photographs
Unless otherwise credited, all material on this site is by Pradip Malde and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available by contacting Pradip Malde.
Haiti
This page lists articles and resources related to Haiti. I have been visiting and working in Haiti since January, 2006. During this time, I have been inspired by the humanity, resilience, tenacity and resourcefulness of the Haitian people. And I have been perplexed by the lack of government, infrastructure and relatedly, the degree to which non-governmental organizations keep this nation afloat.
I started photographing in Haiti with caution. Growing up in another impoverished and ‘developing’ nation, I remain acutely aware of the strange dynamic between those who arrive from abroad and those who yearn for more and for what these visitors represent. There are many ways of negotiating this dynamic, and some of them involve presenting, from both sides, the face that one thinks the other wants to see. The work that emerges is about the small things, particular instances, that may stand to symbolize, collectively, systemic and global issues and experiences. Over four years, thanks to my Haitian friends, colleagues and students, I have come to understand better some of these larger concerns and patterns. Many of them are expressed in a more eloquent and scholarly way than I could ever do so in the links below.
I will continue to photograph in Haiti, even as it now lies more devastated than ever in the tragic rubble of not just an earthquake, but of history and politics.
These links are updated regularly.
News
Christian Science Monitor: Haiti – Sewanee alum Mary Knox Merrill is a staff photographer for the Christian Science Monitor and reporting from Haiti. This article has some of her work – scroll down to mid point and click on the ‘Video: Earthquake Haiti’ link.
Commentary / Editorials
IMF to Increase Haiti’s Debt – The reasons why I think this is immoral are outlined in the next two links…
Naom Chomsky, The Tragedy of Haiti – Detailed account of why Haiti is among the poorest nations in the world. If you think it just happens to be this way, or want a handle on the depth of ignorance and offense manifested in Pat Robertson’s and Rush Limbaugh’s comments, read this first.
Richard Kim, IMF to Haiti: Freeze Public Wages – Comments and recommendations on post-earthquake aid, with an outline of the systemic and historic reasons for the lack of infrastructure that culminated in the devastation.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Letter from Camille Chalmers, PAPDA - Grassroots International received an email [post earthquake] from their partner Camille Chalmers of the Haitian Platform to Advocate Alternative Development (PAPDA).
Partners in Health (PIH) – PIH works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in nine countries around the world. The work of PIH has three goals: to care for patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world. PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years. They urgently need your support to help those affected by the recent earthquake.
Organization for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (ORE) - ORE is working to improve environmental, agricultural and economic conditions in rural Haiti. Their development projects involve high revenue tree crops, improved seeds, cash crops and marketing programs. Working directly with farmers, they are able to provide practical solutions to deforestation and subsistence farming. They are rehabilitating earthquake victims and urgently seek funding support.
Charity: Water – In the last two years, charity: water has funded freshwater projects in Haiti through implementing partners Concern Worldwide and Partners In Health