of theoretical and practical knowledge, which can help explain the roots and modify violent behavior, is an essential tool in any peacebuilding process around the world.
Fittingly, from January 12 to 14, the historic city of Cap Haitien will host the first Peace Psychology Summit organized by the Haitian Association of Psychology and Rebati Mental Health, under the theme “Building a lasting peace in Haiti: the role of psychology in action! »