Jamaica is proactive in resolving problems in Haiti

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing in response to Burnett Robinson’s letter titled ‘Jamaica should take the lead on Haiti’. Like all well-thinking Jamaicans, I am sympathetic to the situation in Haiti. However, I do not believe that the best way to assist is to keep the Haitians who have come here illegally. Those who qualify for asylum or other humanitarian accommodations should be allowed to stay in Jamaica, if they so desire. However, there should not be a blanket offer of asylum.

There appears to be much ignorance of Jamaica’s role in assisting Haiti. While allowing Haitian refugees to stay in Jamaica may seem like the morally correct thing to do, it is only a palliative. It feels good for our conscience, it relieves those who brave the seas to arrive on our shores, but it does nothing to resolve the problem for the 11 million Haitians who remain in an unstable and insecure state.

Thankfully, we have a prime minister who has demonstrated that he understands these matters. Andrew Holness has stepped up and has been leading the region’s response on Haiti. I believe he has committed too much of his time to the Haiti situation. He was the first to come out and offer tangible help to Haiti, and the first to lead a mission to Haiti. He pushed CARICOM to establish a meditative mechanism for Haitian stakeholders; he has hosted the Haitian stakeholders in Kingston; he has been working with the UN secretary general to develop response plan for Haiti, and he has presented to UN Security Council on behalf of Haiti, in trying to secure resolutions for a humanitarian and security intervention.

The best way to help the people of Haiti is to help them come to a political solution in their country. This means diplomatic effort, security support and institutional capacity- building. This appears to be the direction of Jamaica’s foreign policy to Haiti. There is no immediate gratification using this approach; it requires patience and considerable husbandry of the process. However, it usually yields a more lasting peace.

While I understand the place from which people such as Burnett Robinson write, their views would be better formed if they were seized of the facts. Jamaica is in fact leading on Haiti.

BERNARD HEADLEY