Haiti

Prior to the quake, security had improved and residents called for declassifying Bel Air as a red zone. They wanted their neighborhood green, green for entry and green because of a campaign to bring trees and plants back into the neighborhood and to the roofs of their homes. Since the quake, the emphasis is on restoring nature so that peace will follow...

Brazil has taken a unique path with respect to health. The country’s experience could serve as a positive influence on the reconstruction of Haitian society.

Although it faces complex challenges, Brazil is today fertile in innovation and progressive experiments in various sectors. Social entrepreneurs, health specialists, experts in urbanism, agriculture, communication and education from all over the world have been resorting to Brazilian examples of cutting edge social technology.

With a population of 9.8 million – almost half of whom are illiterate and over three quarters toiling below the poverty line – Haiti’s human tragedy seemed almost complete. With the earthquake of 12 January 2010 and its destructive force more than 30 times the atomic bomb of Hiroshima, the drama took a dramatic turn for the worse.

Donations for Haiti victims made through Viva Rio now over 600 thousand Brazilian Reals, more than 300 thousand dollars. Apart from money, donations include medical supplies, canned food, first aid kits, water and chlorine tablets. Viva Rio has been in Haiti since 2004 developing projects in security, development and the environment.

Civilian and military forces together in peace operations, the mission in Haiti, led by Brazil is considered a round success. In a Seminar on the topic in Rio, professionals involved discuss the secrets to that success, along with professionalism, a cultural trait known as "cordiality".