Has to be about the bigger picture

I read an excellent post by Dr. Mark Hyman over the weekend here: Haiti Weather report: Mostly Foggy With Rain Storms Expected  He and his surgeon wife were on the ground in Haiti immediately after the quake. Five weeks later they've returned. Here is an excerpt:

" The Haitian people accommodate. Perhaps that is why we ignore them. The dancer who lost both her feet danced for us in her bed, swaying her body and waving her hands entertaining us, imploring us to tell her story. On Sunday morning in Cange, in the central plateau of Haiti where so many escaped Port au Prince to receive care and shelter, the Church was turned into a hospital ward, and Sunday services were held in an old auditorium a thousand people huddled into the building and spilled into the courtyard to celebrate life, to help each other. This was Zanmi Lasante, Partners in Health, the place where Paul Farmer created a vibrant health center and community out of the most desolate place in Haiti 25 years ago. That morning Paul translated the stories of those who survived the quake, who came to Cange to get help and shared their gratitude, their hope, and their love with all of us. There is only gratitude and patience and fortitude in the face of so little."

As I continue learning about the history of Haiti, my gratitude to Reg for insisting I do deepens. I go to Haiti to learn his story; but I see now why his story cannot be separated from that of his country and people. I had to learn enough before going to respect that fact fully once I get there, in order to begin to understand Reg. There is much to learn, and I knew little. What I did know was shaped by media reports that I'm sorry to say do not even begin to tell the true story. I say that after weeks of reading and edcating myself - and I have only scratched the surface. I still have much to learn. I intentially want to be honest about that, because I hope that you will respect that as my eyes open through my intensive research, that for you as for me, there will come a potential window of seeing Haiti and the situation there in a new light - based on a deeper understanding.

There are endless layers to the problems in Haiti, something true of anyplace in the world, the dear U.S. included. But the more I read and understand, the more I realize how truly daunting the issues facing these people; issues horrendeous before ... now thrown into the aftermath of this devastating earthquake.

I read over and over and over again about the gratitude, patience and fortitude of the Haitian people. I quoted what I did above, because I was struck by Dr. Hyman's "The Haitian people accomodate. Perhaps that is why we ignore them."

I've been implored to focus by some on only the positive ... ignore the fears and the issues and focus on the people - the beautiful children - the hope and opportunity. And as already expressed here, of course that is the rightful ultimate empowering vision; I have done that. I will continue to do so.

But I'm also realizing that understanding the causes of the problems that Haiti and its people already faced on that fateful afternoon when the earth shook - have faced for so long now - is crucial to understanding how best to help make this tragedy into opportunity. Haiti's people deserve a lasting ability to reshape their broken country into something reflective of their own desire to lift themselves up from poverty and want; to bring back their agricultural heritage, heal their land, and provide for themselves. The beautiful children deserve a future with hope.

This is Haiti, a world away from most reading this. There are so many here in our country hurting and in need - I do not negate that. But I think how the people of Haiti rise up from this quake will have ramifications and lessons for everyone, the world over. Already there are discussions about how the emergency response - due to the horrendeous nature of this quake and the large number of people affected as well as the conditions they were living in when it occured - holds lessons for how to provide aid better and more efficiently in the future for similar disasters; how to avoid similar tragedy of this magnitude. The models used for assistance by the global community in helping re-build the country of Haiti will hold many lessons as well.

Let the models for assistance be solutions that will offer opportunity to the Haitian people to regain their dignity and provide for themselves and their families. The more I read, the more it seems its their turn for their country and their government to make accomodating them and meeting their needs as a whole ... a priority.