PrintRobert Maguire
Chairman, Haiti Working Group
Contact
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Languages: Creole, French
Multimedia
Countries: Haiti
Dr. Robert Maguire is the Chairman of USIP’s Haiti Working Group and a former USIP Jennings Randolph Senior Fellow (2008-2009). He is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs in the International Development Studies Program of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and Director of GWU’s Latin America and Hemispheric Studies Program. He is Chair of the Haiti Advanced Area Studies Seminar at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute.
Dr. Maguire first traveled to Haiti in 1974. From 1979 to 1999, he was the Inter-American Foundation’s Representative for Haiti and the Caribbean. In 2000, he served on the Haiti desk at the U.S. State Department. He had Haiti-related affiliations with Johns Hopkins, Brown, Georgetown, and Trinity Washington Universities. Maguire holds an M.A. in Latin American studies from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Geography from McGill University. He is a frequent commentator on Haiti and the Caribbean and the author of Haiti After the Donors’ Conference (2009).
Publications & Tools
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Confirmation of a new prime minister by Haiti’s parliament provides an opportunity to rectify previous missteps and begin moving Haiti toward a peaceful and prosperous future. |
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This report is based on the panel presentation and the views expressed at a public forum hosted by USIP’s Haiti Program on February 15, 2012 discussing justice in Haiti and the path forward for judicial reform. |
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Since Haiti’s devastating January 2010 earthquake, women have played a vital role in their country’s response to the catastrophe. This Peace Brief, by USIP's Robert Maguire, discusses the pivotal roles women are playing in matters of family, education, health, commerce and the economy, and agriculture. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: Gender and Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict and Peacekeeping Activities, Security Sector Reform/Governance
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Robert Maguire, chairman of the USIP Haiti Working Group and professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, visited Haiti earlier this month to meet with government officials concerning Haiti’s current political impasse. He provides an update on the situation. |
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Robert Maguire, Chairman of USIP's Haiti Working Group, analyzes the various aspects of security – political, economic, personal and criminal – in Haiti. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis and Prevention, Economics and Conflict, Gender and Peacebuilding, Human Rights
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This report is based on views expressed during a January 26, 2010 event hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Haiti Working Group titled “What is in Haiti’s Future?” The event featured presentations by Thomas Adams, the U.S. State Department’s special coordinator for Haiti; Alexandre Abrantes, the World Bank’s special envoy to Haiti; Mark Schneider, senior vice president of the International Crisis Group; and Robert Fatton, University of Virginia’s associate dean for graduate programs. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis and Prevention, Health and Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict and Peacekeeping Activities
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One year after the January 12, 2010 earthquake, Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince remains in ruins. It is imperative that the current crisis is resolved so that reconstruction can move forward. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis and Prevention, Economics and Conflict, Health and Peacebuilding, Human Rights, Security Sector Reform/Governance
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This Peace Brief is based on a public forum and meeting of USIP’s Haiti Working Group on October 29, 2010. The featured speaker was Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, former Prime Minster of Haiti (2008-2009). Robert Maguire, Chair of USIP’s Haiti Working Group and Associate Professor of International Affairs at Trinity Washington University, was a discussant. Robert Perito, director of USIP’s Haiti Program, served as moderator. |
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As Haiti struggles to recover from the devastating January earthquake, former Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis said at an event at the United States Institute of Peace that in order for Haiti to build back better, the process must start within Haiti itself. The USIP event “Is Haiti Building Back Better?” held on October 29, 2010 focused on the challenges that have developed in the nine months since the January 12th earthquake. |
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At the March 31, 2010 International Donors’ Conference on Haiti some $10 billion was pledged in support of the government of Haiti’s “Action Plan for National Recovery and Development of Haiti,” with $5.3 billion earmarked for the next two years. A Multi-Donor Trust Fund, managed by the World Bank, will oversee the allocation of international resources toward activities approved by a mixed Haitian/international Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC). |
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Haiti’s January 12 earthquake left up to 300,000 people dead, an equal number injured, and more than a million displaced; overall damage and loss are valued at $7.9 billion, or about 120 percent of Haiti’s 2009 grian relief and security, loss domestic product. The immediate international response focused on rescue, the provision of humanitarian and cleanup. Countries: Haiti
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As the impoverished country prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections, a new USIP report examines how to best ensure Haiti can continue its progress and development amid political transition. |
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On October 13, 2009, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved a one-year extension of the mandate for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The sixth mission since 1995, MINUSTAH was first authorized in 2004. Countries: Haiti
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USIP examines why efforts to stimulate Haiti's economy have so far proven unsuccessful, and recommends options to achieve sustainability and growth in the impoverished country. |
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In July 2006, Haitian poet and historian Jean-Claude Martineau spoke at USIP and said that Haiti is the only country in the world with a last name—“Haiti, poorest country in the western hemisphere” —as described in the media. Sadly, in the two years since, conditions have worsened. Four severe storms that struck Haiti in September 2008 only exacerbated the already critical problem of the country’s poverty. |
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In September 2008, four hurricanes and tropical storms—Fay, Gustav, Hannah and Ike—slammed into Haiti with devastating force. Nearly 800 people were killed, 300 remain missing and more than 500 were injured. |
Events
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February 15, 2012
The Haitian court’s decision not to prosecute Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier for human rights violations and crimes against humanity has refocused international attention on the problem of justice in Haiti. At every level, courts are dysfunctional and corruption endemic. Street crime, drug trafficking, rape and gang violence persist despite Haiti’s overcrowded prisons. Impunity remains a major obstacle to Haiti’s recovery. On February 15, 2012, USIP hosted a public event to discuss justice in Haiti and the path forward for judicial reform. |
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November 29, 2011
On November 29, 2011, the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a panel of distinguished experts who discussed the situation of women in Haiti and their role in reconstruction. The event featured a delegation of women leaders from Haiti and an exhibition of photos taken by Haitian women depicting their lives in the tent cities around Port-au-Prince. |
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October 12, 2011
Renewed internal conflict threatens Haiti's recovery. On October 12, 2011, a panel of distinguished experts discussed the sources of conflict in Haiti and the challenges facing its security institutions. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis and Prevention, Post-Conflict and Peacekeeping Activities, Rule of Law, Security Sector Reform/Governance
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September 13, 2011
On September 13, 2011, the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program of George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and USIP hosted a meeting featuring the Honorable Michaelle Jean, special envoy to Haiti for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and former governor general of Canada. Countries: Haiti
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May 25, 2011
USIP hosted a panel of distinguished experts to discuss the various aspects of security - political, economic, personal and criminal - in Haiti. |
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January 26, 2011
The return of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier to Haiti complicated the country’s political crisis and negatively impacted the ability of the international community to respond to the country’s mix of acute and chronic problems. Thomas Adams, the U.S. State Department’s Special Coordinator for Haiti, and a panel of distinguished experts looked ahead to the coming year. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis and Prevention, Economics and Conflict, Political Reform, Post-Conflict and Peacekeeping Activities, Youth and Peacebuilding
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December 7, 2010
Endangered by a cholera epidemic that has claimed thousands of lives, Haiti held elections for president and parliament on November 28. A panel of experts discussed the current situation in a public forum co-hosted by USIP’s Haiti Program and USIP’s Working Group on Health and Peacebuilding. |
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October 29, 2010
The slogan “Build Back Better” has come to symbolize the commitment to help Haiti’s government and people address the roots of poverty and instability. Former Haitian Prime Minister Michèle Pierre-Louis shared her views on Haiti’s future. |
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October 13, 2010
In Haiti, the challenge of earthquake recovery has been compounded by the need to prepare for presidential elections on November 28. A panel of experts discussed the challenges facing the Haitian government and the international community. |
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June 3, 2010
Haiti's reconstruction presents challenges and opportunities. How are international efforts contributing to lasting stability and growth? Experts addressed these questions and identified key issues on the horizon for Haiti. |
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April 8, 2010
How will the March 31 Donors' Conference contribute to sustainable reconstruction in Haiti? What role will the United States play in rebuilding Haiti? Countries: Haiti, United States
| Issue Areas: Economics and Conflict, Post-Conflict and Peacekeeping Activities, Rule of Law, Youth and Peacebuilding
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February 25, 2010
Six weeks after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince, what are the top priorities for donors and for Haiti? What role will the United States play in the coming weeks, months, and perhaps years? Countries: Haiti, United States
| Issue Areas: Conflict Analysis and Prevention, Economics and Conflict, Gender and Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict and Peacekeeping Activities, Rule of Law
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January 19, 2010
This discussion at the Inter-American Dialogue examined the damage that has been done to Haiti and its people by the January 12th earthquake and the challenges the country now confronts. Countries: Haiti, United States
| Issue Areas: Economics and Conflict, Health and Peacebuilding, Post-Conflict and Peacekeeping Activities
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December 10, 2009
On November 10, the Haitian government confirmed Jean-Max Bellerive as its sixth Prime Minister since 2004. What does this change portend for Haiti's future? How are the international community and diaspora responding to this change? |
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October 14, 2009
On October 13, the mandate for United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was renewed. A panel of experts discussed the U.N.'s future in Haiti and the continuing need for peacekeeping forces. |
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September 10, 2009
At least 3,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are operating in Haiti. Struggling with insufficient capacity in the face of overwhelming poverty and environmental disasters, the government has been unable to coordinate or capitalize on what some in Haiti refer to as a “Republic of NGOs." |
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January 30, 2009
At the request of the UN Secretary General, Professor Paul Collier, author of the best selling book The Bottom Billion, traveled to Haiti to assist the government to develop a strategy for generating economic security. Professor Collier's findings, which relies on U.S. trade incentives to generate economic growth, could provide a blueprint for donor assistance to Haiti. Countries: Haiti
| Issue Areas: Economics and Conflict
| Programs: Grants & Fellowships, Jennings Randolph Senior Fellowship Program
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October 28, 2008
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