“Building new life out of fragility” is one of the themes of the Superior General’s Lenten letter. What can  Vincentians do?

No one can doubt the fragility of life in Haiti. But followers of Vincent and Louise ask what are the next steps, “long term solutions”?

Here are some next steps – big and little,  for the followers of Vincent and Louise. How might Debt-forgiveness and Micro-finance fit in our Lenten program?

A major step forward in rebuilding Haiti would be forgiveness of its crushing international debt. Some good news… “G7 nations pledge debt relief for quake-hit Haiti“. But there is an additional $900 million  that Haiti still owes to donor countries and institutions. Support the efforts of our NGO’s at the UN to encourage writing off this remaining debt. (CM-DC, Federation NGO,) The AIC-NGO (aka Ladies of Charity in the US) the SVDP is also quite active in advocacy on the international scene.

Even if that occurred today there would still be need for aid in rebuilding not just structures but an economy one business at a time.

The ordinary Vincentian will be able to do that at the grassroots level through the Vincentian Family  Microfinance project to be unveiled April 1.  Together we can bolster the Haitian economy, create new jobs, and improve the lives of those living in some of the poorest conditions in the world – another form of systemic change.