The Nature of Catastrophe

We've been getting spotty reports about the horrific disasters in Japan, but because we are not Stateside and therefore not within arm's reach of a computer, netbook, i-Pad, or cell phone at all timea, we have limited information. What a truly tragic catastrophe. But we have been mulling over the nature of catastrophe as an event (a tsunami, terrorist attack, explosion, outbreak of disease, etc.) vs. the idea of catastrophe as a long, slown burn (such as ongoing life in Haiti, with political instability, food insecurity, poverty, joblessness, low literacy, health challenges, and all of the diminishment or loss of human potential that arises because of those things). We have come to no conclusions, but it seems that event-type catastrophes--breaks in the norm--elicit compassionate response, but the others simmer below the surface of public consciousness to a great degree. There certainly has been enormous response to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, but Haiti was in a state of catastrophe before January 12, 2010, and this catastrophe was largely unheeded. Maybe this is what Dr. Paul Farmer calls "the long defeat" (from Tracy Kidder's book about Farmer called Mountains beyond Mountains): a state on ongoing disaster with widespread ramifications for human health and happiness.

Certainly NGOs are coming out of the woodwork to assist Haiti in various ways. We see evidence of them frequently in Hinche, just in the week I've been here. In fact, Johnny Wilson says one term for Haiti is "Republic of NGOs." But is solving Haiti's endemic problems at the top of anyone's governmental agenda? No. Or even anywhere on an agenda? Probably not.

I am a first-time visitor to Haiti, and I reallly am just in an introductory stage of learning about the nation's politics, problems, and daily life. I don't know where I'm going with this other than to say I'm turning these ideas over and over in my mind, trying to make sense of them, if there is sense to be found.