Former Ambassador to Haiti, Brian Dean Curran, spoke at Wiscasset’s First Congregational Church Feb. 18, giving those present a unique insight into the Caribbean nation following the devastating earthquake in 2010.
Curran, who was last in Haiti in January, said he felt “relatively good” about the current situation in the country.
“The philosophy is to ‘build it back better’,” Curran said.
Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010, leaving tens of thousands dead, wounded, and homeless. International humanitarian aid poured into the country following the disaster, and United Nations peacekeeping forces still maintain a presence in the region.
Curran currently serves as the Vice President of Konbit Sante’s Board of Directors, a nonprofit based out of Portland that is dedicated to supporting “the development of a sustainable health care system” in the Haitian town of Cap-Haïtian.
Curran said the international community was also invested in the nation.
“The international community has a long term commitment to Haiti,” he said.
Curran spoke of a new modern hospital that had been built in the town of Cap-Haïtian, and a $275 million investment from a South Korean firm to develop the Haitian textile industry.
“That’s what needs to be done,” he said. “Haiti can’t remain on the dole.”
Curran also expressed optimism at the prospects of Haiti becoming a center for tourism, calling it the “most fascinating country in the Caribbean.” The country’s unique Creole culture, coupled with its culinary tradition and historic sites, could be very attractive to tourists, Curran said.
Issues of security and public perception remain a problem, however.
Curran recounted a story from the early 1990s, when Royal Caribbean first began to make port of calls in the Haitian resort town of Labadee. The company never told their passengers the location of the pristine tropical beach, fearing that customers would be afraid to disembark.
Labadee is privately operated by Royal Caribbean near Cap-Haïtian on Haiti’s northern coast. Royal Caribbean has since notified its passengers of their location, and has invested heavily in the area.
Curran said the best way to help Haiti was to donate money to a small, non-profit organization already at work in the country.
“The best thing you can do is write a check, but be careful who you write it to,” Curran said, indicating that some large aid organizations, such as UNICEF, have been wracked by poor management in the past.
Curran, a resident of Damariscotta, served as the United States Ambassador to Mozambique from 1997 to 2000 and Haiti from 2001 to 2003. A career member of the Foreign Service until retiring in 2005, Curran also served in Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Belgium, France, Ireland, and Italy.
