An update on the current events in Haiti from Gregory Grene, Founder/ Director AGF USA:
Just a note to all who have been following the disturbances in Haiti with concern: we have been reaching out to our contacts in the country, and we are relieved to say that, despite some major challenges and delay in establishing communication, we have confirmed that as of today, the school and our faculty have not been affected.
We would like to add, as problematic as the events have been, that they should not be construed as an arbitrary destructive impulse. They are not happening in a vacuum. The IMF required that the Haitian government lift all subsidies to gas, diesel and kerosene, which would have hiked those prices in a single day by 38%, 47% and 51%, respectively. This represents a potentially insurmountable hardship to families where the average income per capita remains $1 per day, and without any ready way to make their voices heard, protests become a necessity; and given the poverty of the population, and with some political forces behind them, those protests spiralled out of control.
The results may well be counter-productive in many ways, but the immediate result has been that the government has suspended the fuel hikes for now, and the feeling of anger and helplessness is based in very real issues. We wish for a peaceful and productive resolution to the huge challenges that continue to besiege this valiant country, and the many extraordinary citizens who strive daily to create a secure and happy environment for their families against fierce odds.
