His Excellency Mr. Helph Monod HONORAT, Ambassador of Haiti to Japan, gave a written interview for the magazine ‘Latin America Journal’ of JALAC in its winter edition published in the end of January 2022. The integral transcript of the interview is as follows:
-His Excellency was accredited as Ambassador of Haiti to Japan in October 2020, before that you had lived in Japan for many years. What are your impressions of Japanese people and life in Japan?
I presented my credentials to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan on October 7, 2020 as a newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, but I was involved with Japan before that. I came to Japan for the first time in 2008 when I was a student. I earned a PhD in Economics at Kobe University.
From my very early childhood, I have always had like a dream to travel around the world in the discovery of new cultures which would be different from mine. My parents have always made me to understand that varied and diversified cultures and people make life more interesting, thus adding more meaning to life and existence.
Having such thoughts in mind, my choice of Japan to pursue my studies was for basically two reasons. The first being its academic qualities and very rich culture and the second, being for the purpose of an adventure different from what I have always known. For the first reason, Japanese universities have a high international standard. Moreover, the charm and fascination of this adventure can be further explained.
The Asian culture was to me before my arrival to Japan like an enigma that needed to be decoded, a new world to discover and a curiosity to satisfy. This is because the history of my country and to some extent its geographical position has always made it easier for me to get into contact with Africans and people from the west thereby knowing their cultures which in many respects is similar to mine. On the contrary, I had never had the privilege to interact with Asians especially the Japanese. Therefore, my coming to Japan was to me a god sent opportunity and I was looking forward to it.
Before coming to Japan, I learnt a lot about Japan achievement to development. So I always wished to know how the Japanese expanded. In trying to know how they expanded, Haiti therefore has to look unto Japan as a source of inspiration and try to understand what lies behind the success of this country. Japan has in the past been plagued with terrible destructions such as the Second World War and numerous earthquakes, but despite all these, the Japanese did not give up on life. They took it as a responsibility to rebuild their nation which today is one of the world’s biggest powers.
Above the material and technological developments that leaves us fascinated about the Japanese, one other major factor that does not cease to impress me and which greatly touches me is far from being intangible and eyes feeding. To us what surpasses all of these is the Japanese spirit, their pride and their vision. If we are asked to describe a common Japanese quality and how it inspires us, we will say it is the resilience of the Japanese.
-Haiti was the first independent country in Latin America and the Caribbean and is famous for its distinctive music like “Lara” and “Compa” as well as its paintings known as “Haitian Art”. The tennis player Naomi Osaka’s farther is Haitian. What makes your people proud about their culture, history, traditions, etc.?
The art and culture of Haiti are among our most valuable treasures and we are glad that they are so appreciated all around the globe. In fact, many great artists of Haitian decent left their marks on the world, Jean Michel Basquiat, Levoy Exil, Philome Obin, Seneque Obin are amongst the most famous painters. There are so many musical bands that have had great success around the world, like Racine Mapou of Azor, Coupe Cloue, Tabou Combo and others. They were great ambassadors who helped export and popularize Haitian music on the African continent, Europe and the Caribbean,
Our art is colorful and it is a representation of the beliefs and traditions of the people. The “Rara” is a joyful and soulful music play by street bands during many local festivities. The “Compas” on the other end is more structured; it is a social dance in the like of tango, salsa, bolero or kizomba that often requires a partner to dance. The music (and dance) scene in Haitian culture is ever evolving, there are many other genres of music that take life from these two styles of rhythm over the years (- For example, the “Raboday” a style of music very popular amongst the younger generation that is in the family of “Rara”.) We also have “Racine” – which means roots – a type of music associated with our ancestral believes: The Voodoo.
We LOVE Naomi Osaka, we are very happy to see that she is as attached to her Haitian roots as she is of her Japanese roots. We are grateful for her; I think she is a symbol of the great friendship that always existed between Haiti and Japan and I hope that with her influence and her love for both countries she will help solidify those links.
To answer the question as to what makes us proud, I must say that Haitian artists usually transcend the harsh reality they might be subjected in order to produce the liveliest, the most vibrant and colorful pieces of art you can imagine. In their works, they also express their love and passion, their patriotism and beliefs, their thoughts on many things in the world. Haitian art on all its forms, whether it is with literature, painting, music, dance or culinary art, will touch its audience’s soul; and that is because Haitian artists pour their souls in their work. This why we are so proud of our art and culture and in my opinion this why they are so renowned all over the world.
-In Haiti, in addition to natural disasters such as major earthquakes and hurricanes, the political situation has become unstable, after killing of the President Jovenel Moise by armed groups in his private residence in July 2021, and the security situation seems to be deteriorating. What is the current situation?
Currently, the Government is doing its best to establish a viable environment that could facilitate political dialogue with all the political parties in order to achieve free and fair elections next year. We believe representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace, and development of Haiti.
The Government of Haiti is taking different measures to ensure the well-being of the Haitian people and to prevent the worsening of the political and humanitarian crisis in Haiti. It’s highly desirable that the government, the opposition, civil society, and the private and religious sectors will engage in a serious and inclusive dialogue to find lasting solutions that meet the aspirations of the Haitian people.
The Haitian authorities also need the support of the international community in their efforts to maintain security, combat impunity, and defend human rights in Haiti, as well as to assist in the preparation of free, fair, and transparent elections.
More importantly, we believe the international community will cooperate with the Haitian Judiciary system in connection with the investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Regarding earthquakes and natural disasters, I really believe Haiti should learn from Japan’s ability to recover from wars and disasters. Back in 2010, when I was in the doctoral course at Kobe University, another thing happened that made me appreciate more my experiences in Japan: the Haiti earthquake that killed over 200,000 people. I wanted to learn from Japan’s resilience as a country that accomplished such rapid economic growth after the devastation of World War II.
Recently, the government of Haiti is implementing various measures to improve the seismic resistance of buildings. Part of this is our attempts to learn about Japan’s anti-earthquake design and earthquake-proof construction materials. Of course, Japan has appealing technologies, but I think the spirit of the Japanese people is even more wonderful. Regular Japanese people all have pride and future visions. They also have great fortitude and a mentality to rebuild after natural disasters. I hope that Haitians can have a similar spirit, and that this will contribute to our national development.
-Considering the plight of people’s lives in Haiti, international assistance has been provided by many countries including Japan and international organizations. How do you evaluate them? What kind of support do you think needed now and in the future?
International assistance is crucial because it can improve the lives of people by addressing health, education, infrastructure and humanitarian emergencies. However, this aid must be well used and effective by taking into account the priorities of the country and by using improving domestic institutions capabilities. We need assistance that can foster stability in the country, promote economic growth and reduce poverty. That can be done when the international assistance is provided on the basis of local needs and priorities.
For example, we know that Haiti sits on or near the boundary of several tectonic plates, which is likely the cause of such a major earthquake. Japan is leading the way with quake-resistant technology. Therefore, Haiti could receive support about building houses on flexible foundations that can absorb movement and diminish the effects of the quake.
Japan’s support will be very helpful to Haiti in resolving issues as global warming and natural disasters. Japan must stay a key partner for us in areas such as economic cooperation, private sector development, environmental protection and natural disaster prevention. Support for the promotion and diversification of industries through the development of small and medium-sized enterprises is more than necessary.
-What do you see about the bilateral relationship between Japan and Haiti?
Let me start by congratulating the Japanese Government for its effective policy during these challenging times that our globalized word is facing. And I think among the G7 nations, the « Japan model » of handling the global pandemic has been the most successful.
I take advantage of this opportunity to extend my deepest appreciation to the Government and people of Japan for their generous support to Haiti. The Haitian Government is aware that Japan has committed to support partner countries in fighting against COVID-19 by, for example, providing financial support for the acquisition of medical equipment. It has helped the country saving more lives.
It’s important Japan recognized through its actions that only a shared spirit of global solidarity and responsibility will help mitigate the impact of the multiple crises on our daily life. We should note that Haiti has lower coronavirus deaths counts so far. The country has been mildly affected compared to other countries in the region. Haiti has a young population and fewer people with underlying health conditions. But it’s still good to reinforce vigilance and the measures of protection since there can be a rising tendency of new cases anytime.
One of the keys of Japanese cooperation with Haiti is helping us financing the reconstruction of schools since the 2010 earthquake. It’s extremely important to the people of Haiti.
Therefore, we wish there will be an increase in the number of scholarships issued by JICA and Monbukagakusho for higher education. Scholarships are also effective tools in promoting and enhancing a Japan’s soft power, investing in future leaders, providing access and equity, and increasing research excellence in Haiti’s academic institutions. I am a living testimony of how these kinds of programs can solidify mutual understanding and friendship between countries.
Last April, JICA launched the “JICA Chair (JICA Program for Japanese studies)” in collaboration with a leading university in Haiti. This program offers an opportunity to study the respective academic fields at Japanese graduate schools, and Japanese studies that explores Japan’s modernization and development cooperation experiences in light of its historical and cultural background.
In the area of food security and economic stability, Japan is providing assistance to support the population. Although agriculture is one of the most important areas in which more than 50% of the population is engaged, the current production / distribution system and natural hazards are slowing the rate of food self-sufficiency to 45%. With domestic consumption heavily dependent on imported agricultural products, price fluctuations on the international market severely affect the lives of the most vulnerable.
We would like to develop priority areas for economic cooperation in the future, including technology transfer relating to agriculture, the promotion of regional fisheries, information technology education, and support for the improvement of administrative management capabilities.
-What do you intend to focus on in your endeavors as Ambassador to strengthen bilateral relations?
My experience as a diplomat has given me a broad understanding of the diplomatic ties that exist between Haiti and Japan. I have come to fully understand the strategic points of Haiti’s bilateral cooperation with Japan, mainly in areas such as education, risk and disaster management and agriculture.
It is without false modesty that I consider myself to be “the right man for this job”. Indeed, with my many years of experiences dealing with diplomatic exchanges with Japan, I consider myself capable of fulfilling the visions of the Haitian Government to see Haitian diplomacy constitute a powerful lever for growth and economic development through cultural, political and economic exchanges.
Having explored almost every country in Asia, I believe that this part of the world, particularly Japan, can turn into a region of opportunity for Haiti. I also believe that it is in the best interest of Haiti to develop a strategic and efficient plan to better position itself for cooperation with countries in this geographic area. My years in Japan have allowed me to identify several types of possible partnership with this country. For example, Haiti can use the experience of Japan in integrating risk and disaster management into development planning.
In addition, Haiti can also develop a partnership with Japan in the field of maritime fishing which could relate in particular to the technical aspect by contributing to the development of fisheries research in general, but also to training, supervision and restructuring of the sector. This cooperation in the field of sea fishing should include technical and technological collaboration, also facilitate professional training and scientific research and finally make available the material resources necessary for the development of this sphere of activity in target regions of the country.
-If you have a message for readers of this magazine, please.
I would like Japanese to know that, on 1 January 1804, Haiti became the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion.
They should also know that Haiti is a beautiful Caribbean country located on the same island with Dominican Republic. We speak French and Haitian Creole. Haitian people are very generous, very warm to foreigner. I hope the Naomi Osaka success will be a bridge between Haiti and Japan and with that, we will be able to consolidate the relationship between the two countries.
As Haitian Ambassador to Japan, I would like to let Japanese know that Haiti that is open to foreign investments and most especially to Japanese investors. I intend to discuss with my Japanese interlocutors about foreign investments, sustainable developments and trade exchange opportunities with the aim of establishing partners in business enterprise and better answers to challenge globalization.
I would not cease to repeat loud and strong that Japan is much more than just a country, it should be a source of inspiration for Haiti. We have become more and more determined to help our country achieve development as Japan has done.
Under a new leadership and a new mindset that could lead to more political stability in my country, we hope that our unique and wonderful history combined with lessons we can learn from Japanese achievements be a better guide to the future of Haiti.
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