The Role and Effectiveness of the Haitian Diaspora in the Development of Haiti

It has been over a century since Haiti proclaimed its independence from France, but the nation still struggles to find a way to sustain its development. From an authoritarian governmental system to democracy, Haiti is widely known to be the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. As globalization opens doors for new opportunities, skilled Haitian professionals as well as professionals from other developing countries take advantage of those opportunities. However, the politics of repression of the Duvaliers (Papa Doc and Baby Doc) (1957-1986) and the failure of Haitian governments during the last three decades have encouraged not only the departure of those skilled professionals, but also have created a massive internal and external migration within the country. As a result, human resources in Haiti, which are a significant asset to the development of the country, become scarce. This research aims at analyzing the causes of the Haitian mass exodus, which is a major “Brain Drain”, and proposing methods to leverage and empower the Haitian Diaspora to participate in the improvement of their own homeland