Helping Haiti: The View from the Newborn Nursery
- Commentary by Mary Liston Liepold
The disastrous earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, and on January 13 my daughter gave birth to a baby boy. I alternated for most of a week between distracting our two-year-old granddaughter from her mama’s prolonged absence and helping to cuddle and soothe the newborn.
In the rare moments when mother and children were asleep, I scanned the papers and trolled the internet. (The TV could wake someone up.) I read about the massive loss of life, the worsening conditions for those left alive, the promises of aid, and, as always, the wait for the relatively small amount that is actually delivered. I read about Haiti’s past, its struggle for independence so soon after America’s own, and our destructive, though possibly well-intentioned, involvement. And I saw the familiar pattern of sending the military in to deliver relief, with its echoes of Katrina, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and wondered why people who need water, food, and shelter so often get “security” instead. Which comes first, the riot shields or the riots?
I look at my precious grandson, asleep at his mother’s breast, and it’s obvious that what he needs first and most is nourishment. Grandma can help when the gas rumbles his tummy, but mama delivers the goods.
Isn’t the same thing true for the people of Haiti, or the survivors of any disaster or injustice anywhere? So we send in―troops? Thousands of troops who will be fed first, and fed well, whether or not the people have water and food. Why is our automatic response security instead of assistance, or our assistance so often delivered by security forces? What does that say about our view of the people we aim to help, and of human nature itself? What does it say to them?
If our only tool is a hammer, our problems look like nails. If the lion’s share of our resources goes to the military, we see military solutions to every challenge. But right now there’s a baby in the room, and babies invite us to dream new dreams. Why couldn’t we have a large, well-funded, well-prepared nonviolent peace force at the ready? It would appeal to the same altruism and thirst for adventure that lead young people into armies, but it could meet disasters and longstanding injustice with the kind of help mothers understand: food and water, comfort and encouragement, a listening ear.
I send blessings to all the survivors, and all those who are part of the massive international relief effort. I look back at the sleeping infant and imagine a different world. Maybe, in 20 years, the US Department of Peace will be a reality, and some significant portion of the trillions we spend on war will be used to meet basic human needs. I can even dare to hope that the pace of natural disasters will have slowed down a bit because we are living more lightly on the land, soothing the righteous anger of our Mother Earth.
I learned most of what I know about Haiti from the novels and short stories of Edwidge Danticat, so I check to see what she’s been saying. Danticat is busy with her own young family right now, including the baby she was holding when she learned she had received a MacArthur award last fall. But in 2004, at a Regents Lecture presentation in Santa Barbara, she read from the short stories in The Dew Breaker.
“Haiti is not a lost cause yet because it made us,” says one of the characters in that collection. And my happy heart answers, the world is not yet a lost cause because it made all of us, and babies are born every day. Welcome, small Gabriel. Grandma is counting on you.
About the Author
Mary Liepold is the Editor-in-Chief at Peace X Peace. To reach Dr. Liepold, email maryl@peacexpeace.org.
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I have been in New Zealand this January where my daughter and family are living. We were on holiday on the South Island touring when I had short internet access and learned about Haiti. I, too, have been absorbed and delighting in the grandchildren’s lives and then trolling the internet with the powerful reminder of how precious this time is. Your writing expressed the utter poignancy of cherishing the present yet holding in heart the anguish of Haitian parents and grandparents (and indeed throughout the world) as they lose or have to watch their loved ones suffer.
When we returned to the North Island I combed the local Wanganui Chronicle about relief efforts and found only a cynical article from the Independent about Robertson and Limbaugh’s heartless comments and the US focus on the military “securing” the country and Wall Street thinking low risk investment. I can’t tell you enough how much your thoughts assured me there is sanity and wisdom and a deep caring/commitment response also! We must use this time to educate ourselves about how our policies help create and continue such desperation when military security and profit are the bottom line. And we must vision and BE the change in our vision about what TRUE human need is and how it can be addressed. Like you, being with the little ones makes it perfectly clear what comes first – nourishment, physical safety and shelter,tending to bodily and emotional pain, reassurance and comfort. Maybe there needs to be a Grandmothers’ Brigade! Lazlo and Liska welcome baby Gabriel and his big sister, too. You’re so right, Mary – the world is not a lost cause because they keep inspiring all of us to do our work so they can then to theirs.
With hope – Barb
Congratulations , Mary, and thank you for sharing such a beautiful image of your daughter loving and nuturing her new son . Every child needs and deserves to be nuturered , loved and fed. I love your suggest of having a Peace Corp – Peace Team ready to go into places of need and respond with love and care, compassion and kindness. I dream of having Obama pull out all the troops from Afghanastan and use all the money and people to help out the people of Hati.
May we be people who want to help, care , build community with lots of Love and Peace .
With Hope and action ,
MJ Park
Co-Director of Little Friends For Peace
“Why is our automatic response security instead of assistance, or our assistance so often delivered by security forces?”
To the first, it’s because those who have want to make sure they don’t become the have-nots.
To the second, it’s based on a theory, not necessarily accurate, that their organizational skills will facilitate the delivery of goods. AND they generally have guns, which touches on the 1st part.
Wonderful story about Gabriel’s birth and the hope it brings, Mary. I am so happy for you and your daughter and granddaughter! I couldn’t agree with you more about the military bringing security without bringing what is really needed-food, water, empathy, and kindness.
I know Barbara Thiebalt who wrote above-she taught my daughter, Steph, in Grad school at MI State.
There are so many of us grandmothers out here that maybe we should form a “brigade” but lets find a better word-not connected with the military and guns!
Our bookgroup read Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat which was about a daughter, Aunt, and Grandmother.
Bishop Gumbleton just got back Monday, Feb 1st, from Haiti and is planning to go back in a couple weeks. He’s been travelling there for years.
He was at our wedding in Feb 1969!
I’ve reconnected with him in the last few years, At his age and still travelling with all the hardships, he’s an inspiration. You are also with your wonderful writing.
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