Haiti On Our Mind
Haiti, often labeled as one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere, was perhaps most memorable until a month ago for its dire economy. That likely changed when the brutal images of a devastating earthquake permeated our consciousness forever, highlighting unimaginable suffering and reminding us all about our common humanity.
On January 12 2010, at 4:53 PM, the Richter scale shot up to an almost absurd 7.0 just 10 miles west of Haiti’s capital, Porte-au-Prince. Mike Godfrey, an American contractor at the US Agency for International Development, would say that “a huge plume of dust and smoke rose up over the city within minutes of the quake, and a blanket of dust completely covered and obscured it for about twenty minutes.”[1]
By February 10th, the Haitian government had revised the death toll to upwards of 230,000 (initially, the Red Cross had put it at 100,000). The most populated area of the country had been felled. Many landmark buildings were significantly damaged or destroyed in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other settlements in the region–including the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building, the Port-au-Prince Cathedral, and the main jail. Haitian authorities estimated one million Haitians were left homeless instantly, while a total of three million lives were seriously jeopardized by the quake. Aftershocks had not helped: the United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded eight of them only two hours after the main earthquake, with magnitudes ranging between 4.3 and 5.9; there would be many others to come.[2]
In economic terms, according to the Inter-American Bank, the cost of rebuilding could reach nearly $14 billion, proportionately the most destructive natural disaster in modern times.[3]
The world reacted quickly. Appeals for humanitarian aid were issued by many aid organizations, the United Nations, and president René Préval. Raymond Joseph, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, and his nephew, singer Wyclef Jean, also pleaded for aid and donations. The neighbouring Dominican Republic was the first country to reach out to Haiti, sending water, food, and heavy-lifting machinery. Many nations in Europe, Asia, and America, and especially the United States, have reacted generously too.
Within the entertainment industry, celebrities joined together. Among the big donors to Haiti were Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods, Wyclef Jean, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Bullock, and Giselle Bundchen. Another roll call of stars that included Wyclef, Madonna, Beyoncé and Tom Cruise, joined host George Clooney for a telethon. Clooney recruited about one hundred and forty of the biggest names in music and entertainment. For him, the tragedy in Haiti reached “across all borders, and all boundaries” [4].
Internet collections abounded and were mostly made via text messages or followed a streamed two-hour live global broadcast that also blanketed twenty-five regular TV channels, including the major networks, across the US. MTV would make that content available in more than half a billion homes worldwide. So far, “Hope for Haiti Now” has raised sixty million.
A few days ago, taking advantage of the Grammys, producer Quincy Jones gathered a galaxy of pop stars for a re-recording of “We Are The World”, first released with Michael Jackson in 1984. More than seventy famous artists lent their voices for this project. In the UK, American Idol host Simon Cowell convened a similar group of stars for a recording of a cover of REM’s “Everybody Hurts”.
Musicians in the world music community inside the United States will continue performing benefit concerts. Many of them are putting out compilations to raise money. Recent live events that stand out for their size include The World Stands for Haiti (New York City), Haiti Mizik Relief Benefit Concerts (Miami) and Hearts Haiti (San Francisco).
There is movement to help Haiti within our local community, but more is needed. Hundreds are suffering and still dying because of debilitating injuries, poor medical conditions, respiratory infections, malnutrition, intoxication and dehydration, and diarrhea from waterborne diseases. Among infants, a lack of nutrition is a serious concern. There is also a new generation of orphans who have lost their families and have no one to turn to.
At Berklee, we should realize that Haiti is still in chaos. We should redouble our efforts to help. There have been several fundraising shows already by the college, on Monday, February 15 at the Hard Rock Café, and Tuesday, February 23 at the Berklee Performance Center. Talent gave to a big cause. Also, many of our students have been playing at different Boston venues in benefit concerts, such as Club Passim, Middle East, Precinct Bar, and the Lizard Lounge.
Hopefully, all this will continue. Outside of Berklee, you should be aware of the following addresses to send contributions or stay informed. They are:
www.haitirelieffund.org
www.worldvision.org/haiti
www.samaritanspurse.org/Haiti
www.redcross.org
www.google.com/relief/haitiearthquake
A new website called Music For Relief, www.musicforrelief.org, is taking uploads of unreleased music to aid Haiti’s victims.
Finally, I would specially like to dedicate this article to our fellow student who witnessed the ferocity of the earthquake in Haiti firsthand and lost his mother. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.
By Silvina Moreno
[1] http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/12/haiti.earthquake/index.html
[2] Database search at USGS: Lists earthquakes recorded from January 12th until January 30th
[3] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35423512/ns/business-world_business/
[4] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/7059577/George-Clooney-leads-Haiti-telethon.html
