Mr. Broadbent, Mr. Barr, thank you very much for being here today. After our meeting with the minister, it is somewhat refreshing to talk to people who answer our questions to help us better understand the issues, and who try to find solutions. After all, asking questions in the interests of making progress is part of the committee's job. To my mind, we are not here to criticize what Canada is doing, but, rather, to ensure that we really understand the facts. That is why I am so pleased that you are here today.
You both said that the involvement of civil society in international aid is crucial and can contribute to the success of a mission. I would therefore like to ask you a question about a specific group of civil society that Canada appears to want to further involve, particularly in Haiti. We have been told that Canada wants to work with the diaspora to deliver aid to Haiti. You said that civil society has an important role to play and that we should not try to do for people what they can do for themselves. The desire to “use” the diaspora seems to be based on the premise that those who have left Haiti and developed new skills, but who have also maintained contact with their home country, could, if they went back, use their new knowledge and their unique cultural sensitivity to help Haitians.
However, my understanding of the Haitian issue is that the diaspora has been away from the country for so long, and their life experience has been so different from those who remained in Haiti that they are actually not very well liked there. Furthermore, in States where there are so many problems, the diaspora is actually part of the problem.
I would like to hear your ideas on using the diaspora; tell us about the ties that they have with Haitians, what role they would have in international development, and how donor countries could use their services to work more effectively.