Haitian Heritage Month, 2015
Background Information, Lesson Plans, and Internet
Resources for the Secondary Classroom
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Department of Social Sciences
THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman, Chair
Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman, Vice-Chair
Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall
Ms. Susie V. Castillo
Dr. Wilbert “Tee” Holloway
Dr. Martin Karp
Ms. Lubby Navarro
Dr. Marta Pérez
Ms. Raquel A. Regalado
Julian Lafaurie
Student Advisor
Mr. Alberto M. Carvalho
Superintendent of Schools
Mrs. Maria L. Izquierdo, Chief Academic Officer
Office of Academics and Transformation
Dr. Maria P. de Armas, Assistant Superintendent
Curriculum and Instruction, K-12 Core Curriculum
Mr. Robert C. Brazofsky, Executive Director
Department of Social Sciences
Introduction and an Instructional Note to Teachers about Haitian Heritage Month
Haitian Heritage Month is celebrated each May. This occasion gives our diverse
community an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many historic, social, and
cultural contributions of Haitians to our community, nation, and world.
To assist teachers, staff in the Department of Social Sciences has developed this
instructional resource guide that includes suggested classroom activities and Internet
resources for Haitian Heritage Month. The resources in this guide include:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Background information that is helpful for both the teacher and student is
provided.

LESSONS, ACTIVITIES, AND STRATEGIES FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS
Detailed lesson plans with all support materials needed to complete the lessons
are provided in this section of the guide. These lessons are also applicable
throughout the curriculum and school year.

INTERNET RESOURCES
Related lesson plans, teacher background information, and interactive activities
may be found on the web sites listed in this section of the guide.
Background Information
 Haiti - World Book (Advanced)
 Facts About Haiti
 A Chronology of Key Events in the History of Haiti
 Maps of Haiti
 Haitian Flag Day, Flag, and Shield
 Haiti Earthquake Fast Facts
 Hurricanes and Haiti: A Tragic History
Haiti
The article below on Haiti is an excellent overview of the nation’s geography, history
and people. The article is intended primarily as a reference for teachers.
The article is from the on-line edition of the World Book Encyclopedia Advanced (2014)
available for students and teachers through the Miami-Dade County Public Schools’
Department of Library Media Services. To access the full article:
1. Visit Library Media Services at http://library.dadeschools.net/
(Password needed. Check with the Media Specialist.)
2. Click the On-line Data Bases and select World Book Online Reference Center
3. Select World Book Advanced
4. Search for the article entitled “Haiti.”
Introduction - Haiti is a country in the Caribbean region. It covers the western third of
the island of Hispaniola, which lies between Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean
Sea. The Dominican Republic covers eastern Hispaniola. Most of Haiti is mountainous,
and the country's name comes from an Indian word that means high ground.
Haiti’s official name in French is République d’Haiti. Its official name in Creole is
Repiblik dAyiti. Both official names mean Republic of Haiti. Port-au-Prince is Haiti’s
capital and largest city.
Haiti is the oldest black republic in the world. In addition, it is the second oldest
independent nation in the Western Hemisphere. Only the United States is older. Haiti
has been independent since 1804. Most of the time, it has been ruled by dictators.
Haiti is one of the most densely populated and least developed countries in the Western
Hemisphere. Many Haitians are farmers who raise food mainly for their families. The
country has a shortage of hospitals and doctors. Because of poor diet and medical care
- especially in rural areas - the average life expectancy in Haiti is only about 50 years.
Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator in the service of Spain, arrived at Hispaniola
in 1492. His crew established a Spanish base in what is now Haiti. Later, French
settlers developed Haiti into what was then the richest colony in the Caribbean.
Government - A president serves as Haiti's head of state. The people elect the
president to a five-year term. The president appoints a prime minister to serve as head
of the government. A parliament called the National Assembly makes the country's
laws. The people elect members of the upper house, called the Senate, to six-year
terms. Members of the lower house, called the Chamber of Deputies, are elected to
four-year terms.
People - Most of the people are descendants of Africans brought to Haiti to work as
slaves. A majority of Haitians live in the country's overcrowded coastal plains and
mountain valleys, where the soil is most productive. A typical Haitian family grows
beans, corn, rice, yams, and other necessities on a tiny plot of land. They may also
raise chickens, pigs, or goats. The family usually lives in a one-room dwelling built with
a thatched roof and walls made of sticks covered with dried mud.
Most Haitian farmers use a hoe to till their land. Sometimes, a farmer will request help
from other farmers for major jobs such as clearing the land, planting, or harvesting
crops. This type of cooperative effort is called a combite (also spelled coumbite). During
a combite, the farmers encourage one another with music and singing.
Most Haitians belong to the Roman Catholic Church. However, the religious beliefs and
practices of many Haitians are strongly influenced by African customs. As a result, a
religion known as Vodou exists in Haiti. People who follow Vodou, sometimes called
Voodoo, believe that by performing certain ceremonies they can be monte (taken over)
by spirits. For example, ahoungan (Vodou priest) draws a veve (sacred design) on the
ground with flour. Then, the people dance until spirits have taken over one or more of
them. The followers of Vodou believe in many spirits, such as the gods of rain, love,
war, and farming. Since the mid-1900’s, a growing number of Haitians have become
Protestants.
About 5 percent of the people of Haiti are mulattoes (people of mixed African and
European ancestry). Most mulattoes belong to the middle or upper class, and many
have been educated abroad. A few Americans, Europeans, and Syrians also live in
Haiti. Most Haitians speak Creole, a language partly based on French. The middle and
upper classes also speak French.
Land - Mountains cover about 80 percent of Haiti. Two chains of rugged mountains run
across the northern and southern parts of Haiti and form two peninsulas at the west end
of the island. The northern peninsula juts about 100 miles (160 kilometers) into the
Atlantic Ocean, and the southern peninsula extends about 200 miles (320 kilometers)
into the Caribbean Sea. A gulf, Golfe de la Gonave, and an island, Île de la Gonave, lie
between the two peninsulas. The wide Artibonite Valley of the Artibonite River lies
between the mountains in eastern Haiti. Tortue Island (also called Tortuga Island) lies
off the northern coast. Tropical pines and mahogany forests cover some mountains, and
tropical fruit trees grow on others.
The people grow coffee and cacao (seeds used to make cocoa and chocolate) in the
mountains. Rice and sugar cane are the main crops in the black, fertile soil of the
Artibonite Valley. Because of a shortage of suitable land, farmers raise crops wherever
they can, even on steep mountain slopes. In some mountain areas, overcultivation has
resulted in serious soil erosion.
Haiti has a tropical climate with mild temperatures. Temperatures range from 70 to 95
°F (21 to 35 °C) along the coasts and from 50 to 75 °F (10 to 24 °C) in the mountains.
The tropical forests in the northern mountains receive about 80 inches (200
centimeters) of rain a year. The southern coast receives less than 40 inches (100
centimeters). Destructive hurricanes sometimes strike the country between June and
October.
Economy - Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. Frequent natural disasters
and political unrest have weakened the country's economy. Haiti has a high
unemployment rate. Many Haitians live in poverty. Remittances (money sent home)
from Haitians living abroad and foreign aid are important to the economy.
Haiti's economy relies largely on agriculture. Many of Haiti's workers are farmers. But
most farmers own barely enough land to grow food for their families. The country grows
bananas, beans, coffee, corn, mangoes, rice, sugar cane, and yams. Haitian farmers
raise beef and dairy cattle, chickens, goats, and hogs.
Haiti has few industries. The country's factories produce cement, clothing and textiles,
and food and beverage products. Craft workers in the cities sell handicrafts to tourists.
Mining plays a small role in Haiti's economy.
Haiti imports much more than it exports. The United States is Haiti's leading trade
partner. The country imports machinery, motor vehicles, petroleum products, rice, and
sugar. It exports clothing, cocoa, fruits, and oils.
Haiti has a poor transportation system. The country has no railroads and most roads are
unpaved. Port-au-Prince has an international airport. Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince
have important seaports. Some cruise ships stop at Labadie, a small resort on Haiti’s
northern coast.
History - Haiti has had a tumultuous history. Europeans controlled what is now Haiti
from the 1500's through the 1700's. Military leaders and dictators ruled Haiti during
much of the 1900's. In addition, peacekeeping forces from various countries have
occupied Haiti on and off since the 1990's. Natural disasters also have caused serious
problems for the nation.
Colonial Days - Christopher Columbus arrived at an island he named Hispaniola in
1492. One of his ships, the Santa Maria, ran aground on Christmas Day on reefs near
the present-day city of Cap-Haïtien. Columbus's crew used the ship's timber to build a
fort, which Columbus named Fort Navidad. Some of the crew stayed to hold the fort
when Columbus sailed on. But the Arawak Indians who lived on the island destroyed
the fort and killed the men.
Columbus discovered gold in what is now the Dominican Republic. Other Spanish
settlers then rushed to Hispaniola. They forced the Indians to mine gold and raise food.
They treated the Indians so harshly that by 1530 only a few hundred Indians were alive.
Africans were then brought in and forced to work as slaves.
Spanish settlers began leaving Hispaniola for more prosperous Spanish settlements in
Peru and Mexico. By 1606, there were so few Spaniards left on Hispaniola that the king
of Spain ordered them to move closer to the city of Santo Domingo (in what is now the
Dominican Republic). French, English, and Dutch settlers then took over the abandoned
northern and western coasts of Hispaniola. Many settlers became pirates
called buccaneers. The buccaneers used the small island of Tortue (also called
Tortuga) as a base and attacked ships carrying gold and silver to Spain. The Spanish
tried to drive out the buccaneers but failed. In 1697, Spain recognized French control of
the western third of the island.
France named its new colony Saint-Domingue. French colonists brought in Africans as
slaves and developed big coffee and spice plantations. By 1788, there were eight times
as many slaves (almost 500,000) as colonists.
Independence - In 1791, during the French Revolution, the slaves in Saint-Domingue
rebelled against their French masters. The slaves destroyed plantations and towns.
Toussaint Louverture, a former slave, took control of the government and restored some
order to the colony. Toussaint wanted to separate Saint-Domingue from France. He
wrote a constitution that essentially removed Saint-Domingue from French control. But
Napoleon I came to power in France in 1799, and in 1802, he sent an army to SaintDomingue to restore French rule. After several battles, the army sent by Napoleon
captured Toussaint and imprisoned him in France, where he later died. In SaintDomingue, many of the French soldiers caught yellow fever and died. After a long
campaign, the African rebels defeated the French army in 1803. On Jan. 1, 1804,
General Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the leader of the rebels, proclaimed the colony an
independent country named Haiti.
Dessalines became the nation's first chief of state. When he was killed in 1806, two
other generals, Alexandre Pétion and Henri Christophe, struggled for power. Pétion took
control of southern Haiti, and Christophe took control of the northern part of the country.
Jean-Pierre Boyer replaced Pétion in 1818 and reunited the country after Christophe
committed suicide in 1820. In 1821, Boyer took control of the Spanish colony in eastern
Hispaniola. Haiti ruled it until the colony revolted in 1844. During the next 70 years, 32
different men ruled Haiti. Unrest spread throughout the country.
U.S. Occupation - In 1915, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent Marines to Haiti to
restore order. He feared other nations might try to take Haiti if unrest continued.
Haitians resented this interference. The U.S. occupation force made Haiti make
payments on its large debts to other countries. The force strengthened the government;
built highways, schools, and hospitals; and set up a sanitation program that eliminated
yellow fever in Haiti. The U.S. force withdrew in 1934, and Haiti regained control of its
own affairs. The next two Haitian presidents encouraged foreign companies to invest
money in Haiti. But the upper-class benefited most from these investments.
Military Rulers and Dictators - Army officers took control of Haiti's government in 1946,
and again in 1949 after riots broke out. An army officer, Paul Magloire, was elected
president in 1950. He resigned in 1956 when rioting broke out, and the army took
control of the government again.
François Duvalier, a country doctor, was elected president of Haiti in 1957. In 1964, he
declared himself president for life. Duvalier ruled as a dictator. In 1971, Haiti's
Constitution was amended to allow the president to choose his successor. Duvalier
chose his son, Jean-Claude. François Duvalier died in April 1971. Jean-Claude, then
only 19 years old, succeeded him. He also declared himself president for life and ruled
as a dictator. Both the Duvaliers controlled Haiti's armed forces and a secret police
force. The secret police enforced the Duvaliers' policies, often using violence. The
people called the secret police Tontons Macoutes (bogeymen).
In the early 1970's, many people left Haiti because of poor economic conditions and
severe treatment by the secret police. In 1986, Haitians staged a revolt against JeanClaude Duvalier. Jean-Claude fled from Haiti. Lieutenant General Henri Namphy
became head of the government. Namphy tried to disband the Tontons Macoutes but
failed.
A constitution adopted in March 1987 provided for presidential and national assembly
elections by the people. But the government tried to shift control of the elections from a
civilian electoral council to the army. The presidential election was to be held on Nov.
29, 1987. But as a result of terrorist attacks on voters at polling places, the election was
canceled. In January 1988, new elections were held. The voters elected a parliament
and a civilian president. In June 1988, Namphy overthrew the government and seized
power. He declared himself president of a military government.
In September 1988, officers of Haiti's Presidential Guard seized power from Namphy.
Lieutenant General Prosper Avril declared himself president and began to rule as a
dictator. In March 1990, Avril resigned his office following protests against his rule.
The Aristide Years - In December 1990, the Haitian people elected Jean-Bertrand
Aristide as president. However, in September 1991, military leaders overthrew Aristide.
Aristide fled the country. The Organization of American States (OAS), an association of
North and South American nations, led a trade boycott against Haiti designed to force
Aristide's return to power. The United Nations (UN) later imposed its own boycott.
Following the coup, many Haitians attempted to flee to the United States in small boats.
At first, the U.S. government forced most of the refugees to return to Haiti. Later, the
government sent fleeing refugees to the U.S. military base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
On July 3, 1993, the Haitian military agreed to allow Aristide to return to office and
restore a democratic government by October 30. But the military leaders failed to carry
out the agreement and barred Aristide from returning. The UN and the United States
demanded that the agreement be followed. On Sept. 18, 1994, the United States began
sending troops to Haiti to force the Haitian military to do so. The military then agreed to
give up control and allow Aristide to return. United States troops were stationed in Haiti
to help keep order. Aristide returned to office in October. The OAS and UN boycotts
were then ended. The refugees at Guantánamo returned to Haiti.
Most U.S. troops left Haiti in March 1995, though some remained as part of a UN
peacekeeping force. In late 1995, René Préval, a member of Aristide's Lavalas coalition,
was elected president. Préval took office in early 1996. The United States withdrew the
last of its combat troops from Haiti in April 1996. UN peacekeepers withdrew in
December 1998. Aristide was again elected to the presidency in November 2000. He
took office in early 2001.
Under Aristide, Haiti suffered economic hardship and political instability. His opponents
claimed that the presidential and legislative elections held in 2000 were fraudulent. As a
result, foreign donors refused to release aid to Haiti. Coup attempts and demonstrations
both for and against Aristide erupted in Haiti in the years following the election. Political
opposition groups refused to take part in or deal with a government that included
Aristide.
In early 2004, a violent rebellion spread across northern Haiti. The rebels, who included
former members of Haiti's army, demanded Aristide's resignation. On February 29,
Aristide resigned and fled to Africa. Soon afterward, a U.S.-led peacekeeping force
arrived in Haiti. The chief justice of Haiti's Supreme Court, Boniface Alexandre, became
president of a transitional government. In exile, Aristide said that the United States had
forced him to resign, but U.S. officials denied the charge. In June 2004, the U.S.-led
peacekeeping force handed over its duties to a UN peacekeeping force led by Brazil.
The early 2000's. In May 2004, flash floods from torrential rains caused widespread
destruction in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. More than 1,400 people were killed in
the two countries, and more than 1,800 others were missing. In Haiti, entire villages
were wiped out, including Mapou and Fond Verrettes. Extensive deforestation of
Hispaniola contributed to the flooding. In September, flooding and mud slides caused by
Tropical Storm Jeanne killed over 3,000 people in Haiti.
In February 2006, Haitians voted for a president and parliament to replace the interim
government that had held power since 2004. An electoral commission declared former
President René Préval the winner following accusations of election fraud and street
protests in Préval's favor. Préval, a former ally of President Aristide, belonged to the
L'Espwa (The Hope) party and had wide support among Haiti's poor.
Tropical storms and hurricanes killed hundreds of Haitians and left many thousands
homeless in August and September 2008. The city of Gonaïves was largely destroyed,
and the country's agriculture suffered huge losses.
In April 2008, rioting broke out in Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince over steeply rising food
prices. In response, the Haitian parliament dismissed Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard
Alexis, claiming he had not done enough to improve the troubled economy. Michèle
Pierre-Louis, Haiti's second woman prime minister, replaced him in September. In
October 2009, the Senate dissolved Pierre-Louis's government because of her
economic policies. President Préval then appointed Jean-Max Bellerive, Pierre-Louis's
minister of planning and external cooperation, as prime minister.
A powerful earthquake struck southern Haiti in January 2010. About 316,000 people
were killed, and more than a million were left homeless by the disaster. An outbreak of
cholera detected in October added to the country's hardship.
In January 2011, former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier returned to Haiti after
about 25 years in exile. He was charged with corruption and human rights abuses from
the time of his rule. Duvalier died of a heart attack in 2014. In March 2011, former
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide also returned to Haiti following several years in exile.
The same month, the popular Haitian singer Michel Martelly was elected as Haiti's new
president. In October, Martelly appointed UN development expert Garry Conille as his
prime minister. Conille resigned in February 2012, owing to conflicts within the
government. Laurent Lamothe, Haiti's foreign minister, succeeded Conille as prime
minister in May.
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy killed more than 50 people and left tens of thousands
of others homeless. The storm also caused extensive crop damage, raising worries
about food shortages.
In December 2014, Prime Minister Lamothe resigned amid tensions over long-delayed
legislative and municipal elections. Elections had been delayed several years because
of a stalemate over election law. Haiti's parliament was dissolved in January 2015,
when legislators' terms ended. President Michel Martelly was left to rule by decree. He
chose Evans Paul, a former mayor of Port-au-Prince, as his new prime minister and
appointed a cabinet. The government also created an electoral council to organize
elections.
Source: adapted from World Book (Advanced),
http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar242480&st=haiti
Facts About Haiti
History - The native Taino Indians inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was
discovered by Columbus in 1492. Within 25 years the Taino Indians had been virtually
annihilated by Spanish settlers. In the early 17th century, the French established a
presence on Hispaniola. Haiti became a bustling French colony, based on forestry and
sugar-related industries, Haiti became one of the wealthiest colonies in the Caribbean
but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable
environmental degradation. African slaves were imported by the thousands to work on
sugar, tobacco and coffee plantations. A long and violent slave uprising finally led to
Haitian independence in 1804. Haiti became the first black republic to declare
independence. However, the country could not revive its profitable plantation economy.
Haiti has been plagued by political unrest for most of its history. Haiti endured a series
of occupations by U.S. Marines and, beginning in the 1950s, a period of rule by
dictators François “Papa Doc” Duvalier and “Baby Doc,” his son. During that period, an
estimated 30,000 Haitians were killed for being opponents of the Duvalier regime. The
country returned to a few brief months of democratic rule under President JeanBertrand Aristide, who was temporarily overthrown in a coup that eventually led to
intervention by the United Nations, which continues today. Haitians currently live with a
tentative restored government and a demobilized military. In 2008, Haiti was hit by four
tropical storms back-to-back, which severely damaged the transportation infrastructure
and agricultural sector. Then on January 12th, 2010 a massive magnitude 7.0
earthquake struck Haiti with an epicenter about 15 km southwest of the capital, Port-auPrince. The earthquake is assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years;
massive international assistance is required to help the country recover.
Geography - Haiti occupies the western third of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola,
sharing a border with the Dominican Republic. It sits about 700 miles southeast of
Miami and occupies an area just slightly smaller than the state of Maryland (total:
27,750 sq.km).
Capital - Port-au-Prince
Government: Republic
President: Michel Martelly (2011)
Climate - Being a tropical climate, Haiti is hot and humid during most months of the
year. Some areas of the country, however, can be almost desert-like and dry where the
mountains cut off the trade winds.
Terrain and Environmental Issues - Most of Haiti is rugged and mountainous. Mass
deforestation and poor environmental controls have left large areas of the country bare
and contributed to large-scale loss of topsoil. Much of the remaining forested land is
being cleared and used as fuel.
Natural Hazards - Haiti lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
storms from June to October. In 2010, Haiti experienced a magnitude 7 earthquake.
Population - In 2014, it was estimated that 9.9 million people live in Haiti.
Haiti has a very large young population, in part because of a high birthrate and shorter
life expectancies. (37% of Haitians are younger than 14 years old; 59% are between 15
and 64 years old; and, just 3% are 65 and older.
The population is 95% black and 5% white and mulatto (mixed race).
Poverty - Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. More than 60% of the
population is estimated to live below the poverty level. More than 40% of the population
is unemployed.
Exports – Haiti’s main exports are apparel, oils, cocoa, mangoes and coffee.
Languages - Haitian Creole, French
Religion - Roughly 80 percent of Haitians are Roman Catholic, while fewer than one in
five claims to be Protestant. Roughly half of the Haitian population – regardless of
religious affiliation – practice some Voodoo beliefs or superstitions.
Foods - The Haitian diet is made up of the local vegetables and fruits (sweet potatoes,
manioc, yams, corn, rice, pigeon peas, cowpeas, bread, and coffee) along with some
spicy meat dishes. Chicken, pork, beef, goat, and a variety of seafood are some of the
most traditional meats served in Haiti. Important treats include sugarcane, mangoes,
sweetbread, peanut and sesame seed clusters made from melted brown sugar, and
candies made from bitter manioc flour.
Major holidays in HaitiIndependence Day (January 1st),
Forefather’s Day (January 2nd),
Carnaval (2 days before Ash Wednesday, February or March),
Good Friday (2 days before Easter),
Easter Sunday ( usually in April),
Toussaint Louverture’s Death (April 7th),
Pan American Day (April 14th),
Labor Day (May 1st),
Flag Day (May 18),
Day of Assumption (August 15th),
Dessalines’ Death (October 17th),
All Saints Day (November 1st),
All Souls Day (November 2nd),
Battle of Vertieres’ Day (November 18th),
Christmas Eve (December 24th),
Christmas (December 25th),
New Year’s Eve (December 31st).
Compiled from the following sources:
a) CIA World Fact Book, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ha.html
b) CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/17/world/americas/haiti-fast-facts/
c) Every Culture, http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Haiti.html
d) Mission of Hope, Haiti - http://www.mohhaiti.org/about_haiti#.VP9NZ_nF-3E
A Chronology of Key Events in the History of Haiti
Early History
1492 - Christopher Columbus lands and names the island Hispaniola, or Little Spain.
1496 - Spanish establish first European settlement in western hemisphere at Santo
Domingo, now capital of Dominican Republic.
1697 - Spain cedes western part of Hispaniola to France, and this becomes Haiti, or
Land of Mountains.
1801 - A former black slave who became a guerrilla leader, Toussaint Louverture,
conquers Haiti, abolishing slavery and proclaiming himself governor-general of an
autonomous government over all Hispaniola.
1802 - French force led by Napoleon's brother-in-law, Charles Leclerc, fails to conquer
Haitian interior.
Independence
1804 - Haiti becomes independent; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares
himself emperor.
1806 - Dessalines assassinated and Haiti divided into a black-controlled north and a
mulatto-ruled south
1818-43 - Pierre Boyer unifies Haiti, but excludes blacks from power.
1915 - US invades Haiti following black-mulatto friction, which it thought endangered its
property and investments in the country.
1934 - US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947.
Duvalier Dictatorships
1956 - Voodoo physician Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in military coup
and is elected president a year later.
1964 - Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the
help of the Tontons Macoutes militia.
1971 - Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or "Baby
Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life.
1986 - Baby Doc flees Haiti in the wake of mounting popular discontent and is replaced
by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of a governing council.
1988 - Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by BrigadierGeneral Prosper Avril, who installs a civilian government under military control.
Democracy, Coup and Intervention
1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president in Haiti's first free and peaceful polls.
1991 - Aristide ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering
sanctions by the US and the Organization of American States.
1994 - Military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion; US
forces oversee a transition to a civilian government; Aristide returns.
1995 - UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win
parliamentary elections
Rene Preval, from Aristide's Lavalas party, is elected in December to replace Aristide as
president.
1997-99 - Serious political deadlock; new government named.
1999 - Preval declares that parliament's term has expired and begins ruling by decree
following a series of disagreements with deputies.
Aristide's Second Term
2000 November - Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, amid
allegations of irregularities.
2001 July - Presidential spokesman accuses former army officers of trying to overthrow
the government after armed men attack three locations, killing four police officers.
2001 December - 30 armed men try to seize the National Palace in an apparent coup
attempt; 12 people are killed in the raid, which the government blames on former army
members.
2002 July - Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom)
trade bloc.
2003 April - Voodoo recognized as a religion, on a par with other faiths.
2004 January-February - Celebrations marking 200 years of independence turn into
uprising against President Aristide, who is forced into exile. An interim government
takes over.
2004 May - Severe floods in south, and in parts of neighboring Dominican Republic,
leave more than 2,000 dead or disappeared.
2004 June - First UN peacekeepers arrive, to take over security duties from US-led
force and to help flood survivors.
2004 July - International donors pledge more than $1bn in aid.
2004 September - Nearly 3,000 killed in flooding in the north, in the wake of tropical
storm Jeanne.
Late 2004 - Rising levels of deadly political and gang violence in the capital; armed
gangs loyal to former President Aristide are said to be responsible for many killings.
2005 April - Prominent rebel leader Ravix Remissainthe is killed by police in the capital.
2005 July - Hurricane Dennis kills at least 45 people.
2006 February - General elections, the first since former President Aristide was
overthrown in 2004. Rene Preval is declared the winner of the presidential vote after a
deal is reached over spoiled ballot papers.
2006 June - A democratically-elected government headed by Prime Minister JacquesEdouard Alexis takes office.
2006 September - Launch of a UN-run scheme to disarm gang members in return for
grants, job training.
2006 October - US partially lifts an arms embargo, imposed in 1991.
2007 January - UN troops launch tough new offensive against armed gangs in Cite
Soleil, one of the capital's largest and most violent shantytowns.
2008 April - Food riots. Government announces emergency plan to cut price of rice in
bid to halt unrest. Parliament dismisses Prime Minister Alexis.
2008 May - US and World Bank announce extra food aid totaling 30m dollars.
In response to plea from President Preval for more police to help combat wave of
kidnappings-for-ransom, Brazil agrees to boost its peacekeeping force.
Tropical Storms
2008 August/September - Nearly 800 people are killed and hundreds are left injured as
Haiti is hit by a series of devastating storms and hurricanes.
2008 September - Michele Pierre-Louis succeeds Jacques-Edouard Alexis as prime
minister.
2009 May - Former US President Bill Clinton appointed UN special envoy to Haiti.
2009 July - World Bank and International Monetary Fund cancel $1.2bn of Haiti's debt 80% of the total - after judging it to have fulfilled economic reform and poverty reduction
conditions.
2009 October-November - Jean-Max Bellerive becomes prime minister after the Senate
passes censure motion against his predecessor, Michelle Pierre-Louis.
2010 January - Up to 300,000 people are killed when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits
the capital Port-au-Prince and its wider region - the worst in Haiti in 200 years.
US takes control of the main airport to ensure orderly arrival of aid flights.
2010 March - International donors pledge $5.3 billion for post-quake reconstruction at a
donor conference at UN headquarters.
2010 July - Popular anger grows over slow pace of reconstruction six months after
quake.
2010 October - Run-up to presidential, parliamentary polls due on 28 November.
Concern over exclusion of popular candidates.
Protests
2010 October-December - Cholera outbreak claims some 3,500 lives and triggers
violent protests. The source of the outbreak is thought to be a camp for recently-arrived
UN soldiers.
2010 November - Presidential and parliamentary elections.
2010 December - Announcement of inconclusive provisional results of presidential
election triggers violent protests.
2011 January - Former president Jean-Claude Duvalier returns from exile, faces
corruption and human rights abuse charges.
2011 March - Michel Martelly wins second round of presidential election.
2011 July - Death toll from cholera outbreak climbs to nearly 6,000.
2011 October - President Martelly appoints UN development expert Garry Conille as his
prime minister, after parliament rejected his two previous nominees.
2012 January - Presidential Martelly proposes reviving Haiti's army, which was
disbanded in 1995 because of its role in coups and its history of human rights abuses.
2012 February - Prime Minister Garry Conille resigns in protest at the refusal of many of
his ministers and the presidential administration to cooperate with a parliamentary
inquiry into dual citizenship among senior officials.
2012 May - Parliament approves Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe as prime minister.
2012 October - Hundreds protest against the high cost of living and call for the
resignation of President Martelly. They accuse the president of corruption and failure to
deliver on his promises to alleviate poverty.
2012 November - Hurricane Sandy causes extensive crop damage and leaves at least
20,000 people homeless, exacerbating the cholera epidemic.
2013 May - Thousands of people turn out for ex-president Aristide's first public
appearance since his return from exile two years previously. He gives evidence in a
court case.
2013 October - Lawyers representing victims of a cholera epidemic in Haiti file a lawsuit
against the United Nations at a court in New York. They say UN peacekeepers
introduced cholera to Haiti in 2010.
2013 November/December - Street protests in Port-au-Prince and other major cities,
with marchers voicing discontent about various issues including an overdue election,
unemployment and corruption.
2014 April - New wave of anti-government protests begins in Port-au-Prince.
2014 December - Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigns over failure to reach
agreement with opposition over delayed elections, amid escalating street protests.
2015 January - President Martelly appoints former mayor of Port-au-Prince Evans Paul
head of a planned national unity government as protests continue and parliament's
mandate expires.
2015 February - Protests against high fuel prices continue in Port-au-Prince.
Source: BBC, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19548814
Maps of Haiti
Source: http://img1.loadtr.com/b-490851-Map_of_Haiti.jpg
Haiti Political Map
Source: Maps.com
Map of Haitian Administrative Departments
Source: Info Please, http://i.infoplease.com/images/mhaiti.gif
Map of Haiti’s Rivers, Mountains, and Major Cities
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
Outline Map of Haiti
Source: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/outline/ht.gif
Outline Map of Haiti
Source: http://mapsof.net/uploads/static-maps/haiti_departments_nontransp.jpg
Outline Map of Haiti
Source: http://mapsof.net/uploads/static-maps/haiti_locator_map.png
Haitian Flag Day, May 18th
The Haitian flag was created on May 18th, 1803, in the town of Arcahaie, during a
congress held in the midst of the country’s war for independence. Haiti had been a
colony of France since 1697, but the people rebelled in 1803 and Haiti achieved
independence on January 1, 1804. In Haiti, Flag Day is a major national holiday
celebrated with great fanfare on the grounds of the national palace and all cities in the
country.
By removing the middle white stripe of the French tricolor flag, symbolizing European
domination, and stitching together the remaining red and blue stripes, representing
Haiti’s black and interracial citizens, the flag came to embody the nation’s spirit of
freedom, unity, and individual liberty.
For state occasions, the Arms of Haiti are added to the center of the flag on a white
background. The colors red and blue were chosen from the French flag. The Haitian
arms depict a royal palm in the center topped with a red and blue cap of liberty. There
are also six blue and red flags, two smaller red banners on the sides, many weapons
(rifles with bayonets, two yellow cannons and many cannonballs), a drum, an anchor,
green grass, and a white banner reading "L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE," meaning "Union
is Strength." Both the national war flag and ensign and the civil flag and ensign are
pictured below.
National and War Flag and Ensign
Civil Flag and Ensign
Sources:
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ht.html
http://www.haitiantreasures.com/HT_haitian_flag.day1.htm
Haitian Flag with Arms of Haiti
Source: http://www.mapsofworld.com/images/world-countries-flags/haiti-flag.gif
The Arms of Haiti
The Arms of Haiti is found in the center of the Haitian flag. The Arms of Haiti include a
royal palm in the center topped with a red and blue cap of liberty. There are also six
blue and red flags, two smaller red banners on the sides, many weapons (rifles with
bayonets, two yellow cannons and many cannonballs), a drum, an anchor, green grass,
and a white banner reading "L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE," meaning "Union is Strength."
Source: http://www.negritudefm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/armoirie-haiti.png
Haitian Flag with Arms of Haiti (Blank)
Source: http://www.flags-and-anthems.com/images/flags/flag-haiti-ausmal-flagge332x498.gif
Haiti Earthquake Fast Facts
On January 12, 2010 a major earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude on the Richter scale
struck Haiti. More than 230,000 people were killed.
The Toll:
 230,000--316,000: estimates of the death toll vary.
 300,000: number of injured
 1.5 million: people initially displaced
 85,432: displaced people remain in 123 sites as of September 2014
Children:
 4,992: number of schools in Haiti affected by earthquake. Equals 23% of schools.
 More than 1,000: Haitian orphans adopted in the United States with assistance from
the Help Haiti Act (as of December 2010)
Cholera:
 8,592: deaths due to cholera (as of August 30, 2014)
 706,089: suspected cholera cases since the outbreak in October 2010 (as of August
30, 2014)
Response in Dollars:
 $13.34 billion: aid allocated by multilateral and bilateral agencies for 2010-2020 to
Haiti for relief and recovery efforts, according to the United Nations Office of the
Special Envoy for Haiti
 $6.43 billion: of the allocated $13.34 billion, amount of aid disbursed by multilaterals
and bilaterals from 2010-2012
 $9.49 billion: total aid disbursed from 2010-2012 by multilaterals and bilaterals
($6.43 billion) and UN agencies and NGOs by private donors ($3.06 billion)
 More than $4 billion: aid committed to Haiti by the U.S. Government
 $3.1 billion: of the committed $4 billion, amount of aid disbursed by the U.S.
Government (as of September 30, 2014)
 $44 million: total USAID support for prevention and response to cholera
 $381.8 million: Received by trustees from a total of $396.1 million in pledges to the
international Haiti Reconstruction Fund as of March 31, 2014.
Effect on Foreigners:
 96: Death Toll of U.N. peacekeepers
 122: Americans confirmed dead
Source: CNN Library, January 2015, CNN.com
Hurricanes and Haiti: A Tragic History
By Jeffrey Masters, Ph.D. — Director of Meteorology, Weather Underground, Inc.
In many ways, the hurricane season of 2008 was the cruelest ever experienced in Haiti.
Four storms - Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike - dumped heavy rains on the impoverished
nation. The rugged hillsides, stripped bare of 98% of their forest cover thanks to
deforestation, let flood waters rampage into large areas of the country. Particularly hardhit was Gonaives, the fourth largest city. According to reliefweb.org, the rains from
2008's four storms killed 793, left 310 missing, injured 593, destroyed 22,702 homes,
and damaged another 84,625. About 800,000 people were affected - 8% of Haiti's total
population. The flood wiped out 70% of Haiti's crops, resulting in dozens of deaths of
children due to malnutrition in the months following the storms. Damage was estimated
at over $1 billion, the costliest natural disaster in Haitian history. The damage amounted
to over 5% of the country's $17 billion GDP, a staggering blow for a nation so poor.
The year 2008 was only one of many years hurricanes have brought untold misery to
Haiti. Hurricane Jeanne of 2004 passed just north of the country as a tropical storm,
dumping 13 inches of rains on the nation's northern mountains. The resulting floods
killed over 3,000 people, mostly in the town of Gonaives. Jeanne ranks as the 12th
deadliest hurricane of all time on the list of the30 most deadly Atlantic hurricanes.
Unfortunately for Haiti, its name appears several times on this list. Hurricane Flora killed
over 8,000 people in 1963, making it the 6th most deadly hurricane ever. An unnamed
1935 storm killed over 2,000, and Hurricane Hazel killed over 1,000 in 1954. More
recently, Hurricane Gordon killed over 1,000 Haitians in 1994, and in 1998, Hurricane
Georges killed over 400 while destroying 80% of all the crops in the country.
Surprisingly, only six major Category 3 and stronger hurricanes have struck Haiti since
1851. The strongest hurricane to hit Haiti was Hurricane Cleo of 1964, which struck the
southwestern peninsula as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds, killing 192 people.
Haiti's only other Category 4 storm was Hurricane Flora of 1963, which had 145 mph
winds when it struck the southwestern peninsula, killing 8,000. No Category 5
hurricanes have hit Haiti since 1851. The most recent Category 3 hurricane to hit Haiti
was Hurricane David of 1979, which crossed northern Haiti as a Category 3 hurricane
with 115 mph winds after hitting the Dominican Republic as a Category 5 hurricane with
170 mph winds. David weakened quickly to a tropical storm after crossing into Haiti, as
caused no deaths in the country. The other major hurricanes to strike Haiti
were Hurricane Inez of 1966, which hit southern Haiti as a Category 3 hurricane with
115 mph winds, killing 480 people; Hurricane Katie of 1955, which hit near the
Haiti/Dominican Republic border with 115 mph winds, killing 7; and Hurricane Five of
1873, which hit the southwestern peninsula with 115 mph winds.
Why does Haiti suffer a seemingly disproportionate number of flooding disasters? The
answer in that, in large part, these are not natural disasters - they are human-caused
disasters. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. With oil too expensive
for the impoverished nation, charcoal from burnt trees has provided 85% or more of the
energy in Haiti for decades. As a result, Haiti's 8 million poor have relentlessly hunted
and chopped down huge amounts of forest, leaving denuded mountain slopes that
rainwater washes down unimpeded. Back in 1980, Haiti still had 25% of its forests,
allowing the nation to withstand heavy rain events like 1979's Category 3 Hurricane
David without loss of life. But as of 2004, only 1.4% of Haiti's forests remained. Jeanne
and Gordon were not even hurricanes - merely strong tropical storms - when they stuck
Haiti, but the almost total lack of tree cover contributed to the devastating floods that
killed thousands. And it doesn't even take a tropical storm to devastate Haiti - in May of
2004, three days of heavy rains from a tropical disturbance dumped more than 18
inches of rain in the mountains, triggering floods that killed over 2,600 people.
What can be done to reduce these human-worsened natural disasters? Education and
poverty eradication are critical to improving things. In addition, reforestation efforts and
promotion of alternative fuels are needed.
In the past two decades, the U.S. Agency for International Development has planted
some 60 million trees, while an estimated 10 to 20 million of these are cut down each
year, according to the USAID director in Haiti, David Adams. If you're looking for a
promising way to make a charitable donation to help Haitian flood victims, considering
sending a check to the Lambi Fund of Haiti, which is very active in promoting
reforestation efforts, use of alternative fuels, and infrastructure improvements at a
grass-roots level to help avert future flood disasters.
Source: Weather Underground, http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/haiti.asp
Lesson Plans and Classroom
Activities for the
Secondary Classroom
 Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture – Middle and Senior High
School
 Compare and Contrast the Lives of Toussaint L’Ouverture and
George Washington – Middle and Senior High School
 Haitian History Timeline – Middle and Senior High School
 Haitian History and Culture – Middle and Senior High School
 Current Problems Facing Haiti – Middle and Senior High
School
Haitian Heritage Month
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Secondary – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will describe the contributions of Toussaint L’Ouverture to Haitian
independence and history.
2. The students will differentiate fact from opinion, utilize appropriate historical
research and fiction/nonfiction support materials.
3. The students will utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify
author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a
historical period.
4. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the
relationships among the key details and ideas. (FS)
5. The students will determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize
complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing
them in simpler but still accurate terms. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 1 class period
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
TEACHER’S NOTE:
Separate middle and senior high school reading
assignments and questions are provided for this lesson. Teachers may use the
reading most appropriate for their students.
1. Show students an image of Toussaint L’Ouverture (provided) and ask them if
they know who he was and why he was important to the history of Haiti. Explain
that he led the Haitian Revolution over 200 years ago which led to the end
slavery in Haiti. The revolution also helped Haiti become a free and independent
country from France. Toussaint L’Ouverture is considered a patriot and national
hero in Haiti even though he died many years ago.
Remind students that the American Revolution was fought in North America over
200 years ago to help secure the 13 colonies independence from Great Britain.
Ask students to name patriots from the American Revolution that supported
independence for the colonies; e.g., George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,
Patrick Henry, John and Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin.
2. Explain that students will read about Toussaint L’Ouverture and the Haitian
Revolution. Have students read the “Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture”
assignment (provided) and answer the questions about the reading (provided).
3. Discuss the answers to the reading questions focusing on Toussaint
L’Ouverture’s role as a leader of Haiti’s efforts to become a free nation.
4. Review the students’ earlier responses regarding American patriots from the
past. Explain that in the next lesson, students will compare and contrast the lives
of two patriots, Toussaint L’Ouverture and George Washington.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the reading and questions.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: Image of Toussaint L’Ouverture (provided); “Biography
of Toussaint L’Ouverture” (provided); Questions (provided)
SOURCES: Readings adapted from:
a) Black Past, http://www.blackpast.org/gah/loverture-toussaint-1742-1803
b) History Wiz, http://www.historywiz.com/toussaint.htm
c) UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/dialogue/the-slaveroute/resistances-and-abolitions/toussaint-louverture/
Image of Toussaint L’Ouverture
Source:http://www.umsoi.com/francais/wp-content/uploads/toussaint_louverture.jpg
Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture (Middle School Reading)
François-Domenica Bréda known as Toussaint L’Ouverture (1743-1803) was a patriot,
general, and political leader who helped bring Haiti its independence from France. He
was nicknamed the “black Napoleon.”
Toussaint L’Ouverture was born into slavery in approximately 1743 in the French colony
of Saint Dominque (later to be re-named Haiti). He belonged to a small and privileged
class of slaves who worked as personal servants. The Count de Breda, Toussaint’s
owner, actively encouraged him to learn to read and write. He developed a passion for
books and his readings were to become a great influence in his political life. By the time
he was twenty, the well-read and tri-lingual L’Ouverture - he spoke French, Creole, and
some Latin - had also gained a reputation as a skilled horseman and for his knowledge
of medicinal plants and herbs. Toussaint was freed from slavery at around the age of
33. Over the next 18 years, L’Ouverture settled into life as a free man. He married
Suzanne Simon and fathered two sons.
The French Revolution (1787- 1799) was a period of great social and political change in
France. The French colony of Saint Dominique, though far away, would never be the
same. Inspired by French Revolutionary beliefs and angered by generations of abuse at
the hands of white planters, mass slave revolts occurred in Saint Dominique in 1791.
After helping his own former owner escape, L’Ouverture joined the revolt. Organizing
an army of his own, he trained his followers in the tactics of guerrilla warfare. This slave
revolt would eventually be known as the Haitian Revolution, the first and only victorious
slave revolt in history.
In 1793, representatives of the French government offered freedom to slaves who
joined them in the fight against foreign invaders, Spain and Britain. In 1794, slavery
was abolished throughout all French territories. This was a determining factor in
Toussaint’s decision to join the French army. Under his increasingly influential
leadership, the French defeated the British and Spanish forces.
Having made himself ruler of the Saint Dominque, L’Ouverture did not wish to surrender
power back to France. In 1801, he issued a constitution for the island, which abolished
slavery and established L’Ouverture as governor-for-life.
When Napoleon Bonaparte came to power in France he aimed to return the Caribbean
colonies to their earlier profitability as plantation colonies. In 1802, he sent an expedition
of French soldiers to the island, led by his brother in law Charles Leclerc, to reestablish
French authority and slavery. Leclerc arrested L’Ouverture and deported him to France
where he was imprisoned in Fort de Joux. He died on April 7, 1803.
For a few months the island remained under Napoleon’s rule. However, the French
soldiers soon surrendered to the Haitian army in November 1803. The new leader of the
Haitian Revolution, Jean Jacques Dessalines, declared Saint-Domingue the
independent country of Haiti in 1804.
Sources: Readings adapted from:
a) Black Past, http://www.blackpast.org/gah/loverture-toussaint-1742-1803
b) History Wiz, http://www.historywiz.com/toussaint.htm
c) UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/dialogue/theslave-route/resistances-and-abolitions/toussaint-louverture/
Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture - The Slave Who Defeated Napoleon
(Senior High School Reading)
Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the most successful generals who ever lived. However, at
the end of the 18th century, a self-educated slave with no military training drove Napoleon
out of Haiti and led an army of slaves to independence.
The remarkable leader of this slave revolt known as the Haitian Revolution was Toussaint
Breda (later called Toussaint L'Ouverture, and sometimes the “black Napoleon”). Slave
revolts from this time normally ended in executions and failure. This story is the exception.
It began in 1791 in the French colony of Saint Dominique (later re-named Haiti). Though
born a slave in Saint Dominique, Toussaint learned of Africa from his father, who had been
born a free man there. He learned that he was more than a slave. He was a man with an
intelligent mind and personal dignity. He was fortunate in having a master who had him
trained as a house servant and allowed him to learn to read and write. Toussaint took full
advantage of this, reading the books in his owner’s personal library. He particularly admired
the writings of the French Enlightenment philosophers, who spoke of individual rights and
equality. His readings were to become a great influence in his political life. Toussaint was
freed from slavery at around the age of 33. Over the next 18 years, L’Ouverture settled into
life as a free man. He married Suzanne Simon and fathered two sons.
The French Revolution (1787- 1799) was a period of great social and political change in
France. The sugar plantations of the French colony of Saint Dominique, though far away,
would never be the same. Spurred on by such Enlightenment thinkers as Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, the early moderate French revolutionaries seriously considered the issue of
slavery. Those moderate revolutionaries were not willing to end slavery, but they did apply
the "Rights of Man" to all Frenchmen, including free blacks and mulattoes (those of mixed
race). Plantation owners in the colonies were furious and fought the measure. Finally, the
revolutionaries gave in and withdrew the measure in 1791. The results of this action would
be felt very dramatically by the slave owners in in Saint Dominique!
Angered by this betrayal and generations of abuse at the hands of white planters, mass
slave revolts occurred in Saint Dominique in 1791. After helping his own former owner
escape, Toussaint joined the revolt. Organizing an army of his own, he trained his followers
in the tactics of guerrilla warfare. He became known as Toussaint L'Ouverture (the one
who finds an opening) and brilliantly led his slave army. He successfully fought the French,
as well as the invading Spanish and British. This slave revolt would eventually be known as
the Haitian Revolution, the first and only victorious slave revolt in history.
By 1793, the revolution in France was in the hands of the Jacobins, the most radical of the
revolutionary groups. This group, led by Maximilian Robespierre, was responsible for
the Reign of Terror, a campaign to rid France of “enemies of the revolution.” Though the
Jacobins brought indiscriminate death to France, they were also idealists who wanted to
take the revolution as far as it could go. So they again considered the issue of “equality” and
voted to end slavery in the French colonies, including in Saint Dominique (Haiti).
There was jubilation among the blacks in Haiti, and Toussaint agreed to join the French
army and help France defeat the invading British and Spanish. Toussaint proved to be a
brilliant general, winning 7 battles in 7 days. He became a self-appointed governor of the
colony of Saint Dominique.
In France, the Jacobins lost power. People finally tired of blood flowing in the streets and
sent Maximilian Robespierre, the leader of the Jacobins, to the guillotine, ending the Reign
of Terror. A reaction set in. The French people wanted to get back to business. More
moderate leaders came and went, eventually replaced by Napoleon, who ruled France with
dictatorial powers. He responded to the pleas of the plantation owners by reinstating slavery
in the French colonies, once again plunging Haiti into war.
By 1803, Napoleon was ready to end the fighting. He and Toussaint agreed to terms of
peace. Napoleon agreed to recognize Haitian independence and Toussaint agreed to retire
from public life. A few months later, the French invited Toussaint to come to a negotiating
meeting with full, safe conduct. When he arrived, the French (at Napoleon's orders)
betrayed the safe conduct and arrested him, putting him on a ship headed for France.
Napoleon ordered that Toussaint be placed in a prison dungeon in the mountains, and
murdered by means of cold, starvation, and neglect. Toussaint died in prison on April 7,
1803.
Six months later, Napoleon decided to give up his possessions in the New World. He was
busy in Europe and he concluded that these far-away possessions were more trouble than
they were worth. He abandoned Haiti to independence and sold the French territory in North
America to the United States (the Louisiana Purchase).
Jean Jacques Dessalines had followed Toussaint as leader of the Haitian revolution. He
declared Saint-Domingue the independent country of Haiti in 1804.
Sources: Adapted from:
a) History Wiz, http://www.historywiz.com/toussaint.htm
b) UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/dialogue/the-slaveroute/resistances-and-abolitions/toussaint-louverture/
Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture – Questions (Middle School)
Name: _________________________________________________________
1. Describe Toussaint’s early life as a slave, including how his early life influenced
his political beliefs and actions later in life.
2. What occurred in Saint Dominique (now Haiti) in 1791? What role did Toussaint
play in the Haitian Revolution?
3. What occurred in Saint Dominique in 1794? How did Toussaint help France
following this event?
4. What did Toussaint do in 1801 that upset Napoleon of France? What was
Napoleon’s reaction?
5. Who became the new leader of the Haitian Revolution following Toussaint’s
death? What year did Haiti become an independent country?
6. Identify each statement below as either a FACT or an OPINION:
__________ Toussaint was leader in the Haitian Revolution.
__________ As an educated man, Toussaint felt that all people should be given
a free education.
__________ The Haitian Revolution was a successful slave revolt.
__________ If Toussaint had not made himself governor for life, Napoleon
would not have had him arrested.
Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture – Questions (Senior High School)
Name: _________________________________________________________
1. Describe Toussaint L’Ouverture’s early life as a slave and how it influenced his
political beliefs and actions later in life.
2. List 5 Facts about Toussaint L’Ouverture:
3. Place the following events of the Haitian Revolution in chronological order:
_____ Napoleon becomes the leader of France.
_____ Mass slave revolts occur in Haiti.
_____ Toussaint dies in prison.
_____ The French Revolution under the Jacobins brings a Reign of Terror to
France.
_____ Toussaint becomes a free man.
_____ Haiti becomes a free nation.
_____ The Rights of Man were withdrawn by the French for free blacks and
mulattoes.
Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture – Questions continued (Senior High School)
4. Briefly summarize the events of the Haitian Revolution including the slave revolts
and the establishment of Haiti as an independent nation:
5. Identify each statement below as either a FACT or an OPINION:
__________ Toussaint was a leader in the Haitian Revolution.
__________ As an educated man, Toussaint felt that all people should be given a
free education.
__________ The Haitian Revolution was a successful slave revolt.
__________ If Toussaint had not made himself governor for life, Napoleon would
not have had him arrested.
Haitian Heritage Month
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Secondary – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Compare and Contrast the Lives of Toussaint L’Ouverture and
George Washington
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will compare and contrast the lives and achievements of the
revolutionary patriots Toussaint L’Ouverture and George Washington.
2. The students will describe the influence of individuals on social and political
developments in history.
3. The students will conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question. (FS)
4. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex
concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in
simpler but still accurate terms. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 1 class period
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
TEACHER’S NOTES: This lesson provides the opportunity to compare and contrast
the lives and achievements of two revolutionary patriots. Separate readings are
provided for middle and senior high school students.
1. Discuss the concepts of comparing (finding similarities) and contrasting (finding
differences). To illustrate the concepts, have students compare and contrast any
two things as a whole group activity (e.g., two sports, two holidays, two brands of
phones, two types of TV service). Record responses using the Venn diagram
graphic organizer (included).
2. Explain that students will be using the same Venn diagram graphic organizer to
compare/contrast the lives of two important heroes/patriots who lived at
approximately the same time in history, Toussaint L’Ouverture, leader of the
Haitian Revolution, and George Washington, American general and president.
3. Show students the images of Toussaint L’Ouverture and George Washington
(provided).
Using the “Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture” (included with the previous
lesson) and the “Biography of George Washington” (provided), have students
work in pairs to develop the Venn diagram.
4. Following the activity, debrief by having students share the results of their work.
Develop a master Venn diagram on the board for students to see. Correct
student inaccuracies during the discussion.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the Venn diagram compare/contrast
activity.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: “Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture” (provided in
previous lesson); Images of Toussaint L’Ouverture and George Washington (provided);
“Biography of George Washington” (provided); blank Venn diagram (provided)
EXTENSION ACTIVITY: Have students read a short biography of Cuban patriot Jose
Marti. Using the same Venn diagram, compare and contrast Jose Marti to Toussaint
L’Ouverture and/or George Washington.
Image of Toussaint L’Ouverture
Source:http://www.umsoi.com/francais/wp-content/uploads/toussaint_louverture.jpg
Image of George Washington
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Rembrandt_Peale__George_Washington_(Porthole_type)_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Venn Diagram
Biography of George Washington (Middle School)
Introduction
George Washington (1732-99) was commander in chief of the Continental Army during
the American Revolution (1775-83) and served two terms as the first President of the
United States (1789 – 1797).
The son of a wealthy planter, Washington was raised in colonial Virginia. As a young
man, he worked as a surveyor then fought in the French and Indian War (1754-63).
During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and
became a national hero. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote
the U.S. Constitution. Two years later, Washington became America’s first president.
Less than three years after leaving office, he died at his Virginia plantation, Mount
Vernon, at age 67.
Childhood and Early Life
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 near Colonial Beach in
Westmoreland County in the colony of Virginia. He was the first son of Augustine
Washington and his second wife Mary Ball Washington. Washington had an older halfbrother named Lawrence Washington. Lawrence was a mentor to young Washington.
Few details about Washington’s early education are known, although children of
wealthy families like his were often taught at home by private tutors or attended private
schools. It’s believed Washington finished his schooling at around age 15.
As a teenager, Washington, who had shown an aptitude for mathematics, became a
successful surveyor. His surveying expeditions into the Virginia wilderness earned him
enough money to begin acquiring land of his own.
Early Career and Family Life
In December 1752, Washington, who had no previous military experience, was made a
commander of the Virginia militia. He saw action in the French and Indian War and was
eventually put in charge of all of Virginia’s militia forces.
By 1759, Washington had returned to Mount Vernon, where expanded the plantation
from 2,000 acres into an 8,000-acre property with five farms.
In January 1759, he married Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802), a wealthy widow
with two children. Washington became a devoted stepfather to the children. He and
Martha never had any children of their own.
George Washington and American Revolution
By the late 1760s, Washington had experienced firsthand the effects of rising taxes
placed on American colonists by the British. He came to believe that it was in the best
interests of the colonists to declare independence from England. Washington served as
a delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774 in Philadelphia. By the time the
Second Continental Congress met in 1775, the American Revolution had begun.
Washington was named commander in chief of the Continental Army.
Washington proved to be a better general than military strategist. His strength lay not in
his genius on the battlefield, but in his ability to keep the struggling colonial army
together. His troops were poorly trained and lacked food, ammunition and other
supplies (soldiers sometimes even went without shoes in winter). However, Washington
was able to give them the direction and motivation to keep going.
Over the course of the long eight-year war, the colonial forces won few battles but
consistently held their own against the British. In October 1781, with the help of the
French (who allied themselves with the colonists over their rivals the British), the
Continental forces were able to capture British troops under General Charles
Cornwallis in Yorktown, Virginia. This action effectively ended the American Revolution
and Washington was declared a national hero
Presidency of the United States (1789-1797)
Believing he had done his duty, Washington gave up his command of the army and
returned to Mount Vernon to resume his life as a gentleman farmer and family man.
However, in 1787, he was asked to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
and head the committee to draft the new U.S. Constitution. His impressive leadership
there convinced the delegates that he was by far the most qualified man to become the
nation’s first president.
At first Washington hesitated, but public opinion was so strong that eventually he gave
in. The first presidential election was held on January 7, 1789, and Washington won
easily. John Adams (1735-1826), who received the second-largest number of votes,
became the nation’s first vice-president. The 57-year-old Washington was inaugurated
on April 30, 1789, in New York City. Because Washington, D.C., the nation’s future
capital city wasn’t yet built, he lived in New York and Philadelphia.
The United States was a small nation when Washington took office, consisting of 11
states and approximately 4 million people. Knowing that his actions would likely
determine how future presidents were expected to govern, Washington worked hard to
set an example of fairness, wisdom, and integrity. In foreign matters, he favored
neutrality in foreign conflicts. Domestically, he nominated the first chief justice of the
U.S. Supreme Court, John Jay (1745-1829), signed a bill establishing the first national
bank and set up his own presidential cabinet. His two most prominent cabinet
appointees were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and Secretary of the
Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), two men who disagreed strongly on the role
of the federal government. Hamilton favored a strong central government, while
Jefferson favored stronger states’ rights. Washington believed that different views were
critical for the health of the new government, but he was concerned by partisanship.
Washington Retires to Mount Vernon
In 1796, after two terms as president and declining to serve a third term, Washington
finally retired. In his farewell address, he urged the new nation to maintain the highest
standards domestically and to keep involvement with foreign powers to a minimum.
Washington returned to Mount Vernon and devoted his time to making it productive.
More than four decades of public service had aged him, but he was still a commanding
figure.
In December 1799, he caught a cold after inspecting his properties in the rain. The cold
developed into a throat infection and Washington died on the night of December 14 at
the age of 67. He was entombed at Mount Vernon, which in 1960 was designated a
national historic landmark.
Washington left one of the most enduring legacies of any American in history. Known as
the “Father of His Country,” his face appears on the U.S. dollar bill and quarter, and
hundreds of U.S. schools and towns, as well as the nation’s capital city, are named for
him.
Sources:
a) The
Famous
People,
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/georgewashington-18.php
b) History.com, http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-washington
The Biography of George Washington (Senior High School Reading)
Introduction
George Washington (1732-99) was commander in chief of the Continental Army during
the American Revolution (1775-83) and served two terms as the first U.S. president,
from 1789 to 1797.
The son of a wealthy planter, Washington was raised in colonial Virginia. As a young
man, he worked as a surveyor then fought in the French and Indian War (1754-63).
During the American Revolution, he led the colonial forces to victory over the British and
became a national hero. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote
the U.S. Constitution. Two years later, Washington became America’s first president.
Less than three years after leaving office, he died at his Virginia plantation, Mount
Vernon, at age 67.
Early Years
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, at his family’s plantation on Pope’s
Creek in Westmoreland County, in the British colony of Virginia. His parents were
Augustine Washington (1694-1743) and Augustine’s second wife, Mary Ball Washington
(1708-89). George, the oldest of Augustine and Mary Washington’s six children, spent
much of his childhood at Ferry Farm, a plantation near Fredericksburg, Virginia. After
Washington’s father died when he was 11, it’s likely he helped his mother manage the
plantation.
Few details about Washington’s early education are known, although children of
prosperous families like his typically were taught at home by private tutors or attended
private schools. It’s believed he finished his schooling at around age 15.
As a teenager, Washington, who had shown an aptitude for mathematics, became a
successful surveyor. His surveying expeditions into the Virginia wilderness earned him
enough money to begin acquiring land of his own.
In 1751, Washington made his only trip outside of America, when he travelled to
Barbados with his older half-brother Lawrence (1718-52), who was suffering from
tuberculosis and hoped the warm climate would help him recuperate. Shortly after their
arrival, George contracted smallpox. He survived, although the illness left him with
permanent facial scars. In 1752, Lawrence died. Washington eventually inherited
Lawrence’s estate, Mount Vernon, on the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia.
An Officer and Gentleman Farmer
In December 1752, Washington, who had no previous military experience, was made a
commander of the Virginia militia. He saw action in the French and Indian War and was
eventually put in charge of all of Virginia’s militia forces. By 1759, Washington had
resigned his commission as an officer and returned to Mount Vernon. He was elected
to the Virginia House of Burgesses (legislature), where he served until 1774. In January
1759, he married Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802), a wealthy widow with two
children. Washington became a devoted stepfather to the children. He and Martha
never had any children of their own.
In the years that followed, Washington expanded Mount Vernon from 2,000 acres into
an 8,000-acre property with five farms. He grew a variety of crops, including wheat and
corn, bred mules, and maintained fruit orchards and a successful fishery. He was
deeply interested in farming and continually experimented with new crops and methods
of land conservation.
General Washington and the American Revolution
By the late 1760s, Washington had experienced firsthand the effects of rising taxes
imposed on American colonists by the British, and came to believe that it was in the
best interests of the colonists to declare independence from England. Washington
served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774 in Philadelphia. By the
time the Second Continental Congress convened a year later, the American
Revolution had begun in earnest, and Washington was named commander in chief of
the Continental Army.
Washington proved to be a better general than military strategist. His strength lay not in
his genius on the battlefield but in his ability to keep the struggling colonial army
together. His troops were poorly trained and lacked food, ammunition and other
supplies (soldiers sometimes even went without shoes in winter). However, Washington
was able to give them the direction and motivation to keep going.
Over the course of the grueling eight-year war, the colonial forces won few battles but
consistently held their own against the British. In October 1781, with the aid of the
French (who allied themselves with the colonists over their rivals the British), the
Continental forces were able to capture British troops under General Charles
Cornwallis (1738-1805) in Yorktown, Virginia. This action effectively ended the
American Revolution and Washington was declared a national hero.
Our Nation’s First President
In 1783, a peace treaty was signed between Great Britain and the U.S. officially ending
the American Revolution. Washington, believing he had done his duty, gave up his
command of the army and returned to Mount Vernon, intent on resuming his life as a
gentleman farmer and family man. However, in 1787, he was asked to attend the
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and head the committee to draft the new U.S.
Constitution. His impressive leadership there convinced the delegates that he was by
far the most qualified man to become the nation’s first president.
At first Washington hesitated. He wanted to return to a quiet life at home and leave
governing the new nation to others. But public opinion was so strong that eventually he
gave in. The first presidential election was held on January 7, 1789, and Washington
won handily. John Adams (1735-1826), who received the second-largest number of
votes, became the nation’s first vice president. The 57-year-old Washington was
inaugurated on April 30, 1789, in New York City. Because Washington, D.C., the
nation’s future capital city wasn’t yet built, he lived in New York and Philadelphia.
The United States was a small nation when Washington took office, consisting of 11
states and approximately 4 million people, and there was no standard for how the new
president should conduct domestic or foreign business. Mindful that his actions would
likely determine how future presidents were expected to govern, Washington worked
hard to set an example of fairness, wisdom, and integrity. In foreign matters, he
supported cordial relations with other countries but also favored a position of neutrality
in foreign conflicts. Domestically, he nominated the first chief justice of the U.S.
Supreme Court, John Jay (1745-1829), signed a bill establishing the first national bank
and set up his own presidential cabinet. His two most prominent cabinet appointees
were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and Secretary of the
Treasury Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), two men who disagreed strongly on the role
of the federal government. Hamilton favored a strong central government, while
Jefferson favored stronger states’ rights. Washington believed that divergent views were
critical for the health of the new government, but he was distressed at what he saw as
an emerging partisanship.
Washington Retires to Mount Vernon
In 1796, after two terms as president and declining to serve a third term, Washington
finally retired. In his farewell address, he urged the new nation to maintain the highest
standards domestically and to keep involvement with foreign powers to a minimum. The
address is still read each February in the U.S. Senate to commemorate Washington’s
birthday.
Washington returned to Mount Vernon and devoted his attentions to making the
plantation as productive as it had been before he became president. More than four
decades of public service had aged him, but he was still a commanding figure.
In December 1799, he caught a cold after inspecting his properties in the rain. The cold
developed into a throat infection and Washington died on the night of December 14 at
the age of 67. He was entombed at Mount Vernon, which in 1960 was designated a
national historic landmark.
Washington left one of the most enduring legacies of any American in history. Known as
the “Father of His Country,” his face appears on the U.S. dollar bill and quarter, and
hundreds of U.S. schools and towns, as well as the nation’s capital city, are named for
him.
Sources:
a) The
Famous
People,
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/georgewashington-18.php
b) History.com, http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-washington
Haitian Heritage Month
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Secondary - Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Haitian History Timeline
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will use a timeline to identify and describe important events in the
Haitian history.
2. The students will utilize timelines to identify the time sequence of historical data.
3. The students will utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify
author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a
historical period.
4. The students will analyze how images, symbols, objects, cartoons, graphs,
charts, maps, and artwork may be used to interpret the significance of time
periods and events from the past.
5. The students will conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question. (FS)
6. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the
relationships among the key details and ideas. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 1-2 class periods
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
TEACHER’S NOTE:
This lesson asks students to utilize a timeline to identify key events in Haiti’s history.
Two different options are provided for this lesson. Teachers may choose the plan
that best fits the abilities of their students.
OPTION #1 – Utilizing the Timeline Provided in this Instructional Resource Guide
1. Pass out copies of “A Chronology of Key Events in the History of Haiti” (provided
in the Background section of this instructional resource guide).
2. To help students become confident with the use of the timeline, ask students to
answer the following questions for practice while using the timeline as a
reference:
a) When did “Papa Doc” Duvalier seize power?
b) When were Haiti’s first free elections held? Who was elected President?
c) Charles Leclerc failed to conquer Haiti’s interior lands. In what year did
this happen? Who was Leclerc related to?
d) Place the following events in chronological order:
_____ “Baby Doc” Duvalier declares himself president-for-life in Haiti.
_____ A 7.0 earthquake devastates Haiti.
_____ The 200th year Haitian independence celebration turns into an
uprising.
_____ A deadly cholera epidemic breaks out in Haiti.
_____ Pierre Boyer unites Haiti, but excludes blacks from power.
3. Explain to students that they will be utilizing the timeline to identify five major
events in Haitian history. They will have to describe the event and explain why it
is significant.
Pass out the worksheet titled, “Haitian History Timeline” (provided) and have
students complete the assignment using the timeline as a reference. Students
may work individually or in pairs to complete the worksheet.
4. Have students share and discuss their findings with the class. See if there is
consensus on the most important event selected.
OPTION #2 – Creating a Timeline from Resources Provided in this Instructional
Resource Guide
1. Have students develop their own historical timeline for Haiti by reading the
approximately five-page History section of the article entitled, “Haiti.” The article
is found in the Background section of this instructional resource guide.
2. The timeline should include at least 10 events in Haiti’s history that students feel
are critical to understanding the history of the nation.
3. Once students create the timeline, ask them to then complete the “Haitian History
Timeline” assignment (provided) using their timelines as a reference.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the timeline activity.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: “A Chronology of Key Events in the History of Haiti”
(provided in the Background section of this instructional resource guide); History section
of the article entitled, “Haiti” (provided in the Background section of this instructional
resource guide); blank Timeline (provided)
Haitian History Timeline
Directions: Select and describe 5 events from the Haitian history timeline you feel are
important in understanding the history of the nation.
Event #1: _____________________________________________________________
Date of the Event: _______________________________________________________
In your own words describe the event: ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Why do you feel this event is significant:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Event #2: _____________________________________________________________
Date of the Event: _______________________________________________________
In your own words describe the event: ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Why do you feel this event is significant:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Event #3: _____________________________________________________________
Date of the Event: _______________________________________________________
In your own words describe the event: ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Why do you feel this event is significant:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Event #4: _____________________________________________________________
Date of the Event: _______________________________________________________
In your own words describe the event: ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Why do you feel this event is significant:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Event #5: _____________________________________________________________
Date of the Event: _______________________________________________________
In your own words describe the event: ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Why do you feel this event is significant:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Haitian Heritage Month
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL:
TITLE:
Social Studies – Secondary – Middle and Senior High School
Haitian History and Culture
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will identify key characteristics of culture (e.g., language,
government/politics, education, art, music, dance, religion, traditions, food).
2. The students will research and compile information on the history and culture of
Haiti.
3. The students will conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on
the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (FS)
4. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior
knowledge or opinions. (FS)
5. The students will use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and
update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: Ongoing throughout Haitian Heritage Month. The assignment
requires homework and online resources.
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
1. Explain that this month we are commemorating Haitian Heritage Month.
Show students a map of the Caribbean and Haiti (provided in the Background
section of this instructional resource guide.) Ask if any students or their families
are from Haiti. Using the maps, ask the Haitian students to identify where they
are from in Haiti.
2. Review the key characteristics of culture (e.g., language, government/politics,
education, art, music, dance, religion, traditions, food).
Explain that in the next assignment, students will be examining and summarizing
the history, geography, and culture of Haiti.
3. Have students complete the attached research assignment entitled, “Haitian
History and Culture.”
TEACHER’S NOTES:
a) This assignment will require homework for research and writing. Teachers
may opt to have students complete this assignment in parts over the
course of Haitian Heritage Month.
b) A number of resources on Haiti are available in the Background section of
this instructional resource guide. These may serve as initial references for
this assignment (e.g., background on history/culture, fast facts, maps).
Other references, including the Internet, should also be made available to
students.
c) Teachers may opt to have students work as individuals, in pairs, or in
small groups to complete this assignment.
d) Teachers may choose to have this assignment completed as a paper and
pencil assignment or as a student presentation (e.g., oral report,
technology presentation).
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of “Haitian History and Culture” assignment.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: “Haitian History and Culture” assignment (included); maps
of Haiti (included in the Background section of this resource guide); references on Haiti
(provided in the Background section of this instructional resource guide); additional
research resources, including the Internet
Haitian History and Culture (Middle School)
Directions:
a) Answer all questions on your own paper. Some questions have multiple parts.
b) Divide your report into sections (The Land and Climate, History, etc.)
c) Create a cover for your report that includes a drawing or photograph that you feel
represents Haitian heritage and culture.
The Land and Climate
1. Draw or locate a blank map of Haiti and complete the following:




Label the capital city.
Label the bodies of water that border Haiti.
Draw and label Haiti’s major rivers and landforms, such as mountains.
Name Haiti’s administrative departments.
2. Describe the climate in Haiti.
3. Identify and describe the natural disasters that been experienced in Haiti in
recent years. What is being done to help Haiti recover?
4. Locate at least five (5) pictures or photographs that illustrate Haiti’s land and
climate. Label and include these in your report.
History
5. What was Haiti originally named? What does “Haiti” mean?
6. What country first explored and settled Haiti? What was the purpose of the early
exploration?
7. Were there any native people in Haiti at the time of exploration? Who were these
people and how were they treated by the early explorers? Are these people still
living in Haiti?
8. Describe in 2-3 paragraphs how Haiti became an independent nation.
9. Create a timeline that includes at least six (6) events from Haiti’s history you feel
are very important.
10. What do the colors and symbols represent on the Haitian flag?
The People
11. What is the current population of Haiti?
decreasing in size?
Is the population increasing or
12. What languages are spoken in Haiti?
Life in Haiti - Customs and Traditions
13. Research the cultural customs and traditions of Haiti and answer the following:




What religions are practiced in Haiti?
What foods are enjoyed in Haiti?
What holidays and ceremonies are celebrated in Haiti?
What kind of dances and music are enjoyed in Haiti?
14. Locate at least five (5) pictures or photographs that illustrate life in Haiti. Label
and include these in your report.
Government
15. What type of government does Haiti have?
16. Who is the president of Haiti?
Economy
17. What is the economy of the country based on?
manufacturing, farming)
(examples: industry,
Current Problems Facing Haiti
18. What major problems does Haiti face today? (Possible problems may involve the
economy, social issues, health issues, political issues, education.) What is being
done to solve these problems?
Haitian History and Culture (Senior High School)
Directions:
a) Answer all questions on your own paper. Some questions have multiple parts.
b) Divide your report into sections (The Land and Climate, History, etc.)
c) Create a cover for your report that includes a drawing or photograph that you feel
represents Haitian heritage and culture.
The Land and Climate
1. Draw or locate a blank map of Haiti and complete the following:
 Label the capital and 5 other major cities.
 Label the bodies of water that border Haiti.
 Draw and label Haiti’s major rivers and landforms, such as mountains.
 Name Haiti’s administrative departments.
2. Describe the climate in Haiti.
3. Identify and describe the natural disasters that been experienced in Haiti since
2008. What losses of life and other damages occurred as result of these
disasters? What is being done to help Haiti recover?
4. Locate at least five (5) pictures or photographs that illustrate Haiti’s land and
climate. Label and include these in your report.
History
5. What was Haiti originally named? What does “Haiti” mean?
6. What country first explored and settled Haiti? What was the purpose of the early
exploration?
7. What native people were living in Haiti at the time of early exploration? How
were they treated by the early explorers? Are these people still living in Haiti?
8. Describe the Haitian Revolution in 2-3 paragraphs.
9. Haiti has experienced political unrest, invasions, and dictatorships throughout
much of its history. Create a timeline that includes at least six (6) events from
Haiti’s history that illustrate the political troubles experienced by Haiti.
10. What do the colors and symbols represent on the Haitian flag?
The People
11. What is the current population of Haiti? Is the population increasing or
decreasing in size? Why is Haiti’s population young?
12. What languages are spoken in Haiti?
Life in Haiti - Customs and Traditions
13. Research the cultural customs and traditions of Haiti and answer the following:




What religions are practiced in Haiti?
What foods are enjoyed in Haiti?
What holidays and ceremonies are celebrated in Haiti?
What kind of dances and music are enjoyed in Haiti?
14. Locate at least five (5) pictures or photographs that illustrate daily life in Haiti.
Label and include these in your report.
Government
15. What type of government does Haiti have?
16. Who is the president of Haiti? What steps has he taken to help the Haitian
people? Have his efforts been successful? Why or Why not?
17. What is Haiti’s relationship with the United States?
Economy
18. What is the economy of Haiti based on? (examples: industry, manufacturing,
farming)
19. What economic problems is Haiti facing today? What economic assistance is
Haiti receiving from other nations or international organizations?
Current Problems Facing Haiti
20. What major problems does Haiti face today in each of the following areas? What
is being done to address these problems?




Social issues
Health issues
Education
Other areas
Haitian Heritage Month
Secondary Lesson Plan
GRADE LEVEL: Social Studies – Secondary – Middle and Senior High School
TITLE: Current Issues Facing Haiti
OBJECTIVES: Objectives from the Florida Standards are noted with FS.
1. The students will research and compile information on the political, social, and
economic issues and problems facing Haiti.
2. The students will conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to
answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem;
narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on
the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (FS)
3. The students will determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior
knowledge or opinions. (FS)
4. The students will use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and
update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information. (FS)
5. The students will determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize
complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing
them in simpler but still accurate terms. (FS)
SUGGESTED TIME: 2-3 class periods, plus independent time for research
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES:
TEACHER’S NOTE: This lesson provides the opportunity for students to research and
analyze the many political, social, and economic problems faced by the Haitian people,
some with historical roots and others as result of natural disasters. The lesson also
provides students with the opportunity to identify the relief and assistance efforts being
undertaken on behalf of the Haitian people by a wide-range of international
organizations. The depth of the lesson and the required research may be adapted
by the teacher for middle and senior high school students. Online research is
required for the completion of the lesson.
1. Introduce the lesson by having students review the handout entitled, “Haiti’s
Challenges” (provided). Ask students to make a list of issues or problems Haiti
currently faces as they review the handout.
Discuss the issues/problems identified by students and list them on the board
under the following general headings:
 Political Issues:
 Social Issues:
 Economic Issues:
 Health Issues:
 Environmental Issues:
 Education Issues:
 Other Issues:
2. Explain that students will be researching these issues/problems in small groups
(3-5 students) and presenting their findings on the issues/problems and possible
solutions to the class.
TEACHER’S NOTES:
a) Teachers may choose to have the research reports compiled by individual
students or by having students work in pairs.
b) Teachers may require the reports be presented as a technology
presentation (e.g., Power Point), if technology is available.
3. Divide the class into small groups and assign them to one of the following 4
issues:
 Education Issues
 Health Issues
 Economic Issues
 Political Issues
Explain that each group will research and develop a report on the
issues/problems facing Haiti that they have been assigned. Each group will have
a set of guiding questions (provided) to help them develop their report.
4. Distribute and review the guiding questions. Explain that each group is
responsible for answering the guiding questions and compiling them into a group
report.
5. To begin the research, have each group read the appropriate sections of the
United Nations Report entitled, “Haiti Moving Forward Step By Step, 2012”
(provided
with
this
lesson
and
also
found
online
at
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/minustah/documents/UNfactsheets-2012-en.pdf)
6. Provide additional time for online research for each group. Sources for research
are provided in the Internet Resource section of this instructional resource guide.
7. Let each group report on the findings of their research.
8. OPTIONAL: After studying the problems being faced in Haiti today, students may
wish to become involved in one or more action projects. A suggested list of
action projects is provided with this lesson.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY: Completion of the research activity.
MATERIALS/AIDS NEEDED: “Haiti’s Challenges” (provided); , “Haiti Moving Forward
Step By Step, 2012” (provided); guiding questions (provided); online resources; list of
“Haitian Action Projects” (provided).
Haiti’s Challenges

Haiti has experienced political problems and violence throughout much of its
history.

A United Nations peacekeeping mission has been in operation in Haiti since
2004.The mission promotes political stability, public safety and order in Haiti, and
assists with disaster relief since the hurricanes of 2008 and the earthquake of
2010.

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and one of the poorest
countries in the world. Haiti ranks 149 out of 182 on the United Nations Human
Development Index.

Approximately 2,500,000 Haitians live in extreme poverty, with 78% of all
Haitians living on less than two U.S. dollars a day.

About 50% of Haitians living in cities are unemployed.

Haiti is the third hungriest country in the world after Somalia and Afghanistan.

Haiti has a healthy life expectancy of 55 years for women and 53 years for men.

Adult literacy in Haiti is about 53%.

Although agriculture is an important part of Haiti’s economy, the country fails to
produce enough food. Haiti imports more than 50% of its food for its population.
Haiti imports 80% of its main staple: rice.

90% of Haitian farmers depend on rain for their harvest as only 10% of the crops
are irrigated.

100,000 Haitian children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition.

One out of five Haitian children will die before the age of five.

Less than 50% of Haitian households have access to safe water and only 25%
benefit from adequate sanitation.

Haiti lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and has had many severe storms,
with four storms striking Haiti in 2008 causing tremendous destruction and loss of
life.

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 earthquake, the country’s most
severe earthquake in over 200 years. Between 200,000-300,000 Haitians lost
their lives as result of the earthquake. Over 85,000 Haitians still live in camps
following the earthquake.

In 2010, a major chlorea outbreak occurred in Haiti that is still active today. Over
9,000 Haitians have died from the disease.

In 2014, it was estimated that approximately 430,000 orphaned children live in
Haiti.

In 2014, it was estimated that approximately 150,000 people are infected with
HIV/AIDS in Haiti.
Sources: The statistics were compiled from the sources listed below. Statistics may
vary slightly depending on the source.
a) CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ha.html
b) Children of the Nations, https://cotni.org/where-we-serve/haiti/country-facts-andstatistics
c) CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/12/world/haiti-earthquake-fast-facts/
d) Global Issues.org, http://www.globalissues.org/article/141/haiti
e) Mission of Hope, http://www.mohhaiti.org/about_haiti#.VRqVKY7F9UM
f) Sionfonds for Haiti, http://www.sionfondsforhaiti.org/facts-about-haiti/
g) World Food Programme, https://www.wfp.org/stories/10-facts-about-hunger-haiti2015
Guiding Questions – Education Issues in Haiti
Group Members: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Many Haitian children have no or limited access to education. Your group must identify
the education related facts and issues or problems in Haiti and write a report about
them.
a) Working as a group, develop a 2-3 page report on the education issues/problems
being faced in Haiti today. Be sure to answer each of the five guiding questions
within the report. (Some questions have multiple parts.)
b) Include at least five photos, graphs/charts or other illustrations related to your
research on educational issues in Haiti.
c) List at least 5 references used by the group to write your report.
Guiding Questions:
1. What education issues exist in Haiti today? What are the causes of these issues?
2. What is being done to solve the education issues in Haiti?
3. What challenges exist to solving the education issues in Haiti?
4. What groups are involved in solving these issues? (Examples: Haitian
government, foreign governments, international organizations, not-for-profit
organizations) What support is being provided by these groups?
5. What recommendations does your group suggest to address the education
issues in Haiti?
Guiding Questions – Health Issues in Haiti
Group Members: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Many Haitians have no or limited access to health services. Your group must identify
the health related facts and issues or problems in Haiti and write a report about them.
a) Working as a group, develop a 2-3 page report on the health issues/problems
being faced in Haiti today. Be sure to answer each of the five guiding questions
within the report. (Some questions have multiple parts.)
b) Include at least five photos, graphs/charts or other illustrations related to your
research on health issues in Haiti.
c) List at least 5 references used by the group to write your report.
Guiding Questions:
1. What health issues exist in Haiti today? What are the causes of these issues?
2. What is being done to solve the health issues in Haiti?
3. What challenges exist to solving the health issues in Haiti?
4. What groups are involved in solving these issues? (Examples: Haitian
government, foreign governments, international organizations, not-for-profit
organizations) What support is being provided by these groups?
5. What recommendations does your group suggest to address the health issues in
Haiti?
Guiding Questions – Economic Issues in Haiti
Group Members: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, with high levels of poverty and
unemployment. Frequent natural disasters and political unrest have weakened the
country's economy. Your group must identify the economic related facts and issues or
problems in Haiti and write a report about them.
a) Working as a group, develop a 2-3 page report on the economic issues/problems
being faced in Haiti today. Be sure to answer each of the five guiding questions
within the report. (Some questions have multiple parts.)
b) Include at least five photos, graphs/charts or other illustrations related to your
research on economic issues in Haiti.
c) List at least 5 references used by the group to write your report.
Guiding Questions:
1. What economic issues exist in Haiti today? What are the causes of these issues?
2. What is being done to solve the economic issues in Haiti?
3. What challenges exist to solving the economic issues in Haiti?
4. What groups are involved in solving these issues? (Examples: Haitian
government, foreign governments, international organizations, not-for-profit
organizations) What support is being provided by these groups?
5. What recommendations does your group suggest to address the economic
issues in Haiti?
Guiding Questions – Political Issues in Haiti
Group Members: ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Since achieving independence over 200 years ago, Haiti has faced considerable
political instability and upheaval. Your group must identify the political related facts and
issues or problems in Haiti and write a report about them.
a) Working as a group, develop a 2-3 page report on the political issues/problems in
Haiti, both past and present. Be sure to answer each of the five guiding
questions within the report. (Some questions have multiple parts.)
b) Include at least five photos, graphs/charts or other illustrations related to your
research on political issues in Haiti.
c) List at least 5 references used by the group to write your report.
Guiding Questions:
1. Summarize the political problems experienced in Haiti from the 1800s until today.
2. What are the most important political problems in Haiti today? What are the
causes of these issues?
3. What is being done to solve the political issues in Haiti? What challenges exist to
solving these issues?
4. What groups are involved in solving these issues? (Examples: Haitian
government, foreign governments, international organizations, not-for-profit
organizations) What support is being provided by these groups?
5. What recommendations does your group suggest to address the political issues
in Haiti?
Haitian Action Projects
1. Write a letter to your members of Congress and urge them to support measures
to address any political, economic, educational, or health issues you feel needs
increased support. (Locate the name and address of members of Congress at
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members
)
2. Write a letter to the Haitian Ambassador to the United States to find out about the
current status of any issue or problem you feel needs increased attention.
His Excellency Ambassador Paul Altidor
2311 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20521-3400
http://www.haiti.org/
3. Develop a petition about an issue of importance in Haiti, collect signatures, and
send them to the following U.S. government offices or agencies calling for
programs to address the issue you have identified.


The Embassy of the United States in Haiti
Pamela A. White, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti
P.O. Box 1634
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
http://haiti.usembassy.gov/index.html
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Ronald Reagan Building
Washington, DC 20523-1000
Usaid.gov
4. Organize a community campaign to raise funds to support Haitian disaster relief
(hurricanes, 2010 earthquake). Information on relief efforts can be found on-line
by searching “Haitian disaster relief.”
5. Research the efforts to support Haiti being conducted by:
 The United Nations, http://www.onu-haiti.org/un-in-haiti/
 UNESCO, http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/worldwide/latin-americaand-the-caribbean/haiti/
 UNICEF, http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/haiti.html
 World Bank, http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti
 USAID, http://www.usaid.gov/haiti
Internet Resources
Internet Resources to Support Haitian Heritage Month
BBC News Haiti Country Profile
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1202772.stm
An overview of Haiti, including information on the country’s politics, economy, leaders,
and historical timeline. It also includes images of Haiti and a recording of the national
anthem of Haiti.
CIA World Factbook: Haiti
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html
Provides a profile of Haiti, including geography, people, government, transportation,
communications, etc.
Embassy of Haiti/Washington D.C.
http://haiti.org/
This embassy site provides a wealth of information on Haiti as well as on the services
offered by the Embassy. The website provides information to anyone seeking to learn
more and/or visit Haiti.
Encyclopedia.com
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Haiti.aspx
Online encyclopedia that provides more than 100 trusted sources for information.
Contains information on climate, history, plants and animals, industry, education,
housing, and much more.
Every Culture
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Haiti.html
This site provides a detailed description of Haitian culture, history, the economy,
geography and politics, past and present.
Fact Monster: Haiti
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0107612.html
A profile of Haiti providing information on: geography, maps, flag, history, current
ruler, area, population, capital, largest cities, languages, ethnicity/race, religion, literacy
rate, economy, government.
History.com
http://www.history.com/search?q=haiti
This website which is part of the A&E History Channel contains information on climate,
history, plants and animals, industry, education, housing, and much more.
Infoplease: Haiti
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107612.html
A profile of Haiti providing information on: geography, maps, flag, history, current
ruler, area, population, capital, largest cities, languages, ethnicity/race, religion, literacy
rate, economy, government.
Library of Congress: Country Studies
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/httoc.html
The Country Studies Series presents a description and analysis of the historical setting
and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of
countries throughout the world.
National Geographic: Haiti
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/haiti-guide/
A guide to Haiti with articles, photos, facts, videos, and news from National Geographic.
U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1982.htm
Provides information on Haiti, covering topics such as people, history, government,
political conditions, economy, foreign relations, U.S. relations, and travel/business
HAITI
MOVING FORWARD
step by step
2012
Contents
Preface by Mr. Mariano Fernández Amunátegui,
Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti
3
Introduction by Mr. Nigel Fisher, Deputy Special Representative
of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian
Coordinator in Haiti
4
Rule of law 6
Governance8
Return and neighbourhood rehabilitation
Disaster risk reduction
Health
10
12
14
Cholera prevention and response
Humanitarian action
16
18
Employment and job creation 20
Environment
22
Education 24
Acronyms 26
2
preface
MARIANO FERNáNDEZ Amunátegui
Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti
The current political situation in Haiti is characterized by a stabilization process that, although fragile, shows
promise and must be nurtured. Enduring political stability is the key to strengthening the country’s governance
institutions, promoting socio-economic development, and attracting foreign investment.
The holding of credible partial legislative, municipal and local elections in 2013 will reinforce State institutions
both at the national and local level. In 2012, the publication of the corrected version of the constitutional
amendments and the installation of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (legislated for in a 2007 law to
strengthen the independence of the judiciary, but until now never constituted) represented significant strides
by Haiti’s Government to strengthen rule of law institutions.
The overall security situation in 2012 remained relatively stable, with instances of civil unrest linked primarily to
socio-economic grievances in a difficult economic context characterized by low economic growth. Although the
performance of the Haitian National Police continued to gradually improve in 2012, the institution is not yet in
a position to assume full responsibility for the provision of internal security across the country’s departments.
In this context, MINUSTAH military and police personnel played a vital role in the maintenance of overall security
and stability. The United Nations in Haiti and its international partners continued to provide technical, financial
and logistical support to advance key stabilization processes including, among others, the strengthening of the
Haitian National Police, preparation for the forthcoming elections, and reform of key rule of law institutions
such as the judiciary and the corrections system.
3
Introduction
Nigel Fisher
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian
Coordinator in Haiti
Question:
What was progress like in Haiti in 2012?
Answer:
Mixed. Progress, yes, but plenty of cause for concern also.
The preliminary findings of the Enquête Mortalité, Morbidité et Utilisation des Services (EMMUS V 2012), the mortality,
morbidity and service use survey undertaken in January and June 2012 by the Institut Haitien de l’Enfance et l’Institut
Haitien de Statistique et d’Informatique, show marked improvement in many indicators, compared with the situation
in 2006. It reported a significant increase in primary school enrolment, increased vaccination rates and pre-natal care
coverage, a decline in acute malnutrition rates among children, and in infant and child mortality rates. The proportion of
the population using improved sanitation facilities has doubled – but that still means that only a quarter of Haitians use
improved facilities. In other areas, there was no real improvement – no increase in the number of Haitians with access
to protected water sources. About 80 per cent of Haitians are well informed about HIV/AIDS and the same percentage of
births are registered; but these numbers have scarcely changed since 2006, or have declined marginally.
Of course, in between the two EMMUS surveys, we had massive flooding in 2008, the devastating earthquake of 12
January 2010, the world’s largest cholera epidemic and, this year, a regional drought and two tropical storms that have
devastated agricultural production and fisheries and plunged many more Haitian families into a situation of serious food
insecurity. Yes, 80 per cent of Haitians displaced into camps in 2010 have now left those camps, but that still leaves over
350,000 living in camps under worsening conditions. Yes, cholera infection and case fatality rates have fallen sharply, but
Haiti is still living through a serious cholera epidemic.
We look to development solutions to address these problems: employment creation and agricultural regeneration to
address poverty and food insecurity; launching the 10-year national cholera eradication plan which will focus most of its
proposed budget on improving water supply and sanitation facilities; accelerating community-based housing solutions
under the leadership of the Unité de Construction de Logements et de Bâtiments Publiques (UCLBP). Yet, while these
solutions come on line, vulnerable populations need immediate support. As humanitarian resources dry up, we have
to find ways in which development funds can increasingly provide both immediate and long-term solutions. The new
Cadre de Coordination de l’Aide Externe au Développement d’Haïti (CAED) provides a government-led platform upon
which Haiti and its international partners can address priorities within the national plan framework – and it incorporates
disaster risk reduction as one of its priorities.
At the start of 2012, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had predicted a 6 per cent growth rate in GDP for the year.
Its current, revised forecast is for approximately 2.5 per cent growth. Haiti may be open for business – new investment
agreements signed, a new industrial park, new hotels, more paved highways – but many structural problems remain
unresolved; for example, the difficulty in starting a new business, the land tenure nightmare, or opaque tendering and
contracting procedures. Additional development projects have come on line in 2012, as has national budget funding
but, at the same time, the rate of fulfillment of international development commitments have declined in 2012, as
international partners regarded with concern the ongoing stalemate at the political level. There is also considerable
ODA funding already available to government entities, but which remains undisbursed, blocked by administrative or
management problems.
4
In this report, we attempt to show real progress that has taken place in United Nations cooperation with the Haitian
Government and people, but we also highlight challenges that remain. The UN in Haiti is strongly committed to
“accompagnement” of Haiti in its aspirations for greater autonomy, stronger governance, development and reduction
in the vulnerability of the majority living in poverty. The UN family is committed to reinforcing national institutions,
as illustrated by the ongoing technical support to the Directorate of Civil Protection and in the plan agreed with the
Government to transition from the humanitarian cluster system to one of support to sector ministries and departments,
to enable them to lead disaster preparedness and response. We are also committed to joint action whenever possible,
to increase coherence and to reduce the transaction costs that our cooperation demands of national counterparts. Our
one-UN programme framework, the Integrated Strategic Plan, is founded on the main pillars and priorities of the Plan
Stratégique de Développement d’Haïti.
So, progress and challenge: As primary school enrolment increases, the shared concern of the Government and its partners
must be to reduce drop-out rates and increase learning achievement. As access to health care increases, issues of service
quality and equity become paramount. As Haitians leave camps, housing quality and living standards in communities
become more dominant in our joint programming. The Government has launched a series of welcome social protection
measures which will benefit from greater cohesion between them. In this report, the outcomes of UN programmes of
cooperation in Haiti are described. It must remain a priority for United Nations partners to ensure the outreach of their
sector and institution-building activities to sub-national institutions, to benefit the most vulnerable and to address gender
inequities, which remain pervasive.
We look back on a year of progress and constraints. We look forward to a new year, as always, with optimism; we will
continue our commitment to “accompagnement”. We look forward to a year of building increased trust between Haiti
and its international partners, between Haitians and their Government and within the ruling class itself. We can progress
on the basis of mutual trust and mutual obligation. We look forward to supporting Haiti’s national plan, one that is
focused on Haiti’s most critical priorities and which is realistically based on available resources. Haiti can assert greater
control over its destiny. The United Nations family is here to support national priorities and to help build that increasing
self-reliance. Men anpil, chay pa lou.
Port-au-Prince, December 2012
5
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
RULE OF LAW
Rule of law in Haiti remains a challenge, mainly due to dysfunctional institutions (justice,
police and prisons). Professional police and accountable justice systems are essential to the
stability of the country, and therefore to investments, economic growth and development.
The United Nations supports the strengthening of rule of law through promoting
democratic governance, securing the legal and physical security of the population and
supporting a functioning public administration.
key facts and figures
SECURITY:
POLICE
6 299 377
UN PeAcekeeping at work
9 325 807
2004
285 daily patrols
of UN police
2012
6 676 officers
10 132 officers
HNP Development Plan 2012 – 2016 approved.
480 Police officers and 20 Magistrates trained on justice
for children.(1)
Creation of a National Coordination Office for Women
Affairs and Gender in the HNP.
6
700 daily patrols
of military contingents
on average
throughout
the country
Training on sexual and gender-based violence, human
rights and criminal proceedings and investigation offered
to HNP and judicial police officers. Gender focal points
appointed in 20 commissariats. (2)
The Haitian Customs Surveillance service is now
operational in all four land border crossings.
CORRECTIONS
Pre-trial Detention
Amendments to the Constitution adopted,
Regions:
56%
including provision for a Conseil Constitutionnel and
a mandatory 30% minimum women in public life.
Reopening of 4 Legal Aid Offices (BAL) in Port-auPrince.(4)
Port-au-Prince
Graduation of 20 Magistrates trained in France and
in Haiti with French government support.(5)
85.6%
6 299 377
9 325 807
PROTECTION
Ministry of Human Rights and the Fight Against
Extreme Poverty created.
Pre-trial Detention Monitoring Committees put in place in 7
jurisdictions.
New prison in Croix-des-Bouquets opened.
2012
113 victims of Human Trafficking accompanied by
the Brigade De Protection des Mineurs (BPM) and its
partners.(6)
6 676 officers
10 132 officers
Organic law for the Office of the Ombudsperson
promulgated in July 2012 with UN support.
JUSTICE
Superior Council of the Judiciary established and President
of Cour de Cassation appointed.
16 tribunals rehabilitated or built.
2004
(3)
Creation of spaces for the reception of survivors of
gender-based violence in 5 police commissariats in
Port-au-Prince.(7)
challenges and perspectives
UN efforts will continue to bolster the performance of
the police, judiciary and corrections, accompany public
administration reform, and strengthen border management
capacities.
Beyond reinforcing institutions and good governance, the
consolidation of a culture of rule of law is essential to the
protection of citizens’ rights.
The establishment and proper functioning of key
accountability and oversight mechanisms, such as the
Superior Council of the Judiciary, General Inspectorates of
the police and the judiciary, Cour de Cassation and Unit for
the Fight Against Corruption, is essential.
So are genuine political stability and will to firmly root rule
of law in Haiti. This is currently compounded by the fact that
many draft laws are awaiting legislative decisions.
voices
« I am proud of being the image of Bel Air, a
neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince perceived as
underprivileged and populated by bad people.
I am not alone, there will be more like me to
climb the ladder ».
Gary Desrosiers, deputy spokesperson of the
Haitian National Police, was promoted Inspector
on 12 June 2012.
UN Entities: (6) IOM, (2) (3) (4) (7) MINUSTAH, (5) UNDP, (1) (6)UNICEF
7
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
Governance
The weakness of institutional governance remains a key challenge in Haiti. State revenues
barely cover the operational needs of ministries and only allow for limited investment.
Access to state services generally remains highly insufficient and varies greatly from one
region to another.
Despite this context, 2012 saw several positive advances. The launch of the national
coordination framework of external development aid in Haiti (CAED) on 26 November
2012 represented an important step towards greater aid effectiveness. Encouraging
progress was also made regarding the state reform agenda.
key FACTS AND figures
At central level
The Government’s Human Resources Management
Office led ten regional consultation fora to validate the
long-term Governmental Reform Framework Programme,
an initiative supported by the UN.(1)
Launch of the CAED in Haiti on 26 November 2012 provides
a platform for Haitian stakeholders and the international
community to strengthen mutual accountability and trust,
and maximize the effectiveness of aid in the country.
As part of the CAED, technical support provided to the
Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE)
for the implementation of the External Aid Management
8
Module, which objective is to increase transparency of
external aid and strengthen the government’s capacity to
manage external resources.(2)
Technical assistance offered to the Haitian Institute for
Statistics and Informatics (IHSI) for the finalization of
the 2012 national household survey (EMMUS V), which
provides updated data on critical development indicators. (3)
Equipment installed and databases (survey of buildings,
geo-spatial information) transferred to the IHSI.(4)
Human and technical resources provided to the National
Geospatial Information Centre to increase the quantity
and quality of maps produced.(5)
Contribution to the development of sector strategies and
plans coordinated by the Government of Haiti: i.e. 10-year
cholera elimination plan elaborated by the Ministry of
Health and DINEPA, and draft national policy on housing,
human settlements and urban development coordinated
by the National Coordination Unit for Housing and Public
Buildings Construction (UCLBP).(6)
Two administrative buildings constructed for the Ministry
of Interior.(7)
At community level
Community platforms established in the localities targeted
by the Government-led 16/6 programme. These platforms
help communities discuss and prioritize rehabilitation
works in their neighourhoods.(12)
Community resource centers built through various UNsupported programmes to facilitate information sharing
on safe building practices and accompany housing repairs
and construction by Haitians themselves.(13)
Launch of a three-fold programme to strenghten durability
of social grassroots movements to build advocacy
capacities in civil society.(14)
Ratification by Haitian Parliament of the Hague Convention
on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of
Intercountry Adoption.
At departmental level
Technical and financial support provided for the budget
development of the country’s 140 communes. 131 of
the 140 municipal budgets submitted to the Ministry of
Interior and undergoing screening and validation.(8)
Performance assessment of all municipalities undertaken
for the 2006-2011 period.(9)
15 municipal buildings and 9 vice-delegations built with
UN support.(10)
Community platform in Morne Hercule
As part of a larger effort to define urban development
plans throughout the country, the MPCE continued to
lead consultations with city residents. More than 700
people participated in these planning exercises in Jacmel
and Cap Haitien.(11)
challenges and perspectives
If 2012 has seen some encouraging progress, many challenges persist, including the implementation of public administration
reform and the development of more transparent procurement processes, clearer land title procedures and conditions
that encourage investment.
The approach should be of one of transformation, not of substitution, whereby international partners, including the UN,
accompany state institutions and Haitian civil society to lead their own development.
This cross-cutting priority is reflected in the Integrated Strategic Framework of the UN system in Haiti for 2013-2016,
which is fully aligned with the Strategic Plan for the Development of Haiti and is endorsed by the Government of Haiti.
UN Entities: (6) (12)ILO, (4) (5) (6) (12)IOM, (7) (8) (9) (10) (14) MINUSTAH, (6)PAHO/WHO, (1) (2) (3) (6) (11) (12) (13)UNDP, (3) (4) (5)UNFPA, (4) (5) (6) (11) (13)UN Habitat, (6)UNICEF, (6) (12)UNOPS, and (6)the
World Bank
9
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
Return and Neighbourhood Rehabilitation
ENTION GRADUATION GAUCHE ET COURBE ORNAGE et chiffre a reverifier
90,415
93,913
97,913
105,270
120,791
127,658
Rubble cleared
Total number of displaced individuals from July
2010
to October 2012
Jul Sep Nov Jan Mar May Jul Sep Nov Feb Apr Jun Aou Oct
2011
1,500
1,370
2012
77% decrease in camp population
since 2010
By end of 2012:
80%
1,069
Sep Nov Jan Mar May Jul
2010
Sep Nov Jan
2011
28%
575
541
496
90,415
Sep Nov Jan Mar May Jul
105,270
Jul
120,791
200
By end of 2010:
127,658
390 369
358
602
93,913
660
97,913
802 758
600
2010
Jul
1,001
894
50%
135,961
595 551
519 516
491 420
By end of 2011:
1,000
149,317
635
158,437
500,000
1,400
1,555
1,356
1,199
1,152
1,061
171,307
810
680
ATTENTION GRADUATION GAUCHE ET COURBE ORNAGE et chiffre a reverifier
195,776
1,000 000
321,208
2010
1,500 000
361,517
00
245,586
135,961
149,317
158,437
171,307
195,776
361,517
00
245,586
000
1,555
Over1,356
the last few decades, the housing sector, in Port-au-Prince and in other Haitian
1,199
cities, developed
mostly informally, without regulatory frameworks or sector policies
1,152
1,061
1,001 of urban growth. The earthquake shed a crude light on the great
for the management
894
vulnerability of Haitians,
and the need for safer building practices. In 2012, significant
802 758
progress was achieved with660
the
602 support of the United Nations and the many partners
575
541
working on housing and urban development.
496
321,208
400
Sep Nov Feb Apr Jun Aou Oct
2011
2012
Feb Apr Jun Aou Oct
2012
Reconstruction Activities since 2010 and Expected Trends in 2013
Transitional
shelters
100,600
Rental 6,000 17,000
subsidies
10
Transitional
10,300
shelters
100,600
Rental 6,000 17,000
subsidies
20,000
2010-2011
2012
2013
20,000
2010-2
key facts and figures
80% of the debris generated by the earthquake has been
removed by the Government of Haiti, Haitians themselves
and partners (10% of which through UN-supported
programmes).(1)
200,000 paving stones and 20,000 tiles have been
produced out of earthquake rubble and transformed into
stairs, corridors, houses.
policy on housing, human settlements and urban
development elaborated.(5)
Information and Technology Unit established within the
Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communication
(MTPTC), to monitor its reconstruction projects, and support
provided to raise awareness among the population on safe
housing construction.(6)
Close to 7,000 people have been trained on safe
construction and rehabilitation practices, urban planning
and land tenure system in Haiti.
challenges and perspectives
Housing solutions provided to a total of 158,833
earthquake affected families.(2)
Accompany the return of Haitians still living in camps and
continue the reinforcement of Haitian institutions leading
housing, urban development and reconstruction efforts.
99% of beneficiaries who received rental subsidies agree
that such support was offered to them at the moment in
which they were most in need.(3)
Scale up rehabilitation activities in neighbourhoods
of return and advocacy for the systematic integration
of disaster risk reduction in urban planning and
neighbourhood rehabilitation.
46,000 residents benefited from infrastructure
rehabilitation, through rebuilt “red houses” and repaired
“yellow houses” in the neighbourhoods targeted by the
16/6 programme.(4)
Accelerate training in safe construction practices and
ensure its sustainability.
In these neighbourhoods, 1.2 km of road and 1.5 km of
drainage canals constructed and 400 street solar lights
installed.
20 neighbourhood rehabilitation plans developed with
communities and training on urban planning provided to
community leaders.
Operational budget formally allocated from state
resources to the National Coordination Unit for Housing
and Public Buildings Construction (UCLPB), and draft
Key objectives for 2013 include:
Implement different tools to support a sustainable
housing strategy:
- CREDIT: Explore multiple possibilities for vulnerable
populations to have financial options to secure and
enhance their dwelling and environment.
- TENURE: Provide the basis and define the steps for a
future legalization.
- Continue progress on developing and implementing
different housing solutions.
- Explore alternative technologies (available and
accessible in the Haitian context) and guide the
Government towards more sustainable construction
practices.
Voices
“Since we moved here our lives have improved so much! We feel safe in this area
– the same where we used to live before the earthquake - and we have access to
water, electricity and sanitation”.
After months in a camp, Wilbert and Pauline moved back to a tidy one-bedroom
flat thanks to rental subsidy and cash incentive programmes.
(2)
These include 110,964 temporary shelters build by the E-Shelters Cluster members, 23,233 rental subsidies, 5,911 permanent housing as well as repairs of damaged
houses.
UN Entities: (3)E-shelter cluster, (1) (4) (5)ILO, (4) (5) IOM, (5)MINUSTAH, (1) (4) (5)UNDP, (1) (5) (6)UN Habitat, (1) (4) (5) (6)UNOPS, and (5)the World Bank.
11
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
The natural disaster risk index in the country has been among the highest in the world for
a long time. Erosion and deforestation add to the impact of frequent flooding, particularly
during the rainy season (April to October) and the cyclone season. Since the early 2000s,
the National Disaster Risk Management System (SNGRD) has promoted a culture of risk
reduction across the country through prevention, preparedness and response activities.
The Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) has also considerably reinforced its capacities at
the national and departmental levels, with the increased provision of human and in-kind
resources from partners, including the UN.
Key Facts and Figures
Risk prevention and mitigation
About 244 km of streets and roads rehabilitated since
October 2011.
36 projects to mitigate flooding risks and improve
sanitation in vulnerable neighbourhoods (51,000 Haitians
employed, including 30% women).(1)
Food security
More than 70 km of irrigation, drainage channels and
ditches cleaned.
12
41,000 families (60% women) from urban and peri-urban
areas received agriculture inputs and sold part of their
production.
25,000 m3 of waste and trash removed in 10 major Port-auPrince ditches by four companies of MINUSTAH’s military
engineers, to prevent flooding.
More than 8,000 hectares of agro-forestry land planted
and rehabilitated with soil conservation structures.
7 multi-purpose centres in some of the most vulnerable
communes of the South equipped with solar panels and
water purification systems. These centres are used as
evacuation locations in the event of a natural disaster.
An emergency distribution network was developed to
bring the necessary food assistance to the most in need
after disasters (e.g. Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy in
2012).
Preparation and response
challenges and perspectives
1 national and 10 departmental cyclone season
contingency plans available.
The adoption of a national legal framework for disaster
risk reduction (DRR) and monitoring DRR expenditures
and activities at national and departmental levels remains
a priority.
4 national and 10 departmental cyclone simulation
exercises (SIMEX) and first ever Tsunami SIMEX to improve
coordination and response.
More than 4,500 persons in vulnerable areas trained in
disaster preparedness, evacuation and first aid.
Institutional development
1 national and 10 departmental Emergency Operation
Centres equipped and fully functioning.
70 local experts integrated into the DPC, including 10
teams at departmental level, and a tele-communication
network established.
Sustained donor funding is required to continue investing
in strengthening institutional capacities at all levels and
in scaling up mitigation and infrastructural improvements
such as river banks rehabilitation, drainage systems and
seismic proof housing.
It is important that awareness campaigns on disaster
prevention and the integration of disaster risk reduction
into school curriculum continue to reach more people
throughout the country.
Efforts also need to be sustained to consolidate the
national early warning system and strengthen logistics and
emergency telecommunication capacities.
VOICES
«So Haiti and Haitians can be more resilient to disasters.»
Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, DPC Director
See also Reducing Disaster Risk - A Challenge for Development, UNDP, 2004: www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/crisispreventionandrecovery/overview/
UN Entities: IOM, (1)MINUSTAH, OCHA, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP
13
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
HEALTH
Even before the earthquake, the health situation in Haiti was already one of the most
fragile in the region. However, over the past years, significant progress was made in
several areas, including nutrition and HIV-AIDS prevention. In 2012, the United Nations
continued to support a wide range of programmes to improve service delivery to the most
vulnerable through state and non-state actors. The fight against cholera has remained
a priority. Since the outbreak of the epidemic in October 2010, the United Nations has
spent about USD 118 million on prevention and treatment activities in support of the
Government of Haiti.
Key facts and figures
The Government, the UN and a coalition of partners led
a nationwide vaccination campaign, resulting in nearly 3
million children under 10 years vaccinated against polio,
measles and rubella.
10-year plan on the elimination of cholera in Haiti finalized
by the Ministry of Health and the National Potable Water
and Sanitation Directorate (DINEPA), with UN technical
assistance.(3)
The acute malnutrition rate for children under 5 years old
went from 9% in 2006 to 5.1% in 2012.
The Initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General on
11 December 2012 comes in direct support to this plan.
This Initiative promotes expanded access to clean water
and sanitation, improved health care and the global
mobilization of resources to tackle cholera in Haiti in 2013
and beyond.
More than 360,000 Haitians benefited from programmes
to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition, with
support from the Ministry of Health and the UN.(1)
At the end of 2012, the country-wide cholera case fatality
rate was 1.2%, down from a high of 2.4% in November
2010.(2)
14
HIV infections were reduced by 50% from 2008 to 2012.(4)
The number of people on antiretroviral drugs over the last
4 years increased by 200%.(5)
More than 70% of tuberculosis patients were cured in
2012, with support from the Global Fund to fight Aid,
Tuberculosis and Malaria. Activities supported by this Fund
are implemented by the Government of Haiti, the Haitian
Red Cross and several NGO partners.(6)
More than 62,000 children under five received Long Lasting
Insecticised Nets in four of the most endemic departments. (7)
Four maternity clinics are now operational in the Portau-Prince area, in the Artibonite and in the South-East
departments, providing emergency neo-natal obstetrics care,
advice on family planning and prevention of mother-to-child
transmission services. Such services were also introduced
in 11 additional health facilities throughout the country,
covering more than 18,300 pregnant women.(8)
Awareness-raising campaign on sexual and reproductive
health reached more than 20,000 youths in the Nippes and
South-East Departments.(9)
In 2012, more than 47,000 Haitians living in camps received
preventive health information on waterborne diseases,
malaria, dengue, TB/HIV and reproductive health in the
Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.(10)
challenges and Perspectives
The UN will continue to accompany the Government of
Haiti to plan, manage, monitor and decentralize basic social
services, particularly in the most vulnerable and underserved communes.
It will work with the Government to increase national
resources dedicated to the national HIV-AIDS response,
which, to date, is more than 90% funded by external partners.
The UN will also continue to provide financial and dedicated
technical assistance to Haitian institutions to further integrate
cholera treatment into health structures and improve waste
management and water and sanitation services in health
facilities and throughout the country.
voices
In Haiti, kangaroo mother care helps
stabilize the health of premature babies
In Haiti, a baby born before term is very
vulnerable.
Yet, thanks to kangaroo mother care, more and
more preterm babies born in the neonatal unit
of the Hospital of the State University in Port-auPrince are surviving.
The method, named for the similarity to how
certain marsupials carry their young, was initially
developed to care for preterm infants in areas
where incubators are unavailable or unreliable.
In kangaroo care, the baby wears only a diaper
and a hat and is placed in foetal position with
maximal skin-to-skin contact on the parent’s
chest.
“Kangaroo care arguably offers the most benefits
for preterm and low-birth-weight infants, who
experience more normalized temperature, heart
rate and respiratory rate, increased weight
gain and reduced incidence of respiratory tract
disease,” explains Health Specialist at UNICEF
Haiti Mireille Tribié.
Kangaroo care also helps to improve sleep
patterns of infants and to promote frequent
breastfeeding.
See specific UN fact sheet on cholera preparedness and response for more information
Source: UNAIDS/WHO/MSPP 2012 estimates
(5)
Source: MSPP/PNLS, from 20,015 (2008) to 41,200 (2012) ; UNGASS Report; PNLS bulletin Dec. 2012
(6)
GHESKIO, ZL/PiH, Care, FEBS, PLAN, Save the Children, MARCH, VDH, FOSREF, CDS, Espoir Anaise and PSI. Since 2011, UNDP is the Principal Recipient of the Fund
and is accountable for its financial management.
UN Entities: (10)IOM, (3)PAHO/WHO,UNDP, (8) (9)UNFPA, (3) (7) (8)UNICEF, (1)WFP
(2)
(4)
15
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
CHOLERA PREVENTION AND RESPONSE
Strengthening the Government’s capacity to respond to cholera remains the central
objective behind UN efforts, including the recent launch by UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon of a new initiative to support expanded access to clean water and sanitation,
improved health care and the global mobilization of resources to tackle cholera in Haiti in
2013 and beyond.
Key Facts and Figures
As of 6 December 2012, 621,660 cholera cases recorded
by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP).
Early warning system managed by the MSPP functional
since November 2010.(1)
7,759 cholera-related deaths reported to the MSPP for this
period.
80% of cholera spikes responded to by UN-supported
Emergency Response Department of the National Potable
Water and Sanitation Directorate (DINEPA).(2)
Country-wide case fatality rate
monthly average in %
2.4%
2.0
1.2%
1.2
Trainings on cholera and appropriate messaging to more
than 4,300 community health and sanitation agents and
more than 1,400 health providers.(3)
Reduced risks for an estimated 1 million people through
improved desludging operations.(4)
Reduced risks in camps through mitigation works.(5)
November
2010
December
2012
Overall, USD 118 million spent by the UN system in Haiti to
respond to the epidemic since its outbreak.
16
Improved hand-washing and toilet facilities in 240 schools
since January 2010.(6)
Logistical support to move both personnel and supplies,
including 400 metric tons of health, water adduction and
sanitation materials.(7)
Support to humanitarian response through 5 helicopters, 220
trucks and water-tanks, 20 boats and 28 medical teams. (8)
Distribution of millions of aquatabs, soap and medical
equipment, among others, to affected families during
Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy.(9)
Completion of a 2012 cholera contingency plan.(10)
Mapping of health partners and medical stocks in each
commune available.(11)
4,000 small and 4 large filtration systems installed for public
institutions, such as schools and religious, community and
health centres, to improve access to drinking water for the
population.(12)
voices
“Cholera is such a dangerous disease that we
can easily catch it if we don’t protect ourselves. I
know that to protect myself, I must always wash
my hands with treated water, coming out of the
latrine and after shaking someone’s hand. And,
coming home, I must drink and use only treated
water.”
Eunide Joseph, schoolgirl in Dessalines, after a
UN-supported information session.
challenges and perspectives
Decreasing funds for cholera response and prevention is a growing challenge. The Haiti Consolidated Appeal Process
(CAP) for 2012 was only funded at 40%, making it one of the most under-funded CAPs worldwide. As a result, basic
WASH service provision in camps remains very low with high levels of open air defecation, and only 35% of provision
of chlorinated water in community water supply points. The number of cholera treatment facilities declined to 159 in
November 2012, from 248 in June 2011.
Considering the infectious rates at the end of 2012, there may be up to 118,000 new cases of cholera in 2013. In order to
respond to critical needs next year, a Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) was developed, in which USD 34 million is requested
for cholera prevention and treatment.
UN Entities: (9)IOM, (5) (8) (12) MINUSTAH, (11)OCHA and Health, WASH and Logistics clusters, (1) (10)PAHO/WHO, (7)UNHAS , (2) (3) (4) (6)UNICEF, (4) (5)UNOPS,
(3)
Inter-American Development Bank
17
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
Humanitarian ACTION
Humanitarian action in Haiti in the last two years has accomplished significant tangible
results. From 2010 to 2012, in support of Government priorities, humanitarian actors
ensured adequate services to the 1.5 million displaced after the earthquake. Camp
population decreased by 77% over the last two years. The number of people newly affected
by the cholera epidemic has been considerably reduced and mortality rates lowered to
1.2%. National capacities to prepare for and respond to future emergencies have also
been strengthened. Despite these improvements, Haiti is still confronted with a number
of critical humanitarian needs which national capacities alone cannot address.
Key facts and figures
Storm Isaac (August 2012)
More than 15,800 people were evacuated from high-risk
camps and more than 15,200 Haitians received emergency
food and non-food items.(1)
Up to 1.2 million people targeted by emergency
interventions throughout November. These are still
ongoing as 2012 ends.
The Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC), the UN and
several NGOs distributed more than 25,600 tarpaulins,
10,300 hygiene kits, 6,100 buckets, aquatabs, mosquito
nets and soap to affected areas.
Preparation and response
Farm tools and kits were provided to 20,000 households
under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Hurricane Sandy (October 2012)
20,000 plastic sheets, food and emergency repairs of
water networks provided to 60,000 people affected by the
floods.
18
1 national and 10 departmental cyclone season
contingency plans.
4 national and 10 departmental cyclone simulation
exercises (SIMEX) and first ever Tsunami SIMEX to improve
coordination and response.
More than 4,500 persons in vulnerable areas trained in
disaster preparedness, evacuation and first aid.
For more information on disaster risk reduction and response, see the fact sheet
on this issue.
Challenges and perspectives
The deterioration in food security, due to the destruction
of crops by drought and recent natural disasters (Tropical
Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy), may evolve into a
nutritional crisis if no immediate preventive interventions
are carried out. Today, 2.1 million people live in food
insecurity and 500,000 of the most vulnerable require
immediate assistance.
Shortfalls in humanitarian funding throughout 2011
and 2012 have reduced response capacities to the extent
that there are insufficient means under current conditions
to meet existing humanitarian needs. As of 7 December
2012, actual humanitarian funding received against the
2012 CAP stood at USD 61 million, representing only 40%
of identified critical humanitarian requirements.
81,600 children under five are acutely malnourished;
20,000 of these suffer from severe acute malnutrition
and are 9 times more likely to die than non-malnourished
children.
In order to respond to critical needs in 2013, a
Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) was developed. Of the
3 million believed to be in need, the HAP focuses on the
most critical needs of one million people. USD 144 million
in international assistance is required to support the
implementation of the plan. A significant new element in
the HAP is the major focus on addressing food insecurity
(34% of total funding sought).
358,000 people remain in camps facing deteriorating
living conditions and increased vulnerability to protection
incidents. They are in urgent need of return solutions.
There are recurring localized outbreaks of cholera whilst
reduced prevention and curative capacities endanger
the country’s ability to ensure adequate responses.
Considering the infectious rates at the end of 2012, there
may be up to 118,000 new cases of cholera in 2013.
Strengthening capacities for disaster preparedness and
response remains a priority for the UN and humanitarian
partners. The transition of the functions of the
humanitarian coordination groups (clusters) to national
counterparts, initiated in 2012, will continue into 2013
under the leadership of the Government of Haiti.
(1)
This was led by the Direction de la protection civile (DPC) with the support of the humanitarian community.
UN Entities: IOM, MINUSTAH, OCHA, PAHO/WHO, UNDP, UNHAS, UNICEF, UNOPS, WFP and Humanitarian Clusters
19
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
EmploYMENT AND JOB CREATION
The earthquake only aggravated a critical employment situation in Haiti, with widespread
poverty, high unemployment rates and low economic growth. Job creation has therefore
been at the centre of many projects and policies implemented through UN support.
Unemployment rate %
%
52.1%
50
46.5%
34.2%
40.6%
Metropolitan
Other urban
area
areas
Source : IHSI.EEEI. Enquête Emploi 2007
Phase 1:
Emergency and creation of
High Intensity Labour Jobs
20
Rural
Phase 2:
Empowerment and job
sustainability for most
vulnerable groups through
income-generating activities
Total
Total
10
Total
Total
30
Total
Phase 3:
Implementation of a long
term national policy for
employment
Emergency and creation of High Intensity
Labour Jobs
More than 470,000 temporary jobs created (40% women).(1)
Cash for Work, Food for Work and Cash for Production
programmes contributed to clean the Haitian capital
Port-au-Prince and other cities strongly damaged by
the earthquake. In rural areas, they helped rehabilitate
small infrastructures and protect watersheds to increase
agriculture production. Overall, these initiatives allowed
Haitians, both men and women, to earn a living at a critical
time.
Job creation for vulnerable groups,
through training and income-generating
activities
More than 800 vulnerable women trained and accompanied
in business creation and hundreds of Haitians trained on
small business management to facilitate their participation
in the local economy.(2)
The UN helped identify beneficiaries in hard-stricken
areas. The business models in strategic sectors of the
Haitian economy were determined, and advocacy activities
were conducted to promote employment, especially for
vulnerable women.
Food purchase and production increased
to boost the agricultural sector
Local production of milk for schools increased through UN
support, reaching 28,000 children in 72 schools.
Overall, the quantity of food purchased by the UN locally
went from 566 metric tons in 2009 to 3,400 metric tons in
2012.(3)
Purchasing food locally is a way to support local farmers,
improve food security and stimulate a key sector of the
economy.
Challenges and perspectives
Access to jobs
The UN works with the relevant state institutions to
develop norms for the creation of job and business centres
in metropolitan areas, as well as in rural sites, to facilitate
access to the job market. Support is also provided to
reform the vocational training sector to better adapt it to
the needs of the economy.
National employment policy defined
The UN also supports the elaboration of a national
employment policy focusing on the institutional
strengthening of the Ministry of Economy and Finances,
the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry
of Education and Vocational Training.
Low access to funding for micro and
small businesses
The UN works on the regulation framework to improve
access to credit for micro and small businesses.
95% of small to middle businesses are
informal
The UN supports the Government and partners from the
private sector to facilitate the formal registration process
of businesses.
Markets and strong sectors of the
national economy are isolated
The UN conducts analysis to develop connections
between leading businesses and micro/small businesses
working in the same sector.
Furthermore, the cultural and tourism sectors will be
promoted through the creation of cultural and tourism
poles.(4)
voices
“With what I earned, I was able to enroll my daughter in school and expand my
business at the same time. I extended the cage and bought more chicks for the
second round of production. That way, I’ll be able to earn more and take care of
my family.”
After losing everything during the earthquake, Marie Maude Joseph followed
UN-supported trainings to develop her professional activity.
UN Entities: (1)FAO, (1) (2)ILO, (1)IOM, (1)MINUSTAH, (1) (2)UNDP, (1)UNEP, (4)UNESCO, (1)UNOPS, (1) (3)WFP
21
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
Environment
Over the past thirty years, the country’s forest cover dramatically decreased and now
represents less than two per cent of the Haitian territory. Eighty-five per cent of the
country’s watersheds are degraded. Such degradation causes frequent floods, soil erosion,
and important losses of nutrients essential for agriculture. In 2012, the United Nations
continued its efforts to increase agriculture production, improve watershed management
and promote reforestation.
Why environmentAL
PROtECTION in Haiti?
Unsustainable environmental practices in agriculture
and other sectors generate economic losses over time.
The next generation of Haitians will inherit lower capacity
for resilience and adaptation to different external shocks
(such as hurricanes and other climate-related events).
Increased scarcity of resources (i.e. water) can generate
tensions within and between communities.
The United Nations works at central level with the Ministry
of Environment, at departmental level, especially in the
South, and across the Haitian-Dominican Republic border.
In the South Department, several agencies (FAO, UNDP,
UNEP, UNOPS and WFP) have combined their expertise
and resources in agriculture production, watershed
management, promotion of renewable energy, coastal
and marine resource management, and biodiversity
conservation, among others.
22
key facts and figures
13 reforestation brigades (from 6 in 2011), working on the
Haitian-Dominican Republic border, replanted more than
300 hectares with forest and fruit trees.(1)
To improve shared management of natural resources,
a bi-national committee is now operational, with
representatives from the Dominican and Haitian ministries
of environment.
As part of the UN-supported vulnerability reduction
programme in the South Department:
- more than 1,300 linear meters of gabion wall were
built.
- 1.5 million seedlings were prepared to reforest 1,000
hectares of land in Aquin and St Louis du Sud.
- more than 50,000 short-term jobs have been created
(30% women) over the 18-month project duration.
- 70% of the funds for rehabilitation/mitigation projects
have been allocated through state entities (municipalities
or departmental directions of sector ministries).
In an effort to commercialize clean energy products, the
UN supported the production and sale of 500 clean energy
products and helped set up 11 clean energy retail businesses
in the South Department.(2)
To maximize the use of alternative energy sources and reduce
fuelwood consumption, the UN helped with the construction
of two pilot hydropower stations in the South Department.(3)
In the same vein, the UN continued to promote the use of
briquettes to cook meals in schools, thereby saving 20,575
kg of charcoal and 123,000 kg of wood during the 2011-2012
school year.(4)
Installation of more than 250 solar lamps in some of the
most impoverished areas of Port-au-Prince.(5)
challenges and perspectives
voices
“Reforesting is giving life. It protects our water
springs in the mountains and also prevents
landslides.”
Troimène Siméon, member of a Women Group
reforesting in Aquin (South).
The UN will continue to accompany Haitian institutions at
central and departmental level to support the modernization
of the environmental legislation and strengthen their
planning, fund management and coordination capacities.
The UN will also pursue its engagement with communitybased organizations to improve the livelihoods of Haitians
through, for instance, the sustainable development of fishing,
the development of eco-tourism initiatives and improved
agro-forestry systems.
UN Entities: FAO, IOM, (5)MINUSTAH, (1) (2) (3)UNDP, (1) (2) (3)UNEP, (1)UNOPS, (1) (4)WFP
23
Fact sheet :
Haiti moving forward STEP By Step
education
The education sector faces many challenges, due to the lack of public infrastructures, the
often prohibitive non-public school fees, and the uneven distribution of schools throughout
the country. However, over the past years, important progress was made, notably
regarding attendance to primary school. The UN works with the Government of Haiti to
continue increasing children’s access to school, regulate the education system, abolish
education fees, and define quality standards for state and non-state service providers.
key facts and figures
Universal primary education
Net attendance Rate (%)
EMMUS IV
54%
EMMUS V
50% 77%
55%
16% 25%
Primary
Secondary
77% of children of primary school age (11-16) are attending
primary school, a significant improvement from just under
50% in 2005-2006.
With the national programme for free education under
implementation in all ten departments, more than 1 million
24
children are currently estimated to benefit from free
education. The UN supported 750,000 of these children
along with more than 16,500 teachers and 2,700 schools
with the distribution of school kits, teaching materials and
furniture to contribute to raising the enrolment rate in
2011-2012.(1)
Close to 200 schools were completed with water and
sanitation facilities in earthquake-affected areas, providing
over 70,000 children with access to an improved learning
environment while reducing their exposure to waterborne diseases.
Awareness raising on cholera prevention reached 1 million
children in 5,000 schools.(2)
In support of the implementation of the National School
Meals Programme, the UN worked with more than 16
local and international NGOs partners to provide a hot
meal every day to 685,000 children in over 2,000 schools
country-wide.(3)
This year, a total of 894,000 children countrywide were
reached with school meals by different partners.
In an effort to increase local purchases and stimulate the
Haitian economy, the UN also provided locally produced
milk, “Let a Gogo” to 28,000 children in 72 schools.(4)
To reduce charcoal consumption and promote alternative
energy sources, the use of briquettes to cook meals in
schools was promoted, thereby saving 20,575 Kg of charcoal
and 123,000 Kg of wood during the 2011-2012 school year.(5)
Technical assistance provided to the Ministry of Education
in curriculum reform, teachers’ training and consolidation of
national statistics on the education sector.(6)
Challenges and perspectives
In 2013, the UN will continue supporting government
institutions to increase children’s access to quality formal,
community and family-based early learning opportunities.
The UN will also accompany the government in developing
policy frameworks to regulate the education system and
define quality standards for service providers.
In response to the food security crisis that hit Haiti this year,
WFP is planning to provide take-home rations to school
children during the lean season (April-May 2013).
Efforts will also continue to scale up local purchases of food
and increase the number of briquettes used to cook meals in
schools.
UN Entities: (6)UNESCO, (1) (2)UNICEF, (3) (4) (5)WFP
A success story: Gloria
Gloria lives in the community of Citron Marlique
in the mountains on the outskirts of Port-auPrince. She shares a one-room cement house
with her parents and three sisters.
She’ll be joining about 200 other primary-schoolage children. The brand-new school is just down
the hill from her house. It was built by UNICEF,
with the support of the community of Citron
Marlique.
On the first day of school, a school kit finds its
way to Gloria. She quickly finds a spot in her
classroom to sit down and carefully write her
name in each of her new notebooks.
A visitor to the classroom asks Gloria why she
appears so happy.
“I’m happy because I come to class and I can join
my friends,” she replies.
25
ACRONYMS
CAED: National Coordination Framework of External Development Aid
FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
ILO: International Labor Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
IOM:
International Organization for Migration
MINUSTAH:
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
OCHA:Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
PAHO/WHO: Pan American Health Organization /World Health Organization
UNAIDS: United Nations Joint Programme on HIV AIDS
UNDP: United Nations Development Programme
UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme
UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund
UN-Habitat: United Nations Human Settlements Programme
UNHAS: United Nations Humanitarian Air Service
UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Fund
UNOPS: United Nations Office for Project Services
WASH :
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for all
WFP: World Food Programme
Pictures by : IOM, MINUSTAH, UNDP, UNOPS
26
December 2012
Anti-Discrimination Policy
Federal and State Laws
The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida adheres to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment
and educational programs/activities and strives affirmatively to provide equal opportunity for all as
required by:
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or
national origin.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended - prohibits discrimination in employment on the
basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) as amended - prohibits discrimination on the
basis of age with respect to individuals who are at least 40.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963 as amended - prohibits gender discrimination in payment of wages to
women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - prohibits discrimination against the disabled.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) - prohibits discrimination against individuals with
disabilities in employment, public service, public accommodations and telecommunications.
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) - requires covered employers to provide up to 12
weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to "eligible" employees for certain family and medical reasons.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 - prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of
pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
Florida Educational Equity Act (FEEA) - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national
origin, marital status, or handicap against a student or employee.
Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 - secures for all individuals within the state freedom from discrimination
because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status.
Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) - Prohibits discrimination
against employees or applicants because of genetic information.
Veterans are provided re-employment rights in accordance with P.L. 93-508 (Federal Law) and Section
295.07 (Florida Statutes), which stipulate categorical preferences for employment.
In Addition:School Board Policies 1362, 3362, 4362, and 5517 - Prohibit harassment and/or
discrimination against students, employees, or applicants on the basis of sex, race, color, ethnic or
national origin, religion, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, gender, gender identification, social and family background, linguistic preference, pregnancy,
and any other legally prohibited basis. Retaliation for engaging in a protected activity is also prohibited.
Rev. (05-12)