Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

El_Johns

(1,805 posts)
Wed Jan 22, 2014, 03:22 AM Jan 2014

Canadian NGOs aided in the Haitian coup that overthrew Aristide

The genesis for Nikolas Barry-Shaw and Dru Oja Jay’s book, Paved with Good Intentions: Canada’s Development NGOs from Idealism to Imperialism (Fernwood Publishing, 2012), was the discovery that Canadian development non-governmental organizations (NGOs), even those considered progressive, aided in the 2004 coup to overthrow Aristide in Haiti. They gave resources to his opponents, and continued to demonize Aristide and his grassroots movement, Lavalas. The authors, members of Haiti Action Montreal (linked with Canada Haiti action network), were especially shocked at the stance of Alternatives, a Montreal based group, and began to question the role of NGOs in general.

Their first realization was that these organizations are not really non-governmental. The major development NGOS, supposedly operating to bring democracy and prosperity to poorer nations, normally receive half their budget from the Canadian government...NGOs wishing to receive funding could not criticize Canadian foreign policy; the radical groups of the 1970s were defunded and the remaining ones were “increasingly in bed with the government.

The Canadian development NGOs are part of a worldwide explosion of the same. Some were created to deal with the social costs of International Monetary Fund rules. These promoted anti-poverty measures that did not interfere with neo-liberalism, which entailed a rollback from social welfare, end of subsidies of local industry and agriculture, privatization of government services, and shrivelization of the civil service.

The universe of NGOs is now enormous. They have been sent by the West to salvage nations torn by invasions, overthrows, and exploitation. In the process they co-opt many members of the leadership class, drawing in both government employees and activists from grassroots political and social movements, as they pay high wages by local standards, and offer travel and other benefits. The NGO as an agent of imperialism is not new—remember the missionaries—but the scale is.

The authors report 10,000 NGOs in Haiti, providing 80% of the basic services. Policies of the puppet government eliminating tariffs and importing cheap food, along with food aid, helped to destroy the agricultural economy. Peasants then migrated to the city, where there were no jobs and built shoddy houses compounding the earthquake devastation...

Barry-Shaw and Jay conclude that “NGOs do more harm than good overall. While providing small, temporary benefits to poor recipients . . . NGOs are simultaneously an extension of the ‘development’ apparatus used subjugate and exploit the Global South.”

http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/01/20/same-old-road-to-hell/

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Canadian NGOs aided in the Haitian coup that overthrew Aristide (Original Post) El_Johns Jan 2014 OP
yes. We did. PDJane Jan 2014 #1
The CIA and BFEE were nearly desperate to depose Aristide. Festivito Jan 2014 #2
This rings a Bell-- Missed you on the North Korea threads!!! nt msanthrope Jan 2014 #3
And the Baltimore threads...nt SidDithers Jan 2014 #4
Don't diss Detroit, Sid! nt msanthrope Jan 2014 #5
I'm waiting for the links to wsws.org... SidDithers Jan 2014 #6
That was a HiPoint of my day! Frankly, I missed the sheer goofiness msanthrope Jan 2014 #7

PDJane

(10,103 posts)
1. yes. We did.
Wed Jan 22, 2014, 03:44 AM
Jan 2014

And we will do something like it again, to help the US or to engage in colonization of our own..unless we get the Harper mInions out and watch our boys and girls more closely than we have been.

Our latest exploit is in Israel. Great.

Festivito

(13,452 posts)
2. The CIA and BFEE were nearly desperate to depose Aristide.
Wed Jan 22, 2014, 04:36 AM
Jan 2014

News reports lead beliefs such as Aristide was okay with the change taking him from office.

A reporter asked him and he said, no, he was not wanting to go. Our soldiers put him on the plane anyway and off he went.

Our CIA could kill a president of our own country (JFK) or another country (Allende) and get away without being further investigated, let alone prosecuted.

 

msanthrope

(37,549 posts)
7. That was a HiPoint of my day! Frankly, I missed the sheer goofiness
Wed Jan 22, 2014, 09:45 AM
Jan 2014

of the yuppie urban farmers of Detriot, the smiling North Koreans, and the Illuminati/Gates Foundation threads!

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Canadian NGOs aided in th...