The Harvard Kennedy School hosted, on Saturday, April 5, a talk organized by Haitian students under the theme “Haitians at Harvard,” in partnership with the Harvard Caribbean Club and HKS Francophone.
“Leveraging Collaboration to Impact Haiti” was at the center of the discussions, in a patriotic effort to spark a glimmer of hope for a country on the brink of collapse.
Collaborate, harmonize, and strengthen—these three verbs were enough to uphold a noble cause for over two hours: saving Haiti. While collaboration and harmony exist on some level, they are far from sufficient to pull the country out of the chaos that has haunted it for decades. Some would even say that all the forces of evil seem to have joined together against any effort to restore the greatness of this Caribbean nation. In this context of uncertainty and questioning, a chorus of still-hopeful voices echoed from inside the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School: “We are powerful! We are impactful! We are Haiti!”
At the opening of this talk, broadcast live on social media, a powerful voice filled the room. It told a story about tea and coffee, centered on a character named Sous Poulouloune, “a specialist in funeral singing.” His tone, rigor, and humor captivated the audience. It was the voice of the immortal Dany Laferrière, in perfect harmony with a crowd made up of students, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, writers, political figures, and diplomats. His childhood memories were full of witty anecdotes serving as a bridge between a glorious past, a tumultuous present that has gone on too long, and a future growing increasingly dim. He resembled an old man sitting under a mango tree, offering wise counsel to a searching youth. His words stirred and challenged. His gaze mesmerized. At the heart of his message were Haiti and its native language, Creole, which he called upon everyone to further enrich. “It’s not enough to say you love Creole. You have to work to advance it,” he said.
While the young university students used this talk to raise awareness among stakeholders about the need to pool their skills to lift the country out of its downward spiral, the academic urged them to act with humility. He emphasized that, despite being considered a symbol of excellence within the Haitian diaspora, and being a writer whose works have been translated into more than fifteen languages, he remains devoted to wisdom. In a call to prioritize intergenerational inclusion, the Petit-Goâve native recalled how his grandmother, Sous Poulouloune, held great importance in her community—not for her academic knowledge, but for her life experience and talent.
In Search of a Miracle to Save Haiti
From laughter to the alarming reality of a wounded country, the transition was smoothly and subtly handled by entrepreneur Marc Alain Boucicault. In a calm tone, as if not to worsen the wound, he outlined the suffering of a distressed Haiti. The country is currently going through one of the worst periods in its history, marked by the absence of elected leaders: 500 elective positions to fill! An acute economic crisis is worsening poverty among a desperate population, half of which is experiencing food insecurity. For example, the only international airport in the capital has been completely shut down for months. The capital is under siege, almost entirely controlled by armed gangs. The country’s largest hospital is at risk of collapse under repeated attacks by bandits. Faced with such a bleak picture, what can be done? A simple yet complex question in the eyes of the panelists.
For Dr. Solange Vivens, a trainer and graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Nursing, the country’s current situation is not a fatality. “Our beginning does not define our end,” declared the author of the book Women Can Move Mountains. The successful entrepreneur in the healthcare industry is betting on strengthening ties between wealth creators. According to the CEO of Vivens Media Group, investment is needed in training and the development of professional sectors that can support efforts in various industries. After decades at the helm of Vital Management Team, Long Term Care—a company she owned—Solange Vivens, who arrived in the U.S. in 1965, now supports hundreds of women in Cap-Haitien through Ayiti Community Trust. This nonprofit organization supports development and innovation in Haiti. Its activities focus primarily on civic education, the environment, and entrepreneurship.
Haiti Needs New Leadership
Between faith and action, in the face of a multidimensional crisis threatening to engulf the country, the very popular Pastor Gregory Toussaint took a pragmatic stance. While he expresses his belief in what he calls a prophetic destiny for Haiti’s future, the leader of Tabernacle of Glory also relies on concrete actions. In his view, information and communication technologies offer enormous advantages that must be seized. According to him, education supported by the advancement of ICTs is essential in this pursuit of change. When asked about the march he led in April 2023, which mobilized hundreds of thousands of participants in various countries, Gregory Toussaint, ever measured, stated that it’s simply a matter of credibility-based leadership. “To steer the country in the right direction,” he said, “we need leaders who inspire trust.”
There is an awakening, small steps being taken, but strong enough to allow the sons and daughters of Haiti to dream big about their future—and, above all, to show pride in who they are, despite the criticism they face. That is what Professor Moise Anilus, born in Cap-Haitien and founder of Ethno Ivy League Academy, observed. “As this awareness grows, more and more Haitians in the diaspora are committed to asserting their identity, thanks to the achievements of our compatriots in various sectors,” the academic consultant noted with joy. Haiti, he insisted: “I’m ready to contribute something substantial that can make a difference,” he exclaimed, like a heartfelt cry filled with patriotism. It’s not resources that are lacking, he noted, but rather the nationalist spirit that drives every citizen—no matter how far from their homeland—to feel bound by a fundamental duty: contributing to their country’s progress.
Ethno Ivy League Academy is an institution that provides remote training to students seeking academic preparation for university studies.
“America is my shelter. Haiti is my home”
Though they shine abroad, it’s not without a sense of bitterness. Studying on foreign soil involves great achievements, certainly, but also its share of suffering. Sometimes directly threatened and stigmatized, often humiliated in foreign lands, Haitian students must show resilience. In the face of all kinds of scorn or insults related to their origin, they must arm themselves with courage to reach their goals. “America is my shelter. Haiti is my home,” declared Michelle Jean-Louis, now in her third year studying the History of Science.
“When we speak of ‘home,’ we refer to integrity, stability, and safety. ‘Shelter,’ on the other hand, refers to a place of refuge,” she continued. “When our homeland, overrun by gangs, has become an open-air prison; when our presence is stigmatized in countries that should offer us shelter; and when the media, instead of highlighting our suffering, give a voice to those who persecute, starve, and kill us—we have lost that sense of security. We no longer feel at home!”
“Today we say that visibility and stability have an impact. These terms reflect the necessary reforms in defense, governance, education, health, technology, and public services,” she explained. These pillars, she argued, will help restore stability and allow Haiti to cope with the flow of displaced people feeding the refugee crisis. “We are here because we believe that what we’ve lost within our government, NGOs, and the media, we can find in one another.” Making “the call to collaboration” her main theme, Michelle Jean-Louis, a member of the Harvard Caribbean Club, which brings together students from the Caribbean region, emphasized the importance of solidarity. “Historically, when we have been victims of failure—whether through slavery, dictatorship, or the corruption of NGOs after the 2010 earthquake—collaboration helped us overcome. It was our most effective form of resistance and reform, and that’s what we need today.”
Held at the Harvard Kennedy School, this initiative carried deep symbolic meaning, as noted in the speech by the Consul General of Haiti in Boston. The choice of this academic space offered both an opportunity for debate and a platform to turn ideas into action. The consulate, promised Régine Étienne to the students, will play its role as a catalyst—a bridge between ideas and projects, between the diaspora and the field.
Marc Alain Boucicault, who holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, embodies dynamism and serves as a vocal advocate for strengthening skills through a collective approach to this seemingly endless quest for solutions. The founder of Banj has specialized in building ecosystems that bring together entrepreneurs from different sectors. Through this institution, which he describes as a startup incubator, the entrepreneur shares his knowledge with hundreds of young people.
Haiti can’t take it anymore—torn apart by violence, scarred by poverty. One might wonder how many more discussions are needed before this beautiful dream can come true: seeing a prosperous country where people can live with dignity. One thing is certain: this talk brought together actors who are already rolling up their sleeves—each at their own level, in their area of expertise. Much more must still be done to reinforce this patriotic faith, through which the long-awaited miracle of change may finally take place.
Robenson Sanon
