Date of Award
3-2018
Degree Type
Research Paper
Degree Name
Master of Arts in International Development and Social Change (IDSC)
Department
International Development, Community and Environment
Chief Instructor
Anita Fábos, Ph.D.
Second Reader
Cynthia Caron, Ph.D.
Keywords
Haiti, Corruption, Post-Disaster Response, NGO, Earthquake
Abstract
The 2010 earthquake in Haiti represents what Naomi Klein in The Shock Doctrine refers to as an event leading to the exploitation of disaster-shocked countries. With this idea in mind, this paper seeks to analyze the hidden setbacks of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and their counterproductive relationship with Haiti's unstable government in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. The ways in which corruption operates within the Haitian government and international NGO structures pre-and post-neoliberalism, is an important factor in understanding this post-disaster relationship. Before neoliberalist ideologies expanded throughout the world, corruption in Haiti was evident under the Duvalier regime and Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Under neoliberalism, corruption continued within the Haitian government but also resulted in the rise of Western free-market policies as well as international NGOs. This, in turn, exacerbated the political, social, and economic instability of Haiti. Essentially, the argument of this paper is that the systemic corruption within the Haitian government resulted in a lack of regulation of international NGOs during their post-disaster response. This increased corruption and a lack of accountability within NGO’s resulted in a lack of progress in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.
Recommended Citation
Brun, Ashly, "Haiti: The Relationship Between Political Instability and Post-Disaster Response" (2018). Sustainability and Social Justice. 197.
https://commons.clarku.edu/idce_masters_papers/197
