GET OUT YOUR CHECKBOOK AND ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES

I’m finding it difficult to write about heritage travel this morning with so much loss of life and livelihood. However, it’s important to acknowledge that Haiti has an extremely rich heritage that has also been devastated and is also at risk. This is important because heritage lifts and sustains the human spirit and the Haitians will require all the sustenance that can be provided.

Haiti was called the Pearl of the Antilles during its tourist heyday back in the 1940s. Its artists gained recognition for creating radiant sequined voodoo flags and found object sculptures. Director Jonathan Demme made Haitian art famous when he covered his walls and inserted a Haitian touch in his films. Wyclef Jean’s music is inspired with a Haitian beat and he has championed the nation and its people. The legendary Citadelle La Ferriere is a mountain fortress and a UNESCO world heritage site. Cap-Haitien is the second largest French designed city in the Americas, with the biggest collection of gingerbread houses.

There will be time to talk about all of this later and we will do so in depth.
For now, though, if we care about the people and the places we visit, it is time for action.

I’m listing some resources that have been made available to me. Before you sign up or give money, be sure to do your due diligence. And if you discover any problems, please let me know so that I can post them on the blog.

RESOURCES

The New York Times News Blog The Lede has compiled a listing under the rubric Haiti Disaster Relief: How to Contribute. Click here to see the list. The Lede is also an excellent source of information on the earthquake and the relief efforts. You can read it here.

The whitehouse.gov has a map of Haiti on its home page. More information is available on the White House Blog. The blog has a link to the Red Cross so that you can make an online donation. It also has a link to the Center for International Disaster Information where you can apply to volunteer. Please be advised that the CIDI requires extensive disaster relief experience — about 10 years — before you can be considered. Click here to read the White House Blog.

You can donate $10 to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting “HAITI” to “90999.”

Please give generously. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. Eighty percent of her people live below the poverty line, and a majority exist on less than $1.00 per day. If you’re reluctant to donate in these difficult economic times take a look at the Red Cross slide show that introduces this post. And if you think that damage is limited to Port au Prince take a look at the video below.

Whichever resource you choose make sure to do your due diligence. The Heritage Traveler does not certify the organizations.