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HomeShop at BookSurgeJuvenile FictionBusiness, Careers, OccupationsTravesty in Haiti: A true account of Christian missions, orphanages, fraud, food aid and drug trafficking |
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A Haiti Mission must read Oct 23, 2009 If you are considering how you can help Haiti, you must learn and understand the history of foreign aid. You need to know the history and what you are walking into.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Must Read for anyone who cares about international development May 20, 2009 I've worked in Haiti for over a decade, and although I was aware of fundamental problems with international food, medical and other aid, I had no idea the problems were as comprehensive (or as widely acknowledged by people in the field). The book's major contribution is showing that the organizations involved generally know they are at best not fulfilling their stated mission, and are more often actually causing harm. They are just addicted to the money that comes from a dysfunctional system, and too cynical to think there's a better way.
The book is also entertaining, and a quick read. It is depressing, but there are antidotes out there- examples where organizations manage to actually do good work. I'd suggest Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains, anything written by Paul Farmer, and Margaret Trost's "On That Day Everybody Ate."
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Outstanding book--should be read by all concerned about Haiti, foreign aid and the continued oppression of the poor Apr 25, 2009 This is a truly outstanding book, not in the least because of the humility of the author, Dr. Schwartz, as he portrays his own naive wading through the morass of confluent shadows of poverty, culture, oppression, aid and his search for meaning over a 10 year period of work in Haiti. The book raises the consciousness of the reader even as the author and protagonist of the book's consciousness is being raised.
This book is significantly more scholarly and interesting than Dead Aid, by Dambisa Moyo which received a huge amount of attention. Both books make the point that aid as it is currently constructed is ineffective. But while Moyo's book is far less honest and nuanced about the organizations she has worked with--like the World Bank and Goldmann Sachs, Schwartz is critical of himself, people he considered friends and organizations he has worked for, such as CARE and USAID.
Pointing out that aid is dead is hardly interesting...naming names of who is responsible for not only the dead aid but the stream of humanity left dead in the wake of at best misguided aid, more accurately, purposefully malignant projects, is revolutionary. Read this book.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great read! Feb 07, 2009 If you want to know what is really going on with charity and foreign aid in Haiti, this book is a must read. Not boring, interesting, enjoyable.
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