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[Haitinow!]

Of Critical thinking and Freedom in a Developing nation.

As I wrote in a previous segment I came here to share, to learn and to unlearn as it is the most healthy process which can guarantee progress in a civilized democratic society. The challenge for a society in the difficult period of restructuring is both to recognize the vulnerability caused by a lack of unity, and yet to develop effective means for constructive critical thinking. Critical thinking must be encouraged, thinking that can speak out and be heard even when at first few acknowledge the very existence of an issue, as with nuclear power ,sexism or racism.

Thus, instead of the simplistic notion that ?freedom? must be sacrificed to eliminate hunger, we find tremendous complexity. But we also find grounds for hope. While no people on earth has achieved a model of society which ideally melds individual and community needs, we do have much to learn from people engaged in the process of attempting that goal.

Freedom for critical expression is also of pivotal concern. In countries, that choose to break with the private control over productive assets this issue is made considerably more problematic by the denunciation, aggressive posturing, and even subversive intervention of foreign powers as France or the United States which have been active in such interventions to influence Haiti.

Such external hostility creates the worst possible environment for the fostering of internal critical expression(and individual variety). Americans should know this all too well from the years following Pearl Harbor. Any individual or grouping of individuals differing with the commonly held view runs the risk of being labeled a collaborator of the foreign enemy.

In any society trying to break away hunger and underdevelopment, at least during the primary period of overcoming underdevelopment some may not be able to choose whatever job or location they prefer( We must keep in mind of course that few even in supposedly free market societies had this luxury or absolute freedom at once). Clearly every society places limits upon the individual?s choices. The real issues are then these:

How can those restrictions be made fairly?

Are the restrictions imposed by an elite for their benefit or imposed by the community for the good of all?

Is the goal to achieve society in which the individual?s legitimate self-interest and the community needs are more and more complementary?

In writing those paragraphs I am consciously and with absolute humility addressing the political class of my country. May each party find the appropriate substance which can lead to a permanent cease fire for the good of all. This is a ?passage obligé?, a condition which will give access to Development, to attain Collective Emancipation and to start National Production which in turn will trigger our National Prosperity .

Mèsi anpil pou atansion tout moun kap li segman yo.

Sources: The Institute For Food and Development Policy U.S.A.

A suivre.