Wyclef Jean is calling for Haitians living abroad to have a greater role in the country’s political future, arguing that the diaspora should be able to vote in Haitian elections even though they are not living there.
Jean said Haiti's large overseas population has both the resources and a responsibility to help determine the direction of the country. There are about 350,000 Haitiains living in the United States under the Temporary Protected Status program alone.
“So we have over a million diasporas outside of the country. So if we want our country to move forward, here's a few things you need to do. The first thing is we need to pass laws so that we here can vote for who we want to be the president in Haiti, who we want to run the parliament in Haiti.”
The musician pointed to the money Haitians abroad send back to the country through remittances, arguing that those financial contributions should give the diaspora a voice in Haiti’s political system.
“If we are sending $4 billion back home through the remittance company, which is more than the GPD of the actual country, then we should have a say on how the country moves forward.”
Jean also called for Haitians in the United States to work with Washington lawmakers across party lines on policies affecting Haiti.
“We need to look at DC and say, look, moving forward, we need a bipartisan front. We need legislation that's not going to hurt the people, but actually move the country forward.”
He argued that Haitians living abroad represent a critical part of the country’s future, particularly because political instability and past dictatorships drove many educated Haitians out of the country. “I always say that the future of Haiti lies in the diaspora that's outside of Haiti, right?”
Jean pointed to scientists, librarians and philosophers among those who left Haiti during periods of upheaval. “And then you lose the soul of the country.” He said Haitians abroad also need to be prepared to make sacrifices if they want to help improve conditions in their homeland: “At the end of the day, the diaspora has to be willing to sacrifice certain things to make this thing better.”
Jean said Haiti's large overseas population has both the resources and a responsibility to help determine the direction of the country. There are about 350,000 Haitiains living in the United States under the Temporary Protected Status program alone.
“So we have over a million diasporas outside of the country. So if we want our country to move forward, here's a few things you need to do. The first thing is we need to pass laws so that we here can vote for who we want to be the president in Haiti, who we want to run the parliament in Haiti.”
The musician pointed to the money Haitians abroad send back to the country through remittances, arguing that those financial contributions should give the diaspora a voice in Haiti’s political system.
“If we are sending $4 billion back home through the remittance company, which is more than the GPD of the actual country, then we should have a say on how the country moves forward.”
Jean also called for Haitians in the United States to work with Washington lawmakers across party lines on policies affecting Haiti.
“We need to look at DC and say, look, moving forward, we need a bipartisan front. We need legislation that's not going to hurt the people, but actually move the country forward.”
He argued that Haitians living abroad represent a critical part of the country’s future, particularly because political instability and past dictatorships drove many educated Haitians out of the country. “I always say that the future of Haiti lies in the diaspora that's outside of Haiti, right?”
Jean pointed to scientists, librarians and philosophers among those who left Haiti during periods of upheaval. “And then you lose the soul of the country.” He said Haitians abroad also need to be prepared to make sacrifices if they want to help improve conditions in their homeland: “At the end of the day, the diaspora has to be willing to sacrifice certain things to make this thing better.”
