Because of the failure of peace workers NGOs to ease the armed and deadly conflicts among herders’ communities in northern Kenya and Uganda, donors have been invited to cut off their financial aid toward them; at the same time, eastern African authorities were asked to join their effort in order to ensure safety in their area by taking away guns from illegal people. Those conclusions found in Africa News/The Nation and reported in an article (Kenya; Aid Has Failed To End Gun Among Herders), were drawn by Mr. Kennedy Agade Mkutu throughout his book “Gun and Governance in the Rift Valley” and Mr. Dave Eaton in “Oxford journal”. According to Mkutu, some Kenyan pastoralist communities owned a large amount of illegal weapons during the past ten years; during the same period, the amount of cattle stolen was ten times higher. On the other side, Mr. Eaton criticized donors who continued to give money to so-called transient peace groups which are yearly founded back and forth, purposely to satisfy political interests instead of promoting peace. Any real solution to this matter requires a new approach which consists of giving back the stolen animals to their owners, affirmed Eaton. On the other part, Mkutu suggested that governments of the region conjugate their effort to bring a lasting solution to the problem by disarming all the communities and by reestablishing trust, confidence among them instead of using violence through security forces. Without a participatory approach which takes into account all the actors of the crisis, no solution will be possible, he pointed out. Finally Mkutu suggested that concerned governments set up solid institutions which will be responsible for rendering justice to everyone regardless his or her economical and social backgrounds.
Donors always spend a lot of money to solve conflicts in several areas in Africa. However people from different regions in this continent are still fleeing their country because of internal wars. In my opinion, I think that donors should use other strategies regarding this issue.
Many people often put on their mind that money can bring up any problem; such an opinion is delusive. Sometimes money creates more problems than it resolves. For instance, throughout the world some people often take advantage on the disastrous situation of others to make money. In some regions throughout the world, when a flood is coming up, some people rejoice because they will take as their own the aid that is dedicated to the victims. It is not without reason that the bible considers money as the root cause of every harm.
NGOs have no interests that the conflict be ended among herders communities; if so, they will not receive money anymore from donors. That is the main reason which prevents them from solving the problem. Moreover donors encourage them to do so; for in spite of the lack of results from their activities, they still continue to receive money from donors. Obviously, many poor countries are victim of this kind of situation. For example, in Haiti there are a lot of NGOs which are working in several poor regions in the country with the objective to fight poverty; nevertheless the situation of those regions never change. Most of the time, when a project is implemented, the greatest part of the fund is used to buy new brand cars, big houses; only a very slight percentage goes to the population. Thus, I think it is fair that donors stop throwing money down the drain.
As pointed out on the outset of the essay, donors must change their strategies if they really want to obtain better results. Instead of giving money back and forth to NGOs which use it to other end, it should be wiser to find out a means to meet directly people of different communities. By so doing, their request could be taken into consideration. Believe it or not, poverty is the main cause of this situation. Why is violence commonplace in some places in Africa? Does it mean that African people are more violent than people of the other continents? I don’t think so. Violence is due to poverty. Hence, the eradication of poverty among pastoralist communities is the best strategy to solve the problem.
A lasting solution could be found to many problems that humankind are facing today. However, people who could contribute to fix them are often blinded by love of money; thus those problems still remain unsolved. In this case I can not agree more with the authors when they invited donors to cut off money from NGOs until they manifest good will to solve the problem.
Kenya; Aid has failed to end gun trade among herders. ( April 17, 2008). Africa News,
The Nation. Retrieved on January 27, 2009, from Lexis Nexis datadase.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Person who Influenced My Life
From my childhood, my father exercised such a remarkable influence on my life that even after his premature death in 1996, my character was being shaped by the values he had instilled in me. By the way, who was my father? He was a mere farmer who never went to school. Surprisingly, despite his illiteracy, he had made proof of a broad spirit. For instance, during his life, he taught me to pursue education, discipline and excellence on one hand; and on the hand, he taught me to detest mediocrity. Moreover, he always made me known that nothing is impossible, as long as I set aside time, energy, patience and perseverance. Another advice he told me to never forget during my lifetime was: “try always to top the list in every competition’’. Although he died twelve years ago, his principles have constituted the key of my success.
At school, I always managed to be on time in order to follow all the explanations of my teachers. I set up my own strategies to study in such a way to give the best results. Each time a new situation was coming up, I adapted my strategies to it. As a result, I always showed very good academic performance. Thereby, I gained the appreciation of several people, included my teachers, my classmates and my family. My father always awarded me for my excellent academic performance; hence I did always all that I could to top the list.
At sixteen, I completed my primary study and I had to begin my secondary study in a private school. Upon my arrival at the new school, I distinguished myself among the other pupils through the best scores I had for all the classes. As a matter of fact, I was granted half a scholarship by the Director of the school.
My father was still alive during my two first years at secondary school, but his death came up at the beginning of my third year. That had happened before I reached enough maturity to lead my destiny. However the seeds he sowed beforehand in my young heart brought valuable fruits. Thanks to sacrifices combined with discipline, self-denial, patience and perseverance, I completed my undergraduate study in Agronomy at the State University of Haiti two years ago; and I will start my graduate program in Environmental Engineering in a U.S. university through a scholarship awarded by the Fulbright program.
At school, I always managed to be on time in order to follow all the explanations of my teachers. I set up my own strategies to study in such a way to give the best results. Each time a new situation was coming up, I adapted my strategies to it. As a result, I always showed very good academic performance. Thereby, I gained the appreciation of several people, included my teachers, my classmates and my family. My father always awarded me for my excellent academic performance; hence I did always all that I could to top the list.
At sixteen, I completed my primary study and I had to begin my secondary study in a private school. Upon my arrival at the new school, I distinguished myself among the other pupils through the best scores I had for all the classes. As a matter of fact, I was granted half a scholarship by the Director of the school.
My father was still alive during my two first years at secondary school, but his death came up at the beginning of my third year. That had happened before I reached enough maturity to lead my destiny. However the seeds he sowed beforehand in my young heart brought valuable fruits. Thanks to sacrifices combined with discipline, self-denial, patience and perseverance, I completed my undergraduate study in Agronomy at the State University of Haiti two years ago; and I will start my graduate program in Environmental Engineering in a U.S. university through a scholarship awarded by the Fulbright program.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Jean- René Thelusmond's Statement of Purpose
Due to its geographical location, Haiti is particularly exposed to extreme weather phenomena. Located in the hurricane path of the Caribbean region, Haiti’s aggravated land degradation trends translate into highly vulnerability to natural disasters. Storms, heavy rainfalls, and landslides are more frequent and severe in this region.
Hydro meteorological, seismic and other natural events pose a permanent ongoing threat to the Haitian people living in different regions of the country. The low level of development becomes evident in the fragile infrastructure, the poor and anarchic building fabric of housing. In addition, low levels of political and social organization as well as the absence of warning systems make Haiti more vulnerable to natural disasters.
In my undergraduate study, I was exposed to a number of subjects in environmental management that quenched my thirst for more knowledge. My previous training program in Natural Resources and Environment added to my experience, gave me ample scope for a clear understanding of theoretical and practical ideas. In order to excel in the field of my study, I was taught subjects like remote sensing and Cartography with deep insights into interpretation of satellite images. Added to this, my department offered courses like: Climatology & Meteorology, Geology, Hydrogeology, Environmental Management, Hydrostatic and Hydrodynamic, Watershed management, Ecology etc.
Since my freshman year at the Faculté d’Agronomie of the State University of Haiti (where I received my diploma of Agronomist Engineer), I became aware of Haiti’s enviromental challenges and of the responsabilities that some how are laid upon me toward my country’s future. Most of the courses included in the curriculum, provided me the opportunity to better understand the overwhelming environmental problem of Haiti.
In May 2004, Fonds Verrette area was swept away by a huge flood which killed 2. 665 people and left 31.130 survivors homeless. A couple of months later, Gonaives City and its neighboring areas were struck by huricane Jeanne, which was considered as one of the deadliest hurricane that has ever happened in Haiti.More than 315.594 people were affected and 2.754 were killed. Those events motivated me to rapidly conclude my studies in order to get involved in projects that could save my country from such sorrowful disasters. As pointed out in the previous lines, I enjoy helping needful people wherever they live. I also enjoy informing, training and enlightening others.
Since I graduated in September 2006 until December 2007, I have been involved as co-worker with Mr. Jocelyn LOUISSAINT, my reseacher advisor, in several projects addressing environmental matter. The greatest one was held in Gonaives City and its neighboring area, where I had to collect useful data on land degradation, land use and the basic needs of the population in terms of technical and socio-economical support. This data was designed to help policy-makers take better decisions regarding prevention and mitigation of disaster risk by reducing the vulnerability. On March 2008, I was appointed as consultant by Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) to join a team of researchers lead and supervised by Mr. Frisner PIERRE, to assess the environmental and socio-economic situation of Montrouis and Limbe watersheds populations prior to the implementation of Economic Development for a Sustainable Environment project. However my experience showed me that much of the information available in Haiti regarding disaster risk is incomplete and is not disaggregated, this makes the information outdated and/or useless as a baseline.
I wish to bring a better contribution to the way disaster risk management is approached in my country, with the objective to contribute to strengthening national and local disaster risk management capabilities through the creation of a reliable risk assessment for the prevention and mitigation of disaster by developing appropriate early-warning systems. To do so, an advanced knowledge in this matter is necessary for my efficiency. In particular I would like to take part in the designing and implementation of community based disaster risk assessment, identification of measures for hazard and vulnerability reduction, and community capacity building. I would like to prepare risk reduction plans and understand how to integrate them into development activities.
I am interested in following the program in your University as it will allow me to understand the nature and impact of disasters on the natural environment, human life as well as their possessions. I am expecting to learn about risk analysis, risk perception, risk communication and risk mitigation; moreover I would like to establish strategic plans for disasters in order to mitigate their harmful effects, as well as to respond and recover from them in a more efficient and timely manner. I look forward to acquiring knowledge on tropical cyclones, including the various climatic factors involved, in a perspective that would enable me to transfer to the particular cases of both Haiti and the Caribbean region. I also intend to get a broad understanding on managing cartographic data, in particular integrating remote sensed data into geographic information systems.
Upon the completion of my study, when coming out from U.S., I will work with endangered population, policymakers, national and international stakeholders involved in disaster risk management. A part of my time will be dedicated to the teaching of young people in my home country, for I have a keen talent for teaching. Finally, I wish to assure any university in the U.S. that it can find a motivated, diligent, disciplined and a dedicated student in me. So I believe that these qualities will account for my success.
Hydro meteorological, seismic and other natural events pose a permanent ongoing threat to the Haitian people living in different regions of the country. The low level of development becomes evident in the fragile infrastructure, the poor and anarchic building fabric of housing. In addition, low levels of political and social organization as well as the absence of warning systems make Haiti more vulnerable to natural disasters.
In my undergraduate study, I was exposed to a number of subjects in environmental management that quenched my thirst for more knowledge. My previous training program in Natural Resources and Environment added to my experience, gave me ample scope for a clear understanding of theoretical and practical ideas. In order to excel in the field of my study, I was taught subjects like remote sensing and Cartography with deep insights into interpretation of satellite images. Added to this, my department offered courses like: Climatology & Meteorology, Geology, Hydrogeology, Environmental Management, Hydrostatic and Hydrodynamic, Watershed management, Ecology etc.
Since my freshman year at the Faculté d’Agronomie of the State University of Haiti (where I received my diploma of Agronomist Engineer), I became aware of Haiti’s enviromental challenges and of the responsabilities that some how are laid upon me toward my country’s future. Most of the courses included in the curriculum, provided me the opportunity to better understand the overwhelming environmental problem of Haiti.
In May 2004, Fonds Verrette area was swept away by a huge flood which killed 2. 665 people and left 31.130 survivors homeless. A couple of months later, Gonaives City and its neighboring areas were struck by huricane Jeanne, which was considered as one of the deadliest hurricane that has ever happened in Haiti.More than 315.594 people were affected and 2.754 were killed. Those events motivated me to rapidly conclude my studies in order to get involved in projects that could save my country from such sorrowful disasters. As pointed out in the previous lines, I enjoy helping needful people wherever they live. I also enjoy informing, training and enlightening others.
Since I graduated in September 2006 until December 2007, I have been involved as co-worker with Mr. Jocelyn LOUISSAINT, my reseacher advisor, in several projects addressing environmental matter. The greatest one was held in Gonaives City and its neighboring area, where I had to collect useful data on land degradation, land use and the basic needs of the population in terms of technical and socio-economical support. This data was designed to help policy-makers take better decisions regarding prevention and mitigation of disaster risk by reducing the vulnerability. On March 2008, I was appointed as consultant by Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) to join a team of researchers lead and supervised by Mr. Frisner PIERRE, to assess the environmental and socio-economic situation of Montrouis and Limbe watersheds populations prior to the implementation of Economic Development for a Sustainable Environment project. However my experience showed me that much of the information available in Haiti regarding disaster risk is incomplete and is not disaggregated, this makes the information outdated and/or useless as a baseline.
I wish to bring a better contribution to the way disaster risk management is approached in my country, with the objective to contribute to strengthening national and local disaster risk management capabilities through the creation of a reliable risk assessment for the prevention and mitigation of disaster by developing appropriate early-warning systems. To do so, an advanced knowledge in this matter is necessary for my efficiency. In particular I would like to take part in the designing and implementation of community based disaster risk assessment, identification of measures for hazard and vulnerability reduction, and community capacity building. I would like to prepare risk reduction plans and understand how to integrate them into development activities.
I am interested in following the program in your University as it will allow me to understand the nature and impact of disasters on the natural environment, human life as well as their possessions. I am expecting to learn about risk analysis, risk perception, risk communication and risk mitigation; moreover I would like to establish strategic plans for disasters in order to mitigate their harmful effects, as well as to respond and recover from them in a more efficient and timely manner. I look forward to acquiring knowledge on tropical cyclones, including the various climatic factors involved, in a perspective that would enable me to transfer to the particular cases of both Haiti and the Caribbean region. I also intend to get a broad understanding on managing cartographic data, in particular integrating remote sensed data into geographic information systems.
Upon the completion of my study, when coming out from U.S., I will work with endangered population, policymakers, national and international stakeholders involved in disaster risk management. A part of my time will be dedicated to the teaching of young people in my home country, for I have a keen talent for teaching. Finally, I wish to assure any university in the U.S. that it can find a motivated, diligent, disciplined and a dedicated student in me. So I believe that these qualities will account for my success.
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