Cooperation, Peace and (Re-)Construction? A Tale from the Shanties

Abstract

The catastrophic earthquake of January 2010 deepened the socio-cultural fault lines and disparities that define Haitian society. Even before, the needs of the population and the prioritisation of intervention were managed by international actors. As a result of societal fragilities and the ineffectiveness of the Haitian state in shoring up community relations and basic services, a proliferation of NGOs has arisen in shanties to organise local groups around short-term programmes. Building on surveys and ethnographic research, this article analyses residents' perceptions of such initiatives to foster peace, reconstruction and development in one of Port-au-Prince's poorest and most violent neighbourhoods. Findings suggest that residents remain sceptical about the peace and development impacts of the proliferation of scattered, foreign-driven and unsustainable interventions in Cité Soleil.