Academics-led patriotic congress launches with diaspora input to address Haiti’s crisis

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Amid a prolonged crisis marked by institutional collapse, rampant gang violence and deteriorating public trust, Haitian academics from abroad have joined efforts with those in Haiti to launch a grassroots initiative to address the nation’s turmoil. Known as the Patriotic Congress for the Reorganization of Haiti (PCRH), the nonpartisan effort began its first online discussions on Saturday, May 31, convening researchers, professors and civil society leaders to explore bold, pragmatic solutions to Haiti’s multifaceted crisis.

The PCRH is a response to what many in Haitian society view as a dangerous political vacuum. 

Since 2016, Haiti has held no national elections, leaving the country without a single elected official in power. More than 80% of the capital is under gang control, the country’s governance infrastructure has collapsed, and more than one million people have been displaced. Over 5.7 million face food insecurity, and Haiti’s economic decline has now entered its sixth consecutive year.

“The Patriotic Congress is not seeking political office,” said Jacky Lumarque, rector of Quisqueya University and the initiative’s lead organizer. “We want to rescue the nation—not govern it.”

The initiative will hold hybrid and in-person sessions through June 21 in all ten departments, culminating in a national congress in Port-au-Prince. Organizers, interviewed by The Haitian Times, said the idea is to build consensus across sociopolitical and geographic divides, particularly between Haitians in-country and those abroad, who often have parallel understandings of the crisis but few forums to collaborate.

Day one addresses structural roots, insecurity and reform amid national paralysis

The opening day featured three expert panels focused on Haiti’s sociogenesis, the consequences of insecurity and the country’s broken governance model.

In the first panel, Professors Jemima Pierre and Jean Marie Théodat traced Haiti’s current state back to foreign interference and systemic governance failures. Pierre emphasized imperialism, notably the United States’ involvement in pushing destructive policies and imposing bad leaders on the country, pointing to the controversial ascent of Michel Martelly as a case in point.

“In order to move forward, we must stop pretending our sovereignty has not been repeatedly undermined,” Pierre said.

In the second panel, on insecurity, experts described the country’s spiraling violence in chilling detail. Sociologist Sabine Lamour, Ph.D, focused on women’s vulnerability, both as economic providers and as victims of sexual violence amid displacement. Lamour described how insecurity reshapes social norms, forcing families to improvise funerals and reducing communal dialogue.

During the panel discussions, James Boyard, a political scientist specializing in security and governance, presented harrowing statistics: between 2019 and 2024, over 16,600 homicides were recorded. In just the first five months of 2025, at least 1,617 killings have occurred, many attributed to armed groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. He also noted that the resulting humanitarian toll extends into health, food access and education.

Boyard further warned that the establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) signals a “loss of internal sovereignty,” deepened by the lack of a functioning parliament and judiciary.

Toward a new security and governance paradigm

The third panel focused on “Elections and Governance Model.” Experts examined the institutional challenges Haiti faces and proposed sustainable solutions to address them. Three specialists, including Judge Lionel Jean-Baptiste, anthropologist Mamyrah Dougé-Prosper, and writer and Haitian history enthusiast Grégory Sicard, discussed the limitations of the current electoral system and the necessary reforms for establishing more stable and inclusive governance.

Solutions were a key part of day one. One prominent proposal: a unified command unit within the Haitian state to coordinate anti-gang operations. Speakers argued that the current fragmented response by the Haitian National Police (PNH) and interim authorities has failed to stem the violence.

“Security must be reestablished before any transition can be credible,” said Johnny Celestin, a civil society leader based in New York.

Beyond Port-au-Prince, panelists pushed for a decentralization of economic development. While Jean-Baptiste suggested ways to move forward with elections as soon as possible to restore the legitimacy of finance, Prosper-Dougé, Pierre and Théodat emphasized targeted investment in provincial cities to rebuild infrastructure and reduce the socioeconomic incentives that draw youth into gang networks.

Other recurring themes included electoral reform, restoring public trust through transparent governance, and establishing long-term frameworks for diaspora engagement beyond remittances.

“Any serious transformation must begin with restoring dignity to the majority who have been abandoned by the state,” Théodat said.

Now that the first round of discussions has concluded in the diaspora and the Grande Anse Department, the organizers are shifting their focus to the 10 additional events leading up to the national congress, scheduled for June 20-21 in the Haitian capital.

The Patriotic Congress may not have official decision-making power, but its conveners hope to create the conditions for national dialogue rooted in Haitian expertise, free from foreign imposition or elite monopoly.

“Many initiatives have come and gone,” said Lumarque. “But this one is grounded in intellectual rigor and civic commitment. We hope it will outlast us.”

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