This book derives from a symposium on sovereignty in Haiti held at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University in Washington, DC, in May 2014. The editors offer their deep thanks and appreciation to the symposium participants who have contributed chapters. Thanks are also offered to all of the other panelists and moderators who participated in the symposium. A full listing of panelists and moderators and video of all the symposium presentations and panel discussions can be viewed at http://media.elliott.gwu.edu/media/who-owns-haiti-governance-and-development.
A particular debt of gratitude is offered to Ambassador Luigi Einaudi, whose skill in moderating the final, closed-door meeting among panelists to discuss the symposium’s findings greatly assisted the editors in writing the conclusion to this book. A special thank-you is also accorded, with great pleasure, to Amy Wilentz, whose participation in the symposium inspired her foreword to this volume.
The editors also wish to thank the Elliott School for supporting us. Dean Michael Brown, in particular, deserves special thanks for his support of the concept paper that resulted in the symposium and for providing the resources needed to make it happen. We also wish to tip our hats to Dr. Barbara Miller, director of the Elliott School’s Institute for Global and International Studies (IGIS) for her backing of the Focus on Haiti Initiative created under the auspices of IGIS. This initiative made the organization of the symposium and the follow-up work leading to this volume possible. We offer special thanks and praise to Nic Johnson, a remarkable undergraduate student, the coordinator of the initiative, and a budding devotee of all things Haiti. Without Nic’s dedication and superb organization and administrative skills, his ability to keep happy each symposium panelist who traveled from within the United States or from Haiti and beyond, and his keen appreciation of the Chicago style, we simply could not have achieved what we did.
Finally, and most important, the editors of this volume acknowledge the inspiration of the Haitians who have committed their lives to keeping themselves and their country a beacon of freedom under very trying circumstances and who have helped us understand that Haiti is truly owned by Haitians. It is to them that we dedicate this book, with honor and respect.