Sustainable Haiti Conference Aims For "What's Next"

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2010-02-03 12:53:00 UTC
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It's been just a few short weeks after a devastating earthquake rocked Haiti, killing 200,000 and displacing far more. Yet already, the volume of coverage in mainstream and even social change-focused media has dramatically dropped. Fortunately, this March, an unusual conference is aiming to keep the conversation alive and help change agents figure out how to best be a part of Haiti's recovery.

Attention drop-off is the standard story for disasters. A crisis occurs, the world's attention becomes focused, nonprofits rush in, donations come in extraordinary amounts. The media loses interest first, followed by individual citizens, followed eventually by nonprofits as specific dollars for the crisis dry up. Everyone moves on...except the people at the center of the disaster, who are left to rebuild on their own.

This boom-and-bust cycle of humanitarian relief has been constant for the last two decades. And while humanitarian groups can't be the permanent lifeline of any successful society, the fact that Western media outlets may have looked away shouldn't be a reason for recovery efforts to subside.

Reorienting the media is difficult. But nonprofits still have some power to shift the worst aspects of the boom-bust cycle. Among the best strategies for groups that have particular skills, but no previous long-term commitment to Haiti, is to connect with groups that have been and are committed to the country, and see what they can learn and where they can be helpful.

That's the goal of the "Sustainable Haiti" conference, which is being held in conjunction with the Social Venture Capital/Social Enterprise conference next month in Miami. The event will include almost 50 panels, as well as workshops over three days that will include topics ranging from "Explaining Aid Distribution" to "Diaspora's Defining Moment."

The net proceeds of the event will be donated to relief organizations, but the real impact will be in the connections made, and the conversations started.

To learn more about the conference, check out this site.

Photo Credit: USAID Images

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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