Haiti

Over the decades, Haiti suffered tremendous financial and environmental destruction. Because of oppressive dictatorships and the developed world's withholding of aid, Haiti is today the poorest country in the western hemisphere. I encourage people to read Paul Farmer and Amy Wilentz to learn more about this global and often ignored tragedy. It is impossible for me to describe the country in a single paragraph. I will say the Haitian people and their cultural life have moved me profoundly. Yet, the Haitian people's desire and hope for democracy, peace and opportunity never wavers. Haiti, for me and for so many others who have traveled there, holds a tremendous grip on my heart.