Beyond Good Intentions: The Structural Limitations of NGOs in Haiti

• Published in: Critical sociology 2013-05, Vol.39 (3), p.439-452
• Main Author: Edmonds, Kevin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Committees; Delivery Systems; Development; Earthquakes; Haiti; Haitians; Imperialism; Legislation; Natural Disasters; Neoliberalism; NGOs; Non-governmental organizations; Nongovernmental Organizations; Political economy; Poverty; Privatization; Reconstruction; Socioeconomic factors; Trauma
• ISSN: 0896-9205; 1569-1632
• DOI: 10.1177/0896920512437053

The catastrophic earthquake which devastated Haiti on 12 January 2010 revealed the deep socio-economic divides which plague the nation. The vivid scenes of trauma led to a massive influx of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on behalf of the goodwill of the global community. However, more than one year later the reconstruction process has been shown to be a very lucrative undertaking for many private organizations. Haiti remains in ruins, with NGOs benefiting from the extreme privatization of the Haitian state, resulting in a patchwork system of services which are unaccountable to the Haitian people. The Interim Haiti Reconstruction Committee, led by Bill Clinton, seeks to entrench the same neoliberal policies which laid the foundation for much of the pre-earthquake poverty and dependency. Such efforts raise serious questions about the legitimacy of the current reconstruction and whether these organizations are committed to help Haiti, or themselves – and what alternatives exist.