Decentralization is something that is often talked about in the realm of development, though not well understood. For Haiti in particular, there are two key moments in recent history where decentralization became a focal point.

The first was the resounding call for a decentralized state in the 1987 Constitution which emerged after the fall of the 29-year father-son Duvalier dictatorship. The second moment was after the 2010 earthquake where there was great discussion about the need to decentralize the capital of Port-au-Prince. A city built for a few hundred thousand, Haiti’s capital was brimming with over 3 million people at the time of the quake (and that number has continued to grow since, notwithstanding the 300,000 lives claimed).

Why then does the aspiration for a decentralized Haitian state continue to be an elusive one?

In January 2017, I gave a presentation at Long Island University – Brooklyn as part of a daylong conference that was live-streamed in Haiti. In that presentation, I first defined decentralization in terms of its types and functions, before discussing its utility for Haiti as a development tool. I then discussed some of the challenges that have inhibited Haiti’s ability to decentralize, in order to shed some light on how the country might move forward.

Take a look at my presentation to learn more!