Haiti: A Republic of NGOs?

At least 3,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are operating in Haiti. Struggling with insufficient capacity in the face of overwhelming poverty and environmental disasters, the government has been unable to coordinate or capitalize on what some in Haiti refer to as a “Republic of NGOs."

However, in April, Haitian officials and international donors touted a new paradigm of economic development in Haiti: rather than funding aid through foreign NGOs, donors looked to the Haitian government to determine priorities and plans and pledged to channel more aid through the public sector.  Does this truly mark a paradigm shift for Haiti?  What does this apparent shift mean for NGOs and development firms working in Haiti?  What is the role of NGOs in this new aid arena? A panel of experts will discussed this topic from their various perspectives.

Speakers

• John Chromy
  Vice President, CHF International
• Rob Dressen
  Senior Vice President, DAI
• Donna Barry
  Advocacy and Policy Director, Partners in Health
• François Pierre-Louis
  Associate Professor, Queens College
• Robert Maguire, Moderator
  Associate Professor, Trinity Washington University

Explore Further

• Comments from this event were incorporated into a Peace Brief "Haiti: A Republic of NGOs?"