Low-intensity democracy and political crisis in Haiti: the North American contribution

Burron, Neil; Silvius, Ray

doi:10.1080/02255189.2013.824376

Cited by 6 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…The literature on democratic quality devotes little attention to the influence of outsiders, but in the Haitian case, attention to this factor is justified, as powerful Western states and nonstate actors have promoted a particular variant of democracy. Since the 1980s, donors, through their extensive aid programs, peace-building operations, and diplomatic interventions, have sought to advance what Gills, Rocamora, and Wilson (1993) label "low intensity democracy" (Burron and Silvius 2013) and what William Robinson (1996) calls "polyarchy." These are essentially procedural forms of democracy that emphasize respect for individual freedoms, allow for political competition, and often establish a reduced institutional role of the armed forces.…”

Section: Theoretical Insights Into Haiti's Democratic Journeymentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on Haitian Democracy: Zooming in on a Megaproject in the Hinterland

Shamsie¹

2022

Lat. American Res. Rev.

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Twenty-five years have passed since Haiti's first free and fair elections. In that time, democratization has been slow and there have been many setbacks. This article offers some observations regarding Haiti's democratization journey by examining how the government introduced a massive industrial park that required the displacement of a large number of farmers. In a departure from historical practice, when faced with opposition, the government deployed its security forces sparingly. Also, the levels of transparency and civil society engagement were not terrible. Although it is insufficient and superficial, movement is in the right direction. In contrast, local government officials may have lost status and legitimacy during the process, which could hinder future democratization. Finally, the footprint of outsiders in this project was massive, confirming how profoundly Haiti's democratization is transnationalized. This makes tracking its democratic development extremely challenging and yet necessary given the country is not alone in this predicament.Han pasado veinticinco años desde las primeras elecciones libres y justas en Haití. Desde entonces, la democratización ha sido lenta y ha sufrido muchos contratiempos. Este artículo ofrece algunas observaciones con respecto al proceso de democratización en este momento. Al hacerlo, examina cómo el gobierno ha introducido un extenso parque industrial en el noreste del país, el que requirió el desplazamiento de un gran número de campesinos. Los resultados son mixtos. En una divergencia de la historia, cuando se enfrentó con la oposición, el gobierno envió sus fuerzas de seguridad con moderación. Por otra parte, los niveles de transparencia y el compromiso de la sociedad civil no eran pasables. Aunque puede resultar insuficiente y superficial, el proceso democrático parece ir avanzando en la dirección correcta. Por otro lado, puede ser que los oficiales del gobierno local hayan perdido posición y legitimidad durante el proceso, lo que puede impedir la democratización. Finalmente, el involucramiento de extranjeros en este proyecto era masivo, lo que confirma que la democratización de Haití es transnacional. Así, seguir el desarrollo democrático es algo extremadamente desafiante pero necesario ya que este país no está solo en esta situación.Since the early 1990s, the pattern of democratic development in Haiti has not been encouraging. Numerous setbacks and failures have led observers to pen some pessimistic assessments of Haitian democracy, the quality of which has been judged to be very low. Gloominess is not unjustified: a twice-exiled president; numerous contested and fraudulent elections; a high-enough quotient of political instability to invite an eighteen-year-long UN Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH); and most recently, the rule by decree of President Michel Martelly during 2014-2015 and the need to repeat the 2015 presidential elections as a result of allegations of "systematic, massive fraud" (Charles 2015a).These institutional faults and weaknesses are easy to perce...

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Section: Theoretical Insights Into Haiti's Democratic Journeymentioning

confidence: 99%

Reflections on Haitian Democracy: Zooming in on a Megaproject in the Hinterland

Shamsie¹

2022

Lat. American Res. Rev.

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“…The Security Council's authorized multinational force restored Aristide as part of "Operation Restore Democracy" in 1994. The US played a particularly crucial role in Aristide's return, but made sure that it was conditional on a number of agreements, including that he would support export-processing zones, and that he would not seek the extension of his term for the same duration as he had been deposed (Burron & Silvius, 2013). Indeed, the Operation included an Emergency Economic Recovery Plan (EERP) that was premised on neoliberal principles (Shah, 2009).…”

Section: History Of External Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The EERP included a promise to privatize state-owned companies (Shah, 2009). Almost immediately, Aristide backtracked on these commitments, which were fiercely opposed by popular civil society organizations (les organisations populaires) (Burron & Silvius, 2013). In particular, his resistance to privatization was met with donor disapproval, especially from the US and the IMF (Buss with Gardner, 2008).…”

Section: History Of External Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The US also justified an aid embargo based on the election outcome (Hallward, 2007). Countries like the US and Canada became more supportive of Aristide's opposition, including by funneling money to civil society opposition groups (Burron & Silvius, 2013). In general, the privatization of aid to nonstate actors jumped in the context of the embargo: USAID, the US development agency, gave on average US$ 68 million annually to NGOs between 2000 and 2003 (Hallward, 2007, p. 82 Opposition to Aristide was led by the Democratic Convergence (Convergence Démocratique -CD), a group that included "members of the old hard-line elite, Duvalierist and ex-military opposition" (Hallward, 2007, p. 96).…”

Section: History Of External Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With Martelly, emphasis was placed on an industrialization agenda with the slogan "Haiti is open for business", and plans for increasing tourism were also put forth (Nascentes da Silva, 2015). Notable initiatives include his move to construct an industrial park in the northeast, which first had to displace farmers and was opposed by civil society organizations (Burron & Silvius, 2013;Shamsie, 2009).…”

Section: History Of External Involvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Emerging, Post-Neoliberal Power: The Practice of Brazilian South-South Cooperation in Haiti

Pickup¹

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This study examines the practice of Brazil's humanitarian and development cooperation with Haiti. Brazil is one of several "emerging donors" to have significantly increased their provision of development cooperation over the past decade as part of broader shifts in global political economy, raising questions as to how cooperation functions in terms of these powers' broader foreign policy objectives. The dissertation situates the question in literature that asks why states are motivated to provide development cooperation, how cooperation impacts recipient states, and expectations for the foreign policy behaviour of emerging countries in general, and for Brazil specifically. The project is based on extensive fieldwork carried out in Brazil and Haiti with 57 individuals and groups in Portuguese, French, and English, as well as Kreyól (with the assistance of an interpreter).In contrast to the current treatment of the objectives of a state in providing development cooperation, which remains focused on Western powers, I demonstrate empirically how cooperation has supported Brazil as a specifically "post-neoliberal" emerging power (meaning an interventionist state committed to balancing market concerns with other social, political and economic objectives). I argue that Brazilian cooperation has been positively received by Haitian authorities, resulting in clear (albeit short-term) political gains, mainly because of Brazil's commitment to capacity-building through direct engagement with Haitian officials. However, in approaching aid as a practice, I further conclude that the features of cooperation and the Haitian state's response are inexplicable without a post-colonial interpretation that situates cooperation in historically constituted political economies by, for instance, recognizing Brazil's desire to position itself as an alternative to the West and Haiti's consistent and problematic treatment as "fragile" in its traditional aid relations. I develop the concept of "post-colonial practice" to acknowledge how emergent forms of South-South cooperation occur in and challenge this broader context. This approach forges links between material and ideational contributions in IR, especially from critical political economy and post-colonial work (as well as postdevelopment).iii Acknowledgements This work has truly been a collaborative effort. I would first like to thank my dissertation committee for their continuous support, professional and personal, and for their intellectual guidance, which has enriched the end product in countless ways. Sean Burges has been a source of inspiration for thinking about Brazilian politics and Brazilian foreign policy, even before he was a member of the committee. Chris Brown, thank you in particular for asking tough methodological questions at the start of the process. Cristina Rojas, I am indebted to your influence for the evolution in my theoretical and conceptual understandings of international relations. I am profoundly grateful for the indescribable support of my supervisor, Laura Macdo...

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Transforming a praetorian polity: the political economy of democratization in Pakistan

Khan

Akhtar

2022

Canadian Journal of Development Studies / Revue canadienne d'ét

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Low-intensity democracy and political crisis in Haiti: the North American contribution

Cited by 6 publications

References 10 publications

Reflections on Haitian Democracy: Zooming in on a Megaproject in the Hinterland

Reflections on Haitian Democracy: Zooming in on a Megaproject in the Hinterland

An Emerging, Post-Neoliberal Power: The Practice of Brazilian South-South Cooperation in Haiti

Transforming a praetorian polity: the political economy of democratization in Pakistan

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