Konbit Pou Ayiti

KONPAY Coordinates National Meeting on Environment

This July KONPAY coordinated a groundbreaking event: nearly seventy leaders in Haiti’s environmental movement gathered in Jacmel to strategize on how we can collaborate together.

Although Haiti is filled with grassroots groups and non-governmental organizations, most efforts work in isolation. Historically speaking, Haiti’s popular movement is still young. When a popular rebellion overthrew the Duvalier regime in 1986, Haitians were able to gather and organize freely for the first time in several decades. Before long there were hundreds of new groups springing up all over Haiti. The military junta of 1991-94 recognized the power of the people and made a concentrated effort to destroy the popular movement.

The late 1990’s were a time to rebuild efforts and begin again. Today there are peasant groups and women’s groups in almost every village of Haiti. However these groups have yet to form the kinds of regional and national networks that can make them stronger to meet the challenges in their communities.

On July 2-4, 2007, representatives of international and national non-governmental organizations, grassroots groups, the Haitian government and other key stakeholders for Haiti’s environment took part in a conference, called the National Environmental Initiative. The meeting focused on identifying strategic steps towards coordination and collaboration. At the close of the conference the participating organizations established a coalition devoted to the restoration of Haiti’s natural environment.

Three points of unity emerged during the meeting. Running as a constant theme throughout the conference, these resolutions were articulated by grassroots leaders, government representatives, experienced agronomists and international representatives. As priorities they form the foundation and core of our collaboration.

1. All agencies working in the domain of environment must work together for massive and intensive reforestation of Haiti.
2. In order for our work for the environment to succeed, we must pursue strategies that can alleviate poverty both immediately and in the long-term.
3. We must work together to seek and find alternative energy sources to replace the use of charcoal.

KONPAY is acting coordinator for the National Coalition, which seeks to enhance and strengthen existing programs for Haiti’s environment. The coalition will play a coordination role for participating organizations through activities that compliment and support existing work with as little redundancy as possible. The National Coalition will emphasize sharing existing resources and learning from collective organizational history and experience. We will support authentic partnerships that develop organically, and by bringing together groups at a local level, we will base our efforts in the grassroots where those most affected by the environmental crisis will be prioritized in planning and execution of environmental projects.

Visit the new website for the Coalition, administered by KONPAY:

www.haitienvironment.org