Press Release - Alliance for Inclusive and Accountable Governance in Haiti (Agir)

PRESS RELEASE - ALLIANCE FOR INCLUSIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE IN HAITI (AGIR)

New Funding from the Government of Quebec to Support the Initiative of CECI, Maison d’Haïti, and the Montreal Institute of International Studies (IEIM) at UQAM

Haiti

October 26, 2023

New Funding from the Government of Quebec to Support the Initiative of CECI, Maison d’Haïti, and the Montreal Institute of International Studies (IEIM) at UQAM

Montreal, October 27, 2023 - Today, Haiti faces a multifaceted crisis symptomatic of profound fragility, generating instability, exclusion, and violence, including sexual violence against women and girls. In this context, without overlooking the urgency to address humanitarian issues, citizen protection, and development, CECI, Maison d’Haïti, and the Montreal Institute of International Studies at UQAM, after consulting several Haitian partners on possible options, decided to support an endogenous process of strengthening local governance that can contribute to a sustainable resolution of the crisis and equitably shared prosperity. Based on this, the Government of Quebec agreed to support a pilot initiative called the Alliance for Inclusive and Accountable Governance in Haiti (AGIR).

"AGIR is a visionary initiative that, while drawing inspiration from the existing normative framework and mechanisms, recognizes the potential of mobilizing a critical mass of key change agents (state, non-state, diaspora, etc.) in a territory to foster the emergence of inclusive and accountable governance. We are very grateful to the Government of Quebec for its support of this pilot phase, which we hope will serve as a catalyst for more significant investments from other donors to scale up best practices in local governance in Haiti." Claude Phanord, Director of CECI in Haiti

"Through the AGIR project, Maison d’Haïti, in concert with CECI and IEIM, and in partnership with key change agents in Haiti, will be better able to channel the engagement and expertise of the diaspora on a highly strategic and vital issue for Haiti's future: inclusive and accountable governance. Haiti cannot miss this opportunity to lay the foundations for its reconstruction and sustainably emerge from this structural crisis." Marjorie Villefranche, Executive Director of Maison d'Haïti.

"IEIM is delighted to partner with this innovative initiative driven by Quebec’s civil society, a representative organization of the diaspora, and a university in partnership with key change agents in Haiti and Haitian universities. This aims to document best practices and contribute to scaling up this pilot experience of inclusive and accountable governance in a region of Haiti with significant economic potential. I thank the Government of Quebec for its strategic contribution in the current context." François Audet, PhD, Director of the Montreal Institute of International Studies (IEIM) and the Canadian Observatory on Crises and Humanitarian Action (OCCAH), Full Professor at the School of Management Sciences at UQAM.

A New Approach

This multi-stakeholder initiative suggests a gradual and innovative approach built on certain achievements, including amplifying the voice and leadership of women, and on a legal and institutional framework that legitimizes efforts to strengthen local governance.

Support for local governance spaces catalyzing a new dynamic of accountability will create new approaches to facilitate change in the country. This includes strengthening social capital, increasing civic competencies of a critical mass of local actors, particularly women and youth, and restoring trust between the state and citizens through targeted actions, thus contributing to an increased demand for good governance.

Engagement of the Haitian Diaspora in Quebec

Given their integration into many local and democratic institutions in Quebec, many members of the Haitian diaspora have lived and direct experience of the positive impacts of accountable governance in communities in Quebec. AGIR aims to channel these skills and experiences of the diaspora to serve the populations, primarily around Cap-Haïtien.

Strengthening Quebec's Leadership in Haiti and the Francophonie

AGIR is directly aligned with Quebec's International Vision and the Territorial Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in Policy Orientation 10, which targets international solidarity by contributing "to the efforts of Haitian civil society to promote the country's reconstruction and improve the living conditions of the population." AGIR will be implemented by a group of local actors supported by CECI, which has a strong presence in the region, and by members of the Haitian diaspora in the communes of Cap-Haïtien, Limonade, Quartier Morin, Milot, Plaine du Nord, and Acul-du-Nord located in the metropolitan region of Cap-Haïtien.

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About CECI

CECI is an international cooperation organization that combats poverty and exclusion through sustainable development projects in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Established in Haiti in 1971, CECI has over 50 years of contribution to the country's development efforts, community and state organization support, in-depth knowledge of the institutional, political-legal, socio-economic, historical, environmental, and cultural situation of the country, and the factors that underlie them.

About Maison d’Haïti

Maison d’Haïti is a community and cultural organization founded in 1972, with missions of welcoming, educating, integrating, and improving the living conditions of people of Haitian origin, Afro-descendants, and immigrants. Dedicated to defending their rights, promoting their participation in the development of the host society, and maintaining the link with Haiti, Maison d’Haïti’s interventions are focused on a citizen approach that enables them to speak out and actively participate in society.

About IEIM

The Montreal Institute of International Studies (IEIM) is an institute of the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), comprising 19 chairs and research centers whose activities correspond to the following four research axes: globalization and governance; security and diplomacy; identity, citizenship, and diversity; and international law/human rights. IEIM also hosts a francophone reflection center on international issues. Since its creation in 2002, IEIM has organized several diplomatic conferences, study days, and scientific and/or public conferences on the theme of Haiti.

Contacts:

Ollé Doli

Communications and Public Relations Advisor

olle.doli@ceci.ca - 438 334-8298