LE MATIN

________________________________________________________________________

SOCIETY

DR JeaN ALEXANDRE:
FOR A DIPLOMATY THAT
HEIGHTENS OUR AMBITIONS

Dr Jean C. Alexander is the one of these rare Haitians that remain hung to the diplomatic
vision of Anténor Firmin who dreamed in his time to impose on the entire world the
Republic of Haiti as reference regarding success in the international strategic
negotiations. Former Ambassador of Haiti to the United Nations, Jean C. Alexander,
who accumulates every day in his office an impressive number of files on the history of
international relations and continues to pursue important researches on the Haitian
diplomatic presence in the world, believes that the Republic of Haiti has the duty to
innovate, in its foreign relations, better procedures relating to the current world-wide
diplomatic approaches. In the suburbs of Chicago where he can be found, these days,
while awaiting to resume his work, Dr Jean C. Alexander attests that he is ready to
respond again to the call of his country to participate, as he said,: "to the noble task of
reviving the Haitian diplomacy to the level of our ambitions", while acknowledging the
work of the Ministry of Haitian Foreign Affairs.

The Field of International Influence

Specialist of the United Nations, he considers that the field of influence of the world-
wide public opinion demands that Haiti adapts itself to new concepts of strategic
measures while voicing opinions on proposed solutions to ecological, energetic and
sociological problems, including solar energy, nuclear power, human rights, development
aid and the internal management of the citizen security by the state. The conduct of
world business does not necessarily proceed from one unique actor designated for that, at
the head of the United Nations, for example, but rather of a vast system of actors to
whom were added benefits and procedures consolidated by the tradition and currents of
ideas in the rooting process. From which the necessity for us Haitian to define the new
orientations of our foreign policies, the world having changed for the last 10 years and
continues to transform itself with a breathtaking speed, he precises. "We cannot allow
ourselves to practice a foreign policy on the basis of uncertainty, but we must plan every
national mission in the framework of the pace of the world-wide decisions, on the basis
of international solidarity, while setting up steps that allow a certain predictability of the
acts and therefore a limitation of the risks linked to the uncertainty", he estimates.

Represent Haiti with Dignity

Jean C. Alexander explains that a Haitian ambassador abroad has to follow the rules
imposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while informing, in his reports, on the
opportunities of the host country, the current norms that can concern not only the
collective behavior, but also individual attitudes, at the level of immigration, work and
financial investments. "The diplomat cannot be a portrait or an elegant model that allows
himself to be dressed without forecasting the future and proposing adequate changes to
suit it! A Haitian diplomacy to the height of our ambitions means to look for ways to
bring about prosperity to his country, while representing it abroad with dignity and
understanding how the world-wide market operates, with its mechanisms and its specific
actors, the financial, monetary, energetic or technological factors, just as well as in the
socio-cultural and political life, the decisions, impacts and the crises that can affect us!",
Dr Alexandre reasons.

He is right, the norms relating to the market democracy, to the humanitarian intervention,
to the definition and the regulation of the system of exchanges and relations have
changed for five years and it is necessary that we adapt ourselves to them. It quotes at
random the philosophy of the 60’s, based on the substitution of importations and signals
that the new philosophy of the World Bank, by opposition, encourages today the growth
of exportations. This implies the assistance to the sector of private development by the
financing of investments and the creation of financial markets capable of mobilizing the
local savings. In these ideal conditions, the problem of political risk can, as a rule,
change of nature and degree. Overseen upstream by the incentive to drive reasonnable
politics, spread but moderated by the spacing out of the debt, it can become a simple
setback on a well marked way, a perfectly reversible gap between partners of good
company provided that conscious, prudent and intelligent ambassadors study, as early as
the start, the outlines of the actions to propose to the country. But, before all the
literature, we must study the partnership.

Partnership before all

Haiti must know, insists Jean C. Alexander, that, since the year 2000, that the fame
"Economic Report to the President", given to the American Congress in February 1997,
as well as the "National Exports Strategy" enunciated clearly the new strategies regarding
foreign relations, specifically targeting the emerging countries. If, during the last eight
years, these reports have been ignored, today they are resurfacing. The concept "trade not
aid" is called to be in effect in 2010 and to be imposed everywhere in the world. "Our
ambassadors will not be sent abroad to ask for assistance, but to analyze the ways and
means of the partnership, endearing term of the president Barak Obama, the means to
increase the financial flows on both sides, without increasing the budget deficit and give
to the host country an image of responsible partner rather than to continue to see it as a
benefactor. With the current crisis, the figures are changing!", notes Jean C. Alexander.

Already the set up has begun with a series of diplomatic representations around the
International Trade Administration (ITA) that regroups notably the Us and Foreign
Commercial Services in place in 68 countries, the Trade Development Industry Officers
(specialized by industrial sectors), the International Economic Policy Country Desk
Officers (specialized by countries), the Multilateral Development Bank Operations and
the Big Projects of the Amarican Ministry of Commerce. The last ones concern the entire
world and spread themselves to the SBA (Small Business Administration in the World),
to the USAID (Agency for International Development), to the Eximbank, to the OPIC,
and to the Exports Assistance Centers (USEAC) that are unique regional windows of
informations related to the Big Emerging Markets (BEM) installed among others in
Brazil, Argentina, India, Mexico, Poland, Korea, the Asia-Pacific zone and soon
throughout the Caribbean one. Haiti must also learn that the new laws in the USA have
changed a "War Room" that is an interdepartmental cell, called in fact to oversee the big
projects of international infrastructures and to implement a politic of support to the
American propositions in the framework of the offer calls, intended to oppose those of
the competing enterprises in such countries as ours. The State Department and the
United Nations, revisit day after day, their strategies.

The USAID, created in 1961 to manage the assistance programs in favor of poor
countries and developing ones, works today alongside the "Trade and Development
Agency" (TDA) which role is to help the American corporations win contracts abroad
primarily in the sectors of energy, transportations and other infrastructures, while
initiating studies of technical, financial and juridic feasibility of the projects and in
having recourse to a file of consultants. And, now, the Eximbank, created in 1934, has
rejuvenated itself with new objectives: to facilitate the American exportations while
furnishing to enterprises insurance services to short and average terms, services of
guaranty and loans in short and long terms. The guarantees and insurances proposed by
the Eximbank are destined to cover the political and commercial risks in zones of high
risk and insecurity. The diplomacy is suited with financial instruments such as the "Tied
Aid Capital Projects Fund" of Eximbank or the War Chest set up to oppose the assistance
projects. The Haitian diplomacy must be able to situate itself in comparison with these
movements according to its immediate interests and futures.

Profile and Actions of the Doctor Diplomat

The function of communication of the diplomatic missions will have to promote all the
others. To do so, the diplomat must know his interlocutors and be known himself. This is
the case of Jean C. Alexander, a recognized doctor of the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a graduate of Saint Louis de Gonzague College and in
1967, a doctorate holder in Medicine at the Haitian State University (UEH). In the 70’s,
he undertook his first international experience at the Central Illinois Hospital of Chicago,
after having, for two years, consecrated his time to the patients of Isaïe Jeanty Maternity
and at the Clinic of Dr Paul Desmangles. From 1971 to 1974, he is found again at Loyola
University Medical Center (Maywood, Ill) in the Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology.

His experiences continued then at the Oak Brook Surgical Center and at Edgewater
Hospital, of Chicago, Illinois since 1992. He is also the CEO of the Center for Women in
Melrose Park and medical Director of Westlake Community Hospital, Head of the
Obstetrics and Gynecologic Services at Mental Madden Health Center, Head of the
Surgical Services at Northlake Community Hospital, medical Director of ALMA
Comprehensive Medical Center, Director of the Obstetrics and Gynecologic Services at
Martin Luther King Center, medical Director of Maywood Proviso Community Health
Center, Doctor at Foster G. McGaw Hospital, Loyola University, Maywood, etc. Jean C.
Alexander has pursued further studies in the discipline of International Relations. After
completing his specializations in the area of Sexology and Reproductive Medicine, he
became a college professor, and was involved in political activities with deep democratic
convictions. In the democratic involvement, he became Coordinator of FNCD for the
State of Illinois, and President of the cultural club "Poto Mitan" of Chicago. It also took
the direction of the Haitian-American Voters Participation Organization, then he head the
Progressive Haitian American Organization and at the same time positioned himself as
President-Founder of Solidarity with Bishop Romelus Crusade, supporting the social
actions of the Church. It closed its clinics to go and establish himself in Haiti, became
Member of the Electoral Counsel of Haiti. At the time of 2005 elections, he was
rediscovered in Chicago where he accepts the post of Coordinator of "Lespwa". Jean C.
Alexandre was also Ambassador in Israel, then Haitian Ambassador to the United
Nations where he became Vice President of the General Assembly and Interim President.

For two years, he presided over the United Nations Funds for the Population, and at the
same time, was part of the special task force fighting against the HIV/AIDS. He directed
the office of Caricom at the United Nations, campaigned for two years against the
termination of the program Ecosoc to maintain assistance to the Republic of Haiti, then
initiated and campaigned in favor of the inclusion of the Republic of Haiti to Ecosoc, as
an entitled partner, ang fostering 50 favorable votes. In his quality of Vice President of
the Association LDC (Less Developed Countries), in collaboration with the High
Commissioner of LDC-SIDS and Landlocked Countries, Ambassador Alexandre
imposed the needs of the Republic of Haiti in terms of partnership. Alexandre represented
Haiti at the ministerial Congress of the LDC in Cotonou, Benin, and championed the
cause of having the General Assembly of the United Nations to adopt the resolution
making the year 2004: "The International Year of the Abolition of Slavery".

This Haitian, a personal friend of the General Secretary of the UN, Kofi Annan,
facilitated the creation of the Program of Assistance of the UN to Haiti. Jean C.
Alexandre worked with the Under Secretary of the Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Egeland, to
launch a funds call to 60 donor countries, with the intention of to obtain 35 millions of
US dollars in urgent assistance to Haiti, and to secure its logistical distribution by the
creation of a humanitarian corridor. He insisted with the President of the Ecosoc on the
necessity of a reorganization of the assistance towards Haiti while looking for the axes of
a partnership in the long term. "The multiplication of agreements of partnership with
friendly countries and the growing adhesion to regional associations of development
could be methods to use by the country to develop our influence in the world", Jean C.
Alexandre believes.

"The effectiveness can only be obtained by an anticipated vision, a synergy of the actors
and the capacity to reach our targets in different manners for, adds Jean C. Alexandre, our
diplomacy must understand that the future issues will depend on a real support in a long
term vision and an adequate application of politics! To this level, I always remain
available for my country!"

By Adyjeangardy,
Writer for Journal LE MATIN
Monday, February 16, 2009

Jacques Saint-Surin,
Translation from French into English