Originally Posted in 12-27-06
I (Curtis) just watched a documentary titled “Aristide and the Endless Revolution” directed by Nicolas Rossier. It was about president Jean Bertrand Aristide and the two times that he has been overthrown from power, with heavy influence by the United States. I think too many people have wrong assumptions about Haiti and that is mostly due to the lack of knowledge so I want to take some time to list some books and movies that will help people understand the situation in Haiti.
Movies:
Aristide and the Endless Revolution-Nicolas Rossier
The Agronomist-Jonathan Demme
Books:
The Black Jacobins- C.L.R. James- This is a history of the Haitian Revolution, the classic text.
The Comedians-Graham Greene- A novel about life under the oppressive regime of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier.
The United States Occupation of Haiti 1915-1934-Hans Schmidt- A history of the brutal and illegal takeover of Haiti by the American Government.
The Uses of Haiti-Paul Farmer-One of the best commentaries on the situation in Haiti up to the late 1990’s and how the past has affected its present and future. Writtten by an American Doctor who works in Haiti and has proven to be one of Haiti’s biggest advocates.
Mountains Beyond Mountains-Tracy Kidder- A biography about the previously mentioned Paul Farmer.
Getting Haiti Right this Time- Paul Farmer, Amy Goodman, Noam Chomsky- A short book written about the most recent overthrow of Jean Bertrand Aristide.
In The Parish of The Poor- Jean Bertrand Aristide- A personal account of living and ministering in Haiti by Aristide himself.
I think that it is important to look at any event from all sides, in Haiti this includes reading pro-Aristide and anti-Aristide viewpoints. We must remember that we cannot believe everything that the media tells us and that we have to recognize certain agendas that people may have. By reading the above selections and more I think that it is possible to get a more balanced view on a country that has been wrongly labeled since the very beginnings of its revolution in the late 1700’s.
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