Despite being one of the oldest republics in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is facing an economic crisis of great proportion. Decades of political instability have resulted in Haiti having one of the lowest GDPs per capita in the world, far below that of other poorer nations. Consumer goods and services are imported and expensive, leading to a lack of these in the capital and chronic shortages in rural areas. An exodus of educated Haitians is leaving the country to find employment abroad in what is known at the Haitian Diaspora. The remaining population has a literacy rate of approximately 50% (USAID, 2006).

Because Haiti is in danger of becoming a Failed State (Global Policy Center, 2007), President René Préval has identified the following five core issues for political and economic renewal:

• Lowering violence and improving security in the capital city
• Reforming the police force
• Establishing political cohesion
• Establishing judicial reform
• Prioritizing economic renewal