Gwoup Konbit rallies Haitians to rebuild the nation through collective action

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Amid overlapping crises in governance, insecurity and the economy, a Haitian civic group is turning to ancestral wisdom to chart a new way forward. On June 25, the Gwoup Konbit convened its fifth annual workshop to promote “konbit” values—a traditional Haitian practice of collective labor—as a viable model for national reconstruction. 

Held under the theme, “Let’s Apply the Values and Principles of Konbit,” the event marked the 14th anniversary of the broader Konbit movement. Founded in 2021 as an extension of the Konbit Solèy Leve initiative launched in 2011, the Gwoup Konbit unites grassroots leaders, organizations, and activists to build a society grounded in shared responsibility and solidarity and committed to social change. Organizers said the group’s work responds to the collapse of state institutions and rising insecurity.

“We believe Haiti has many well-educated young people and many elders with vast experience who are capable of lifting the country out of the abyss,” Co-founder Louino Robillard said. “We are going to change Haiti; we will witness change in Haiti.”

The urgency of that vision is underscored by the country’s dire realities. Since June 2021, violence and gang control have intensified across Haiti. More than 80% of Port-au-Prince is estimated to be under criminal gang influence, and over one million people are now internally displaced. With the political system paralyzed completely since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, Gwoup Konbit sees its work as an emergency response.

Organizers say konbit, traditionally an agricultural labor practice, can now serve as a cultural model to rebuild Haiti’s fractured social fabric. Historically, konbit referred to neighbors uniting to work one another’s land in rotation. Today, it symbolizes collective resilience.

“What we need in this country is a konbit to bring Haitians together so we can rebuild the nation,” Robillard said. “We have a country that started off badly, going through crisis after crisis. Haiti has never had the opportunity for its citizens to sit down together and work toward its stability.”

A renewed call for stronger civic leadership  to advance Haiti’s development

Roughly 250 participants attended the event, which featured speakers including psychologist Mélodie Benjamin, Root of Development President Chad Bissonnette, and Banj founder Marc Alain Boucicault—delivered presentations on how to apply konbit values to various sectors.

The speakers emphasized mental health, strengthening local community organizations, and technology as key tools in fortifying Haiti’s civic life. All three criticized the top-down nature of many international aid efforts, urging instead that communities need to be strengthened and allowed to define their development paths.

Benjamin, a psychologist and sister of late Haitian singer Michael Benjamin, emphasized the need to invest in people and urged communities to continue cultivating the spirit of konbit rather than waiting on the state. She stressed that rebuilding Haiti requires both emotional healing and personal responsibility. Acknowledging that recent generations carry the trauma of harms suffered by their predecessors, Benjamin argued that today’s Haitians must, despite everything, take responsibility for their lives and identify themselves as agents of change.

“The only way to build Haiti in peace is by investing in Haitians as human beings,” says Benjamin, also the head of the organization Ajan pou Lapè Haitian Creole for Agents for Peace. 

 “When we talk about konbit, we mean the coming together of many forces. So we must think in terms of holistic peace, where all conditions are aligned—because a child cannot develop intellectually if they’re hungry or if they’re being mistreated by their parents.”

Challenging the role of foreign aid, Bissonnette addressed the complicated legacy of foreign assistance in Haiti, calling for a shift toward locally driven solutions.

“Unfortunately, many international commitments were not good for Haiti and continue to create major problems,” he said. “They didn’t allow Haitians to manage their own reality, future, and resources.”

Bissonnette said his organization, Root of Development, works to reverse that trend by creating equitable partnerships with Haitian communities. Roots of Development is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to promoting community-led development that works in close partnership with local organizations, offering personnel support, strategic guidance, and assistance in mobilizing resources needed to implement their own development projects. 

“We have built a more balanced relationship with our partners—one that gives them the space to speak about their situation,” he added.

The promise of tech-powered solidarity

Banj founder Boucicault emphasized the role of technology in spreading the konbit spirit. In his remarks, Boucicault explained how digital platforms can mobilize communities and accelerate collaboration. A wise use of these tools can help propel the konbit movement even further, enabling communities to grow and connect more rapidly.

“The word konbit, which inspires us today, must be understood in a more modern context,” he said. “There is real power in technology to go further, faster, and stronger in what we do.”

He noted that projects that once took years to coordinate can now be organized within days. According to Boucicault, this evolution enables a new generation of Haitian changemakers to organize and lead.

Benjamin echoed this sentiment, stating that tech-based community organizing is essential in the face of institutional neglect.

“We must strengthen ourselves within our communities to act on what we can control, without dwelling on what the state has failed to do,” she said. “When we develop strong communities, that’s how we attract a state that respects us in our own country.”

As Haiti continues to navigate deep political and social crises, Gwoup Konbit hopes to grow its reach and inspire similar movements rooted in mutual aid. Its members say the country’s healing must begin with a return to values already embedded in Haitian life—solidarity, reciprocity, and shared responsibility.

“Change will come to the country—not through others, but through us. We’re the ones who will make it happen, ”Robillard said.

“We have everything we need to rebuild the country, but what we lack is konbit—the deep solidarity we witnessed after the earthquake and during the construction of the canal.”

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