Award winning journalist Jacqueline Charles knows the Caribbean, it’s literally in her blood. Of Haitian descent, Charles was born in the English-speaking Caribbean island of Turks and Caicos. It is this diverse heritage that puts her in the unique position of being able to look at events as an objective observer yet still feeling the rhythm of the culture. Charles has been reporting on Haiti, and the English-speaking Caribbean, for decades. As the Caribbean/Haiti Correspondent for the Miami Herald, she has covered historic and turbulent events that helped shape the island of Haiti.
With so much conflict and uncertainty taking place in Haiti currently, Caribbean Today reached out to the veteran reporter for her perspective on the Caribbean island that is celebrated as the first country in the region to gain independence from its colonizers, yet to-day is grappling with instability.
“As a journalist that’s covering a big story like this, regardless of geography, you're always trying to balance your reporting. Not just in the actual story that you're doing to present the different sides, but also in terms of the variety of stories,” Charles explained.
In fact, in her endeavor to show a different side of Haiti, Charles’ recent story in the Miami Herald focused on Haiti’s bid for UNESCO recognition, along with four other countries (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Venezuela). Like these other countries, one of Haiti’s staple foods, cassava flour, which comes from the cassava root, also called yuca, is critical to the health and survival of billions around the world. Thus, Haiti, along with the four countries mentioned, want this lowly root to be placed on the World Cultural Heritage list. Cassava bread-making is a cultural tradition that dates back to the Taino Indians, not just in Haiti but across the wider Caribbean. And today, the practice also provides jobs for many poor and working class people.
“So that's one of the things that I always do as a reporter, trying to find those other stories that tell readers something about the country that they don't know and that may not be so obvious… Me being from the region and being in this unique position where I am of Hai-tian heritage, but born and raised in the English speaking Caribbean, I'm in a unique position to serve as a bridge, to show what unites us more than what divides us,” Charles reflected.
But, reporting the news, the current situation as it is happening on the ground, is also crucial to spreading awareness, giving people a voice, and moving toward possible solutions.
SLIVERS OF HOPE
We know that Haiti has been plagued with political violence, economic hardship, natural disasters, poverty, as well as gang warfare and an increasing incidence of kidnappings. Indeed, Charles has been at the forefront of these issues from the start of her journalistic career, but she still sees slivers of hope in the actions that some take.
“The poorest of the poor will spend the majority of whatever income they have on schooling, on education. And oftentimes, it's not a great school. But there's still this belief that education is what's going to get this next generation, their kids, out of the situation or prevent them from falling into their parents footsteps, no matter how bad things get in the country, Charles explained, adding, you have these little pockets of hope that you see in the country… it's that spirit that you see in the population, and you see it more and more as things get worse.”
Confirming what has been in the news lately, Charles reported that gangs have taken over the capital, and have been spreading out into other areas outside of Port-au-Prince. She said that everybody is at risk, not just visitors like the Haitian American couple who were kidnapped while travelling by bus. The average Haitian, those with money have also been targeted. In fact, there have been a number of high profile kidnappings involving business owners.
Asked about local government and NGOs working together to find solutions, Charles painted a drab picture.
“Three or five years ago NGOs were at liberty and could move around in these communities. But, one of the unfortunate realities is that because of the threat of kidnappings and violence, a lot of NGOs have left. As far as government today, you don't have any elected officials at all in this country; it’s out of its constitution. So all the elected leaders, their terms were up. Those that are there have basically been appointed. So that raises the is-sue of who has the trust or legitimacy to lead.”
HAITIAN-LED SOLUTION
Charles continued with a probing question. “As much as people would like to believe that this is a sovereign country, it is still dependent on foreign governments for a lot of things. while at the same time, those foreign governments are not completely innocent in the crisis. The big issue here for the US and for others, they talk about trying to get a Haitian-led solution, but the question is, what does that solution look like, and who owns that solution?
Indeed, Haiti’s current Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, requested assistance from the UN Peacekeeping Force to work with the Haitian National Police. Although some in the country agreed with his actions, many criticized him demanding that outside interference was not welcome. A series of sanctions by the United States and Canada against government officials has also added to the tensions in Haiti. The journalist noted that while the sanctions may prevent certain actions by those named, some believe that these punitive actions may also have resulted in the expansion of the gangs.
“You have a bunch of young kids who have grown up in a very disenfranchised and a very unequal society. You have a population that increasingly doesn't really believe in democracy because all its brought them is pain and tears and violence, that’s all they've seen. You have a generation today that have never known a functioning democracy,” Charles explained.
Part of the multilayered solutions for Haiti’s many crises could involve the Haitian diaspora, including Haitian-American politicians.
“I write stories and hope that people will read and familiarize themselves on what's happening and to get a different perspective, to see the human toll of all of this. So I think that Haiti can also benefit from people who are not the usual suspects. Who also put this country on their radar and demand that something be done.”
