Staff Editorial: Haiti requires new attitude

For many St. Joe’s students, the biggest disappointments of the holiday season involved what lay under a tree. But for some of our peers and millions of Haitians, this Christmas season will forever be marked as one of immense destruction and heartache—a strike to the very soul of a nation.

It’s tough to wrap your head around such devastation, especially while sitting thousands of miles away in a residence hall or comfortable apartment. Imagine waking up to find your entire home halved by Mother Nature. Imagine if everything—and everyone—you saw around you suddenly seemed cracked and broken.

This is a reality for Haiti, a country already wrecked for decades by economic and political challenges. Now it faces an even more difficult task: starting over.

But it would be too easy to dismiss Haiti as just another anonymous nation plagued by poverty. Amidst all of the bantering, it’s crucial to recognize Haiti for what it is: a nation filled with good people who want to work to create a future for themselves and their families. To toss the country off as just another hopeless cause would underestimate the perseverance shown time and time again by the Haitian people.

Even though the distance is great between Haiti and Saint Joseph’s, students, faculty, and staff have endeavored—laudably—to bridge the gap by raising funds and awareness. Substantial and genuine efforts have already been made to send money and supplies to those in need, as well as to promote understanding and education throughout our university community. It is clear that tangible help—food, medical supplies, money, etc.—is needed immediately. But as we move forward, we need to keep Haiti in our minds beyond the act of writing a check or buying a ribbon.

Constructive and genuine dialogue and education should be at the forefront of campus efforts to help Haiti. Ignatian ideals are displayed all across campus in banners and on walls in the cafeteria. As a campus community, it is essential that those values are also displayed fully and humbly in our hearts and minds. Being “men and women with and for others” isn’t just a call to action—it’s also a call for transformation. It’s important to take the time to challenge ourselves to move beyond what’s comfortable and typical during Haiti’s time of need.

As a university community that prides itself on embodying the Jesuit tradition, we should work towards something greater than making a donation of our wallets. We should, as best we can, give also of our minds, our hearts, and ourselves. Only through a true understanding of what Haiti has endured for centuries can real solutions for long-term rebuilding appear.