Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship Volume 7 | Issue 2 Article 2 September 2014 Haiti: Sustaining Partnerships in Sustainable Development Anthony Vinciguerra St. Thomas University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/jces Recommended Citation Vinciguerra, Anthony (2014) "Haiti: Sustaining Partnerships in Sustainable Development," Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship: Vol. 7 : Iss. 2 , Article 2. Available at: https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/jces/vol7/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Nighthawks Open Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship by an authorized editor of Nighthawks Open Institutional Repository. Vinciguerra: Haiti: Sustaining Partnerships in Sustainable Development Haiti: Sustaining Partnerships in Sustainable Development Anthony Vinciguerra Abstract How can universities organize their international community engagement to optimize both student learning and community impact? This article describes the St. Thomas University/Port-de-Paix, Haiti, Global Solidarity Partnership, and provides one model of how a project-focused scaffolding of engaged scholarship opportunities can enhance student learning, empower local communities, and support long- term development. Introduction geographically focused, interdisciplinary, multi- St. Thomas University is a small, urban, tiered community engagement model can both archdiocesan Roman Catholic university located enhance learning opportunities and contribute in Miami Gardens, Florida. The Diocese of Port- to long-term community impact – even in one of de-Paix (geographically equivalent to the North- the poorest regions in the Western Hemisphere. west Department of Haiti) is the sister diocese of the Archdiocese of Miami and is one of the Historical Context and Project Inception poorest and most isolated regions in Haiti (Mo- In 1980, in response to waves of Haitian gisha, 2011). Since 2006, St. Thomas has worked immigrants arriving on the shores of South with partners in the Diocese of Port-de-Paix to Florida, the archbishop of Miami, Edward develop the St. Thomas University/Port-de-Paix, McCarthy, traveled to Haiti with hopes of Haiti, Global Solidarity Partnership (STU GSP), addressing the reality these individuals were a collaboration aimed at providing concrete fac- risking their lives to escape. Leaders from the ulty research and student-learning opportunities Haitian episcopal conference sent Archbishop in the developing world, while supporting long- McCarthy to the Diocese of Port-de-Paix – term, Haitian-led, sustainable development proj- an impoverished, extremely remote region in ects in the region. the northwest of Haiti. While the Northwest Due to the limited resources of the universi- Department is Haiti’s oldest region (Columbus ty and the difficulties of working in rural Haiti, arrived in Haiti’s most northwestern point, Mole a model had to be developed that would focus St. Nicolas, in 1492), its geographic and political the university’s limited means into specific proj- isolation from Port-au-Prince has deprived it ects that had the greatest potential of making a of the modest level of development that has long-term, sustainable impact. As such, a geo- occurred in other regions. Due to its extreme graphically centered, project-focused model of poverty, and geographical proximity to Florida, collaboration was chosen that would include an the Diocese of Port-de-Paix became one of the interdisciplinary scaffolding of engaged scholar- main launching areas for Haitian refugees fleeing ship opportunities at the university. The hope to the United States. was to offer a wide array of research and learning Upon witnessing the desperate econom- options to faculty and students, while also bring- ic, political, and ecological situation of Haiti’s ing a broad spectrum of academic resources to northwest, Archbishop McCarthy immediately bear on the specific needs of the projects as de- established a sister diocese relationship between fined by the Haitian partners. Concrete faculty/ the Archdiocese of Miami and the Diocese of student research projects, intensive internships, Port-de-Paix. His hope was that people of the community-based learning courses, and volun- Archdiocese of Miami would build strong rela- teer opportunities have all taken place within this tionships of solidarity with the people of Port-de- context. Paix, dedicate themselves to bettering the social An overview of the historical development, conditions of the area, and in doing so amelio- pedagogical model, and community impact of rate the root causes of this dangerous migration the STU GSP illustrates one example of how a (Sherry, 1978). Vol. 7, No. 2 —JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP—Page 4 Published by Nighthawks Open Institutional Repository, 2014 1 Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, Vol. 7, Iss. 2 [2014], Art. 2 Amor en Acción, a lay-led missionary group sponsored university (as opposed to a Catholic based in Miami, was given responsibility for the institution founded by a religious order such as sister diocese relationship and spent the next 30 the Jesuits or Franciscans) St. Thomas had the years supporting schools, providing emergency unique institutional commitment “to be of, and relief, and serving as some of the only consistent serve, its locality” (Iannone, 2010, p. 1). aid to this very remote region (Amor en Accion, Despite this institutional commitment 2011). to social justice, global solidarity, economic Over the next 30 years, however, Port-de- development, and serving its region, St. Thomas Paix remained one of the poorest regions in in 2006 had no institutional relationship with its Haiti. With a population of over 600,000, its dry own sister diocese of Port-de-Paix. The university and deforested terrain exacerbated the extreme had small programs in Spain, China, and Costa poverty. The area is accessible by road from Port- Rica, and yet had never sent a delegation to visit au-Prince; however, travel can take between six to Port-de-Paix. Upon reflection on this unfulfilled nine hours due to poor, unpaved roads and the calling, the Center for Justice and Peace initiated lack of bridges to cross several rivers. The diocese a process aimed at focusing the university’s is centered in a mountainous area with no public international engagement specifically on its water, few roads, and little to no electric power. sister diocese. To begin this process, a small team The population suffers from numerous diseases of faculty and staff was recruited to explore the such as malaria, tuberculosis, and typhoid fever. possibility of a fruitful collaboration between the Three-fourths of the children in the diocese are university and the Diocese of Port-de-Paix. malnourished and have parasites. Though the area has consistent health crises, medical attention is Listening Process and Establishment rare. For example, there are only 10 doctors for of Collaborative Project Criteria the 100,000 people in the township of Port-de- The steering committee of faculty and staff Paix. Only 18% of children in all of Haiti will first held meetings with the Amor-en-Accion go on to high-school and, though precise figures leaders who had helped build the sister-diocesan are not available, it is widely believed that this partnership over the prior 30 years. These early percentage is much lower in Port-de-Paix (United meetings laid the groundwork for what would Nations Children’s Fund, 2010). Because of the become key elements in the future St. Thomas/ almost complete lack of infrastructure, aid from Port-de-Paix partnership. To begin with, Amor- international relief and development agencies has en-Accion staff recounted the deep distrust remained rare in this remote northwest region that existed in Haiti’s northwest for outside (Amor en Accion, 2011; IHSI, 2009; Mogisha, organizations coming to “help.” For years 2011). international non-governmental organizations In 2006, St. Thomas University was undergoing (NGOs) had arrived in the region with promises of a restructuring and, as part of this transition, was assistance, only to pull out once difficulties were reviewing both its institutional mission and its encountered or project funding ended. Amor- international engagement programs. As a Roman en-Accion made clear that working in northwest Catholic university, St. Thomas had a particular Haiti would not be easy, and that if the university call to address issues of economic inequality in the was serious about developing an authentic developing world (John Paul II, 2009). Integrated relationship with the region, there must be a long- into its mission and programs were the principles term commitment to the process. Furthermore, of Catholic social thought – a body of teaching those who had worked in the Northwest intended to guide just relationships between an Department for years underlined the need for an individual, institutions, and society. Among these attitude of “listening and accompaniment” rather principles are “the dignity of all human life,” a than “project creation.” Their experience was “preferential option for the poor and vulnerable,” that the only lasting projects in Haiti’s northwest and a “commitment to global solidarity” (Mitch, were those that were rooted in long-term, deep 2011, pp. 8–9). St. Thomas had established a relationships, and that long sessions of listening, Center for Justice and Peace with