Haiti conflict assessment

In response to this request, DCHA/CMM organized a six-person team to work in conjunction with the USAID Mission to develop a focus on appropriate geographic areas and populations to address the nexus of instability and development in Haiti. During March 2006, the assessment team comprised of individuals from DCHA/CMM, the USAID Office of Democracy and Governance, the USAID Office of Transition Initiatives, and the U.S. Department of State Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, met with a wide range of national and local host government representatives, members of civil society, and USAID partners. Discussions were held in the northern cities of Gonaives, Cap Haitian, and St. Marc, the southern cities of Les Cayes and Petit Goave, and the capital of Port-au-Prince. The assessment report is intended to reflect the views of the individuals interviewed and to use the consensus issues highlighted by those interviewed, even though they may not necessarily coincide with conventional wisdom or data on Haiti, to identify popular perceptions and key issues that either have in the past, or could in the future, contribute to conflict and instability in Haiti. (Author abstract, modified)