Citizen Praxis: Search for the Truth, the Good, and
Solidarity with Haiti
By: Joseph Berkes
Joseph Berkes
Professor Mar
World Views and Values Journal
January 26, 2010
I got ready to go to class not knowing what to expect because we had only had
one other class day. I got to the room first and waited for the rest of the class to arrive.
The class was to have read “The Cave” by Plato. This piece of literature talked about the
struggles which we all go through at sometime during our life. It was very interesting to
read because we saw how people were afraid to come out of the dark into the light. They
were afraid because they had never been out into the light. So one day a man unlocked a
prisoner and took the person by the hand and leads him or her to the light. It took one
man to show many people that it was okay to be afraid, but that they should also try and
build up courage because there was so much more to the world then that little cave they
lived in.
Professor Mar had also asked us to start thinking about what we might want to do
for our public praxis project. She told us about Haiti Solidarity Day and how the school
was going to try and help out the people of Haiti. Haiti Solidarity Day is a day to help
make the student body and even the teachers more aware of what is happening in Haiti.
She suggested that as a possible public praxis option for us to work on.
She also had us read the first few chapters of Mountains Beyond Mountains. This
book is based on the story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a physician from the United States that
went to Haiti to learn. He later went back to Haiti to help out the poor people or families
that could not afford any care. Farmer did not believe in charging his patients because he
thought everyone was entitled to good health. Farmer a long with some of his colleagues
started the Partners in Health Foundation which helps those people who can not afford
proper health care. Farmer loved everyone even his patient by the name of Joe. Joe was a
long time patient of Farmer. Joe was one of Farmer’s funniest patients because he had a
list of things. He said “Out, there is cold, their drugs, and ½ gallon vodka” (Kidder 15).
Then he went on and said “In, there is warmth, our drugs, and six pack of Bud” (Kidder
15). Farmer liked to keep a tight schedule. If a patient would miss an appointment, he
would be out there looking for him or her to see if he or she was feeling okay.
Farmer is kind of like the man who was trying to lead the people out of the cave
because he was trying to bring a lighted spirit to the people of Haiti. Haiti, itself, is kind
of like the cave because it is dark and not many people are able to get away from its
clutches. Many Haitian people do not know of a life outside of Haiti because they are too
poor to travel. This was evident to Farmer because he would pay to get some of his
patients in to see him. He would pay for the cab ride or bus fair. This is why I feel Farmer
is like the guy who tried to save the people from the cave.
Professor Mar showed a video clip of the one time Head coach of the University
of Southern California, Pete Carroll. In the clip, Carroll was showing us what he did
behind the scenes when he was not coaching. He would go around helping young men
who were in trouble and try to help them. Most of the young men were in gangs. Carroll
would talk to young men out on their turf. He would go out into the ghetto and try to
convince these young men that there is a better life waiting for them. Pete Carroll is like
that man from the cave; he is trying to make a better life for someone that is going down
the wrong path. The young gangsters are like the people in the cave and think that there is
no escape from their dark heartless tomb. Pete had the young men come into a classroom
and talk about their fears. Most of the young men had a fear of dying because that is what
happened to most of their friends. He also let the young men come to a USC football
practice session and let them on the field with his players. Carroll did every thing in his
power to help those young men even if it meant putting his own life in danger because he
believed that every one if given a chance could change. This is why the video clip can be
connected with the story about the cave. Carroll had to lead the young men towards the
light. He could only show them because it was their choice on whether they wanted to
change or not.
February 9, 2010
Professor Mar had us read a book about this young man and his father. The young
man’s name was Elie Wiesel. Wiesel and his father had been taken to a concentration
camp where they had to pass a series of tests. If they passed the tests, they were allowed
to live but had to work for their food. They would move from camp to camp as the
Germans saw fit. After a while, Wiesel got used to the work but his father kept getting
weaker and weaker. Wiesel and his father were forced to move so many times because
the Germans had to keep running from rival nations. They ended up having to take a train
some place. Elie did not like what he saw on the train ride. He saw people climbing and
clawing over each other for food. They would even tackle people that were able to get out
with a scrap of food. He saw people suffocate under all the bodies of people going for
food. This bothered him because the soldiers would be laughing outside the cars. They
were laughing because they knew the people had to fight for scraps of food. Elie had to
find a way to get to his father because he was really weak. One of his father’s friends just
happened to be in the same car and helped him get food for his father. When they reached
their final destination, Elie’s father’s friend decided to stay behind because he was too
weak to go on (Wiesel). While at this place that they had come to Elie’s father became
really weak. So Elie would give his father his food, but the people told him to stop
because they needed to open up the bed (Wiesel). The Jews were set free in time but
knew they would never see their families again.
We watched a video clip where Khailish, a man from India, was trying to save his
people from slavery. He would take truck loads of people to a safe place away from the
slave work and abuse. Some people stayed behind because they did not want to leave
their loved ones behind. Khailish had troubles one time because his truck driver or bus
driver was afraid to cross over into the land. In the end, the driver did come for the
people, but it was a difficult time for all because they did not know if they would be able
to leave.
Khailish is exactly like Coach Carroll because they both wanted to see the people
free to make their own decisions. Both were the light that the people were looking for
because they were afraid for their lives. The slave people were like the people in the cave
and the young gangsters from Carroll’s clip. They had to be led down the right path. The
slaves needed some one to show them to the light just like the young men who were in
gangs needed to be shown. This clip of Khailish is a good example of what can happen if
people will take the time to help others. Klailish did not like to see the people suffer so he
decided to do something about it just like Coach Carroll did when he helped those young
men out that were in gangs. The slaves and young men were afraid because they felt like
there was no way out of the dark.
At this point in time, I had no idea what I wanted to do my project on. I was torn
between doing Buddhism or helping out at Haiti Solidarity Day. Felix was telling me
about this great temple that is located in Woodstock. So I thought about going to the
temple with Felix, but we could never come up with a time that worked for both us. Then,
Mar suggested that I come to one of the meetings for Haiti. So I told myself just to be
open to suggestions.
March 9, 2010
I went to class wondering what Mar had in store for us because we had missed a
few class periods do to bad weather. She told us that we were going to push the readings
that were supposed to be done for the 9th day of March to the first week back after spring
break. We started class with talking about the readings we had for the previous class
because we had not had a chance to talk about them yet.
She wanted see what we thought about the selections out of A Larger Memory.
No one really wanted to get the ball rolling so she told us kind of what she was looking
for by giving us an example. I do not remember what the example was though. Then,
some of the students in my class gave what they thought were good great responses. I
wanted to say something but it was going to be difficult because I did not get the chance
to read selections. Mar was kind of impressed with what some of the others were saying
though.
I decided to write a journal on this day because it was the day that I finally made
up my mind on what I wanted to do for my project. I decided to help out at Haiti
Solidarity Day because my church back home in Carroll, Iowa is a sister parish to one
down in Haiti. I always wanted to do something to help the people of Haiti, but I just had
no idea on how I could do it until Mar told me to go a meeting. At the meeting, they were
talking about all the different exhibits that they wanted to put up. Mar was throwing out
suggestions on what we could do for an exhibit. Then, she got to thinking that we could
help other people with their tables or exhibits. I decided to help out an EMT with his
table. The man’s name was David Violante and he had just gotten back from Haiti where
he was helping the sick and injured. I talked to David before leaving school that night to
see if he wanted help on it. He said, “It would be alright but I had to contact him to see
what I needed to do.”
March 25, 2010
I want to Mar’s Office so that we could discuss what she wanted me to put into
my letter to Hillary Clinton. She wanted me to write the letter how I saw fit, and I needed
to bring her a copy so that she could look it over for any mistakes. She wanted to read it
over and give me some feedback on what she thought was good and what I could do to
make it stronger.
We also got talking about the video clip that she showed Tuesday night in class. I
told her that I could not believe how children in Haiti were treated. I thought that it was
barbaric on how the host family would treat a child with such disrespect. The children
that I am talking about are referred to in Haiti as Restaveks. Restavek is French for “Stay
with.” This is exactly what the children did they would go stay with a host family
because their family was too poor to provide for them. The clip talked about this man by
the name Jean Cadet. He was at one time a restavek himself.
The photo below is of Jean Robert Cadet.
Jean knows how these children feel because he too lived with a violent and
abusive family. He had to do all of the work while the other kids got to run around and
play. He would get whipped and beaten if he did not respond to his name being called the
first time or if his chores went unfinished for the day. Jean wanted an education, but it
was hard to find time to go to school and do all his chores or work. He would work from
dawn til dusk to get his food and go to bed. A restavek like Jean had no spare time to do
fun things like play ball or run around with friends because they were always working.
Cadet did get his chance though later on. He was taken in by a professor who taught him
the basics in education like how to read and write. Jean then took what he had learned
from this man and put it to good use.
Cadet now goes through Haiti trying to save as many restavek children as he
possibly can. The only problem is that he can not just take the children, but he has to see
if the host parents of the children are willing to let them go. Jean knows it is hard to
accept defeat, but he has to once in a while. He will talk to host parents and most of them
say that do not abuse the children, but Jean can tell that the children are unhappy and
even getting abused. He started a foundation called, “The Restavek Foundation.” This
foundation is to help out restavek children. He opened it so that the children would have a
safe place to come and not have to work except on their education. It was made so that
those children may have a chance at a better live.
I started comparing Cadet to coach Carroll because they both were looking to do
something similar. They wanted to look out for the well beings of other people. Cadet
was helping the restavek children; while Coach Carroll was trying to help out the young
men that got caught up in gangs and violence. They were striving to lead these young
men and women towards the light. They wanted to inspire these young people to do more
with their lives then what they were already doing.
Mar was telling me after I finished telling her how Jean Cadet reminded me of
Coach Carroll that we could even compare it to the cave. I thought about it for a minute
or two and decided that she was right because Cadet and Carroll were both trying to lead
young people out of the dark cave that shadows all of us at one point or another. These
two men wanted to show the young people that there was a better life for them out there
someplace. The young children and adults were like prisoners of the cave and needed
guidance from some one else to show them down the right path. The path, they wanted to
lead them down was one to a better and stronger looking life. Their guidance helped to
save some young peoples lives; even though, they were putting their own lives at risk.
Here are some pictures of restavek children now in Haiti that hope one day to be
free of all the abuse and pain they go through.
The photo above is restavek child working in what looks to be a field. The picture
below is restavek children who have received help from the Restavek Foundation and are
getting an education through the foundation.
This is also the day I decided that I was going to do a table on the restaveks
because I thought people over here in the United States and at Marist should know about
them.
April 26, 2010
I am starting to get into a panic mode because I have not been able to get a hold of
David Violante. This has me concerned because we have not talked about how he wants
to set up the table for his display. I do not even know if he is still doing a table or not. I
was also worried because I did not know how much research my partner had found on the
restaveks because he started getting stuff on it later than I did.
Vinny and I decided that we would get together in the library to go over some
things. We were hoping to come up with a final product for the next day. We were really
close to what we thought the final product would be but we still had some things to finish
up like putting a hand out together, making a display for our table, and getting things
approved by Mar or Michael. Vinny said that he would finish up the handout. So I told
him that I would go and get every thing approved and work on a display for the table. I
thought it only fair to do the display because he had already put a short video together for
our table.
I tried to get a hold of David Monday night to see when he wanted to get together
the next day to work on his display. Unfortunately, I was unable to reach him. So, I
continued to finish up the restavek display which if I may say so turned out okay for not
having an artist in the group.
April 27, 2010
Today is the big day. All that hard work that so many people have put into this
thing will finely show. I was running around all morning looking for Mar or Michael to
see if Vinny’s handout for our table was going to work. I did not see Mar in her office or
at the cabaret, so I went to the library and put some finishing touches on our display.
After putting the touches, I tried David again because I had no idea if he had plans for a
table anymore or not. I was able to reach David, but he had to go do some thing at a
hospital so he asked me to meet him at the south entrance to the school.
I had a little time before I had to go meet Dave, so I decided to go and see if I
could find Mar again. This time when I got to her office I found her and another helper
by the name of Gina. Gina and Mar were discussing things that they wanted to do and
making a list of things that had to go over to the Cabaret. I jumped in to lend a hand.
According to Professor Mar, “I had a terrific willingness to do the “scut” work which was
quoted by Dr. Paul Farmer in Mountains Beyond Mountains.” Mar had me go make
copies of something for someone’s display so I made some of mine in the press too. Mar
then asked me to grab a mural from behind some red boxes. It took me a while to get it
down. I also made a big mess and knocked a lot of her stuff to the floor. I helped clean it
up because we were trying to find her Mountains Beyond Mountains book that she
needed for her speech that day.
Gina and I took the displays over to the Cabaret. I had to walk in the rain because
the security guard that was so nice to let us put the displays in the back his of vehicle
said, “One of you have to ride with me or I won’t do it because I will not be a delivery
boy.” So, Gina went with him while I walked. I got there before Gina did, but I had to
leave again to find David. Dave and I met at Staples because we needed to pick some
things up for his display.
When, we got back to the Cabaret; Mar was waiting there with a meal ticket for
us. David and I went to talk to Michael to see where he wanted David to set up his
display. David and I threw his display together really fast because we were hungry and
still had to make copies of his article or handout. We were treated to some delicious
Haitian food. I would have to say that the best thing I tried had to be the pork.
The speakers who went throughout the day were so amazing. I was actually able
to learn something that I did not already know. I even learned some things new about the
restaveks that I had not learned from my research. So it does pay to pay attention when a
person is speaking because they may still be able to enlighten you. The most interesting
speakers, I would have to say were Mar’s public praxis students because they were the
first to go and that can be very difficult to do. I really liked being able to videotape the
Haitian guitarist because I was able to see the motion that he put into his music.
The entire day revolved around those who wanted to make a difference. We were
kind of like Dr. Farmer, Coach Carroll, and Jean Robert Cadet. We all wanted to touch
some one and to bring them out of the dark. The students and community around Marist
were like the people in the cave. They were afraid to come out because they did not know
what would happen to them if they came out. I think that is what was happening because
not many people actually stayed for the speakers or any thing else for that matter. I just
think that students are afraid to go into places unless they are invited in by someone. I
saw a lot students poke their heads in and just leave. We should have made more of an
effort to draw them in. We wanted to enlighten them just like Dr. Farmer and Cadet did
for Haitian people. Cadet worked to free children slaves like the restaveks and Farmer
worked with the poor and sick. We worked to inform the students of Marist and the
surrounding community.
Research
Haiti’s education system is one that I believe most people would look at in
disgust. According to Joan Richardson, Editor in Chief at Phi Delta Kappan, there are 10
million Haitians in Haiti and 45% of those are children under the age 18 (Helping Haiti).
She points out that most of the schools in Haiti are private. With having private schools
instead of public schools, it makes the parents have to pay for their children’s education.
When, we consider that 49% of Haitian families only make what would be equivalent to
one United States dollar; it is hard to provide a good education for their children
(Richardson). Most Haitian children do not make it past primary schooling because of a
lack of funds. According to a World Bank research paper published last year, “more than
half the 20-year-olds in Haiti never finished high school” (Richardson). The literacy level
or rate in Haiti is around 53% which is pretty darn low.
Haiti is the poorest country in the world today. According to Dr. Paul Farmer,
“Over 80 Percent of the population lives in poverty. Seven out of every 10 Haitians are
unemployed” (11).These are some overwhelming stats if we think about it. We can see
why Haitian families have a hard time providing enough food for themselves and their
children. Most Haitian people have a life expectancy of less than 50 years and more than
one third of all children who live past their first birthday will show signs that they have
stunted growth (Farmer). This is a harsh reality that the Haitian people have learned to
live with. It is something that a nation should not have to go through. “There are some
very obvious conditions to note in Haiti's case: the long history of political oppression,
soil erosion, lack of knowledge and literacy, a large populace in a small country”
(Corbett).
Education and Poverty are two biggest things pointing to why we see restaveks in
Haiti today. Poverty played its role because if a family does not have enough money to
provide for everyone then they have to find a way to get food for those children. Parents
give their children away to host families in the hope that they may get an education, but
also so that they may be able to eat to grow strong. With the lack of education that one
receives in Haiti is a cause for concern for a family and its children. The lack of
education also means that parents can not find those high end paying jobs that lead to a
higher income and better living conditions for the family. The lack of education leads to
poverty which in return leads to the family giving up their children to host families that
treat them like slaves which we know as restaveks.
Conclusion
Everything that we have done this semester can go back to one reading. The
reading that I am referring to is “The Cave”. Everything the course is based on came out
of the cave. The readings and the video clips all had to do something with some one
trying to lead some one in a cave towards a better life, or out of the darkness. I think that
is a key in every one’s life. We all need to be brought towards the light and out of the
darkness. We also need to be willing to research for the light which is seeking the truth
and what is good if we are to reach our goals.
Thank You for an unforgetful semester Professor Mar.