Moving forward with a Haiti community foundation: Q & A with Marie-Rose Romain Murphy

The GFCF spoke to Marie-Rose Romain Murphy, director of ESPWA, about efforts to establish a community foundation initiative in Haiti

The Haiti Community Foundation Initiative has been gathering steam over the past 12 months. Who is involved in the Steering Committee and what brings them together as a group? Why is a community foundation in Haiti needed, do you think?

The Steering Committee is composed of visionaries and connectors.  It is very diverse as it includes mostly Haiti-based business leaders involved in civil society, educators, civil society activists, religious leaders as well Haitian-American community development leaders.  What brings the members of the group together is their ability to think about the collective good and a profound desire to build a better future for Haiti.  Our team has a genuine desire to help move the country forward.  It’s refreshing!

As far as why is a community foundation needed in Haiti… I can tell you that there isn’t a country that has needed one more than Haiti for many reasons.  Reason number one: traditional economic strategies and traditional international development strategies have failed in Haiti.  Our development process has not involved our communities in the formulation of our development agenda which is very much controlled by international stakeholders.  We have grown increasingly dependent on foreign aid and on cash transfers from our Diaspora.  Reason number two: historically, our society has been deeply divided in terms of class, skin color, politics and religion.  Respected business and civil society leaders will tell you that these divisions are really the root cause of the poor state of affairs in our country.  The Haiti Community Foundation Initiative has been systematically bringing leaders from different sectors and various backgrounds together to work on the development of the foundation.  We are also working on models (regional planning processes) which work with community leaders on setting up their communities’ development agenda.  I also believe that a Haiti-based, Haiti-led, Haiti-beneficial Community Foundation focused on long-term planning, capacity-building, asset development and philanthropy is something that Haiti would really benefit from, as a vehicle for promoting sustainable development and civic engagement.

From your consultations with various communities in Haiti where you and others have presented the community foundation concept, what has the response been? What do people like about the idea that such a structure could be set up in Haiti? And what kinds of concerns have they raised?

ESPWA thought about focusing on the development of a Haiti Community Foundation after conducting dozens of consultations with communities and community leaders from all sectors.  Money was not the first issue on leaders’ mind when it came to challenges related to Haiti’s development; the lack of control and the need for technical assistance and support were.  When we started talking about the community foundation model and its use in Global South countries like Kenya, Mozambique, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Mexico, people loved it.  They welcomed the idea of a bottom-up process, community-led and community-defined process, conducted with respect and dignity, and focused on inclusivity and fairness.  The concerns that are often raised are related to one’s “real capacity” to build and operate a structure which promotes openness, inclusiveness, transparency and accountability.  We are trying to make sure that we live the principles that guide us and that the structures that we establish ward off corruption, exclusiveness, and what we call a system of “moun pa” a Creole expression which means  “your own people” (keeping to you own circle which keeps other people out). 

Cacao in Sogepa, Haiti

What do you think it will take for Haitians to give to a Haiti Community Foundation, particularly when there has been so much international money poured into Haiti? What is the proposition that would make a Haiti Community Foundation initiative attractive to Haitians to give?

Haitians want to see effective action driven by commitment, passion and integrity. They also want to see genuine and respected local leadership endorsing the Initiative and working on it.  There is a lot of “talk” and not enough “on the ground action” taking place in Haiti.   We’ve been researched to death.  People talk about us and to us endlessly.  Conferences abound but don’t generate enough meaningful projects which engage Haitians. The Center for Global Development recently produced a report that stated that only 0.6 of the funds raised for Haiti for the past three years went directly to Haitian businesses and Haitian organizations.  It’s outrageous and destructive.   What this figure means is a world of missed opportunities in terms of leadership development, capacity-building and culturally appropriate interventions.

At all levels of our society, we have been mobilizing leaders who are either working hard with us at the community level and/or harbouring great hopes for a better model of development for our country.  The proposition of a solid, transparent and effective Haiti-based, Haiti-led and Haiti-beneficial institution is what will make Haitians give.  However, it is important to note that institutional philanthropy is not developed in Haiti.  Building it will take time, resources, energy and trust. 

It seems that a lot of the discussions around development in Haiti often don’t seem to extend far beyond the capital, Port au Prince? How are you and the rest of the steering committee thinking about a structure that would avoid a concentration of resources (and power) in Port au Prince?

We are looking at a national foundation model which will encompass and support decentralized regional funds.  Ideally, the regional funds will be managed by regional committees which will hold the “power” as far as setting the priorities for their region, managing the funds and… raising the funds. 

Anse d’Azur Forum, Haiti

There is a big Haitian Diaspora in the United States which could be an enormous asset to a community foundation in Haiti, particularly in terms of potential resource mobilization, but this is a community foundation in Haiti that we are talking about. How is the steering committee thinking about the role of the Diaspora at this stage – i.e. as a resource to be harnessed while ensuring that the institution remains very grounded in the local Haitian context?

The Haitian Diaspora in the United States, Canada, Europe and elsewhere is very connected to Haiti.  And yes, they could be and, I believe that will be an enormous asset.  We are reaching out to Diaspora groups and associations to partner with them.  The reality is that we, Haitians tend to be very connected to “home regions” or communities whether we live outside the country, live in it or… come back to it.  It is a huge asset which has not been fully leveraged.  The bottom-up process and the community-driven planning process will ensure that HCF remains very grounded in the local Haitian context.  We will also need to be vigilant when it comes to that and be clear about what we won’t do as well as what we will do.

The global community foundation is vibrant but still quite small in numbers in many parts of the world. Where has the steering committee been looking to for advice, possible models and structures? And finally, if people are interested in finding out more about the initiative or even getting involved, how should they get in touch?

We are talking to a number of Foundations such as the Nebraska Community Foundation (which has developed a very interesting system of devolved or affiliate funds) and the Kenya Community Foundation to discuss their experience in details and learn from them.  Our group is also planning a visit to Kenya for an intensive learning experience with the Kenya Community Development Foundation, a friend and supporter of HCFI.   We are also talking to foundations such as the Brazil Foundation to learn about their successful engagement of their Diaspora.  And on Haiti’s doorstep, of course, we also have the Puerto Rico Community Foundation, with over 25 years of experience from which we can learn.  We draw much strength from our growing network of partners, and collaboration is one of our core values as it is essential to meaningful impact.

Where are now? We are working on a pilot program in the Grande Anse, Haiti’s bread bowl and last green reserve- which is very much endangered.  We have an amazing Working Group which has been working relentlessly on a regional planning process in the Grande Anse.  Strategically, we are working on raising funds for the planning and development of the Haiti Community Foundation.  We will also need operations and endowment funds.  Interested people should not hesitate to contact us at info@espwa-haiti.org.  The national motto of Haiti is “L ‘union fait la force”.  Unity begets strength. And, yes, only together will we be able to build a better future for Haiti.

The GFCF made a grant to the Puerto Rico Community Foundation and Espwa in 2011 for an exploratory round table discussion that took place in Haiti in July 2011. It also provided support with facilitation and organization of a follow-up workshop in early 2012.