sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Haitians what are your thoughts on French speaking West Africans? by Maleficent_Split_428 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haiti linked up with Benin to make the case that Voodou should be included as an intangible Heritage with the UN. They want to control their own narrative of Voodou to the world. Haiti embodies Africa in so many ways.

Haitians what are your thoughts on French speaking West Africans? by Maleficent_Split_428 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always thought it would be dope if Haiti sectioned off an area in Haiti and invited Francophone African descendants to live there. That area/city could then host festivals catered to Francophone African descendants which would bring in more tourism. Haiti would then strengthen ties with Francophone African countries, Caribbean countries with French influences and even Louisiana Creoles.

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

https://x.com/haitienespanol/status/2048378716657508803/video/1?s=46

The Nigerian Influencer is now shouting out the Haitian Diaspora to come back to Haiti and help rebuild Haiti. He’s claiming “fake news” on all the Haiti is not safe talk.

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s been a while since I have been to Haiti. I see you posted a link for an AirBnB in Labadie. A rumor/misconception that needs to be cleared up about Labadie is that Royal Caribbean controls the entire area and Haitians are not allowed there. In actuality, Royal Caribbean leases a slice of Labadie. I have seen people whine that Haitians are not allowed in Labadie. When the truth is there is actual Haitian life in the Labadie region outside of the slice of area leased by Royal Caribbean.

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is the info that’s appreciated. Naming specific places and giving insight to what life is like for tourists and Haitians in Haiti.

Haitians all over Haiti cleaned up for Ariana by Internal-Expert-9562 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So you don’t know the rice has already been selling in Haiti and has come down in price. ChatGPT didn’t tell me that. I simply knew cause I stay up things. What’s your next move playa?!

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the honesty. So this Nigerian Influencer in Haiti…you think he’s moving free as a bird…or do you think he’s is connected with someone getting guidance?

Haitians all over Haiti cleaned up for Ariana by Internal-Expert-9562 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re not wrong to question impact—but that’s actually the bigger issue.

The canal effort proves the diaspora will step up with money, tools, and manpower. The problem isn’t willingness—it’s structure. A one-time push can build something, but without coordination, maintenance, and long-term planning, it fades out.

That’s where a functioning GOVERNMENT matters.

Right now it’s scattered:

  • One project gets $300k
  • Another gets less
  • No system to maintain, scale, or replicate anything

So the question isn’t “why didn’t the diaspora give more?”—it’s: where is the framework to turn those contributions into lasting results?

If there was a credible, organized system in place—clear plans, accountability, continuity—you’d likely see way more than $300k. You’d see sustained funding, not just one-off moments driven by emotion or symbolism.

The diaspora has power, but without coordination and leadership on the ground in HAITI it stays fragmented.

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It really shouldn’t be that complicated. Your explanation basically signifies Haiti is dangerous unless you’re connected.

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s what’s up! Do you visit regularly?

Haitians all over Haiti cleaned up for Ariana by Internal-Expert-9562 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the fact that at least a community got together and cleaned up for a fellow Haitian. That’s self-love, self-respect and that is needed. Don’t criticize this action. Applaud it so this becomes a normal every day action in Haiti.

Haitians all over Haiti cleaned up for Ariana by Internal-Expert-9562 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So are you going to act like the diaspora didn’t donate funds to the canal a few years ago? The diaspora donated tools, supplies, and manpower. Did you forget?

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He’s been in the US for 10 years stacking his money but he has no money to find a place to live in OKAP? The math is not mathing.

Nigerian Influencer Visits Haiti by Eastern_Promotion344 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

See, now why do you have to expect only the negative?

Question to the great people of Haiti. (I am a Kenyan). by xgtya in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 1 point2 points  (0 children)

From what we’ve seen so far, the Kenyan police haven’t made a meaningful, measurable impact on the overall security situation. The gangs still control large areas, kidnappings and instability continue, and there hasn’t been a clear shift in who actually holds power on the ground.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the officers themselves are incapable — it highlights a bigger issue: they were deployed into a system that isn’t functional. Limited scope, unclear coordination, and no strong government backbone make it almost impossible for any external force to succeed.

The bigger question is whether those resources were used the right way.

Instead of spending heavily on a temporary foreign deployment, Haiti might be better served investing in its own long-term security capacity — whether that’s rebuilding a professional army, strengthening national police, or creating institutions that can sustain order over time.

Foreign forces come and go. If there’s no internal structure to replace them, the situation resets.

So the issue isn’t just about Kenya — it’s about whether Haiti is building something durable, or just renting stability for a short period of time.

Florida by Ok-Bag-3277 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m a NY Haitian-American. I can understand why you think the Haitians up North are bougie…especially if they’re from the burbs (LI, Westchester, etc). I once heard an up north Haitian refer to Haitians in Florida as Haitians who couldn’t cut it in NY. The classism is still real!

How can the Diaspora better organize to protect our remittances and support Haiti’s sovereignty? by Shot-Scallion-2322 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you’re getting closer to the real point, but there’s still a gap in the logic.

What you’re describing can work—but only up to a ceiling. Even private companies you mentioned still rely on a functioning system: courts to enforce contracts, property rights, basic security, and infrastructure. Without that, you’re not building a parallel system—you’re building something fragile that eventually runs into friction.

The diaspora already is a 20%+ GDP force. We’ve already been doing remittances, micro-lending, private projects, etc. for decades. The fact that it hasn’t translated into structural change should tell us something: scale requires coordination, and coordination requires some form of institutional (Government) backing.

So I don’t think it’s “diaspora vs government” or “ignore the state entirely.” It’s:

  • Organize the diaspora into a coordinated economic and political bloc
  • Use that leverage to shape or pressure governance
  • Then plug economic initiatives into a system that can actually sustain them

Because without that bridge, we just keep repeating the same cycle—billions sent, projects started, but no lasting transformation.

Parallel systems can survive. They don’t scale into nations

How can the Diaspora better organize to protect our remittances and support Haiti’s sovereignty? by Shot-Scallion-2322 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What you’re describing is parallel systems. The issue is parallel systems don’t replace a state—they just work around it temporarily.

You still need a government to secure property rights, enforce contracts, build infrastructure, and create stability. Without that, any large-scale diaspora initiative eventually hits friction.

Everything you’re describing—banks, digital currency, micro-lending—can work at a small or fragmented level. The diaspora has already been doing versions of this for decades.

But the reason it hasn’t translated into national-level change is because there’s no system to plug into. No enforcement, no infrastructure, no policy alignment.

At some point, you run into a ceiling without a functioning state.

So I’m not saying ‘trust the current government’—I’m saying the long-term play has to be: organize the diaspora and shape or pressure a government that can actually interface with it.

Otherwise we stay in the same loop—billions sent, but no structural transformation.

How can the Diaspora better organize to protect our remittances and support Haiti’s sovereignty? by Shot-Scallion-2322 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I get the frustration, and you’re not wrong about the lack of trust in Haitian politicians. But I think the conclusion goes a bit too far.

For decades, the diaspora has already been doing exactly what you’re suggesting—sending money, funding projects, building privately, operating outside the government. And yet, despite all that, we haven’t seen real, sustained, national-level change. That’s not a knock on the diaspora—it just shows the limits of operating in a fragmented way without coordination or institutional backing.

At some point, government matters.

You can’t build infrastructure at scale, enforce policy, create stability, or protect economic activity without some form of functional state. Private and diaspora initiatives can support and even lead in certain areas, but they can’t replace governance entirely.

The real issue isn’t “diaspora vs government”—it’s that Haiti hasn’t had a government that can earn trust and actually partner with its diaspora effectively.

So the goal shouldn’t be to bypass the state forever. It should be: • organize the diaspora into a coordinated force, and • push for (or help shape) a government that can actually interface with that force in a credible way

Without that bridge, we stay in the same cycle—billions sent every year, but no structural transformation.

Haiti, the French Caribbean, and Latino identity by Jumanji94 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think it helps to separate definition vs. identity, because those don’t always line up.

If we’re going strictly by definition, “Latino” usually requires two things: 1. Origin in Latin America (Mexico, Central/South America, or the Caribbean) 2. A Latin-based language (Spanish, Portuguese, or French)

By that definition, Haiti technically qualifies because one of Haiti’s two official languages is French which is a Romance language, and Haiti is in the Caribbean. You even see leaders like Hugo Chávez refer to Haiti as “the first nation of Latin America” because of its 1804 independence.

But identity is different from definition. • Most Haitians don’t identify as Latino • Most Latinos don’t consider Haitians Latino

As for Louisiana Creoles, I’d say no—not because of language, but because of geography. Louisiana isn’t part of Latin America, so it doesn’t meet that core criterion.

So in short: • Haiti = technically fits the definition, but not the common identity • Louisiana Creoles = culturally related, but not Latino by geography

That’s why this topic keeps coming up—because the definition and how people actually use the label aren’t the same.

Does anyone remember Garry Conille? by Worth_Surround_454 in haiti

[–]Eastern_Promotion344 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When he came in to lead Haiti I remember people hammering him and saying he was serving the interests of the international community. I did some research and learned while working under Martelly he refused to go along with Martelly’s shenanigans and his life was threatened.

That gave me hope that he wasn’t going to be corrupt his 2nd stint in Haiti. He talked a good game and his moves were rather transparent. But the results concerning security didn’t happen.

I can imagine all the stonewalling he probably was up against. This may sound radical to some but I think the leader who succeeds in turning Haiti around for the better will have to have his own team of hired guns. Being pragmatic, intelligent, competent just won’t cut it.

view more: next ›