The Haiti Earthquake: From Relief to Sustainable Development

March 26, 2010
12-2:30
The Standard Club
320 South Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60604

Registration

$25.00

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED!

The Chicago Global Donors Network invites you to join our open symposium and lunch discussion on transitioning international philanthropy from immediate crisis relief to long term and sustainable support in Haiti.

As we seek to be in solidarity with the Haitian people through this disaster, we recognize that Haiti was beset with historical challenges long before the devastating earthquake in January. Using the lens of “What we were doing before wasn’t working very well,” we will open up a space to discuss how things can be done differently. Contributors will present ideas that push us all to think beyond the classic, “collaborate more, communicate more, coordinate more” challenge. We will attempt to rethink how the different sectors function, rebuild in a way that does not duplicate past errors, and accompany the Haitian people in a sustainable renewal of all social sectors.

We will examine rebuilding Haiti post-crisis, and will explore critical issues related to the sustainable rebuilding of infrastructure, the role of Haiti’s public sector, its private sector, the more than 10,000 NGOs in Haiti, the Catholic Church, and international aid. The discussion will include a focus on the role of donors in ensuring that Haiti’s government and civil institutions are equipped to respond, and impacted areas are rebuilt in a manner that is more resilient to future disasters.

Participants in the audience will have opportunities to ask questions and make comments as well.

A suggested donation of $25 will go directly to rebuilding in Haiti.

Symposium Speakers:

Moderator: Jeff Richardson, Vice President, Abbott Fund. Mr. Richardson oversees Abbott's Global Health Access program throughout the developing world. He has been an adjunct professor at Indiana University and the City University of New York and currently teaches as a guest lecturer at Northwestern University on global health issues. Mr. Richardson holds a J.D. from the Maurer School of Law and an MPA from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University.

Ludovic Comeau Jr. is an associate professor and academic director at the School for New Learning, DePaul University. Dr. Comeau was the former chief economist at the Central Bank of Haiti and is an expert on Haiti matters. He holds a Ph.D. in business economics, an MBA and an MA in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Bachelor in business administration and a Law degree from the State University of Haiti, and an MA in French Literature from the University of Chicago. He currently researches the use of innovative teaching techniques in economics.

Laura Hartman is a professor of management and the research director of the Institute for Business and Professional Ethics in DePaul University’s College of Commerce. A frequent visitor to Haiti, Ms. Hartman is coordinating DePaul’s participation in a micro-finance project to encourage investment in the economy, create jobs and support education in the Caribbean nation, which is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

Jeffrey Jordan is senior vice president of programs for Catholic Medical Mission Board. Mr. Jordan heads up CMMB’s worldwide healthcare programs and program operations, and its medical volunteer program. His areas of technical expertise include policy analysis and presentation training, participatory policy processes through civil society networks, work on demographic linkages to related sectors including the environment and food security, and gender. Mr. Jordan has worked in Haiti since 1995 and has made more than 20 trips to the country. He returned to the US in February following a 9 day post earthquake assessment trip to Haiti.

Peter Slevin, Chicago bureau chief of The Washington Post, has reported from dozens of countries, as well as the foreign policy precincts of Washington, DC. He covered Barack Obama's campaign for the White House and writes extensively about domestic politics. Mr. Slevin reported for the Post from Haiti after the earthquake, and his coverage raised questions about the adequacy of the international response to an epic emergency and the ability of the Haitian government to lead the recovery. His trip to Haiti was his fourth.

Caren Yanis became the executive director of the Crown Family Philanthropies in 2009, as part of an effort designed to generate succession and develop greater impact. Prior to this, Ms. Yanis directed Oprah Winfrey’s charities, including Oprah’s Angel Network. She is currently a member of the Chicago Global Donors Network’s Ambassadors’ Council, a member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs President’s Circle, and sits on the Critical Impact Awards selection committee for the Council on Foundations.