Image CC BY 2.0, UN Development Programme

A week has passed since Haiti suffered from a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. The earthquake wasn’t the only tragedy afflicting Haiti at that time; the country was suffering from poverty and political corruption long before the earthquake hit. Like Katrina, the earthquake shed light on systemic forces of oppression that made Haiti such a prime target for disaster.

My friend J. said it well in a recent email:

It is with grave horror that I take in the daily news of the horrific conditions in Haiti. To believe, as perhaps I once wanted to, that what happened last Tuesday and since is “a natural disaster” only, would mean I am willfully choosing to not know a lot about the history of Haiti…The issue is not whether funds will roll in this week and next. The issue is what will be done to make Haiti a self-sustaining nation again…

Food, water, clothing, and shelter are critical at this point in time, but J’s right—Haiti needs more than band-aids. This inspired me ask some important questions about how bloggers, social media aficionados, and digital media activists can best address problems in Haiti. How can digital media be responsibly used to address social, political, and economic crises? Moreover, how can it be used to push for both short-term relief AND long-term change? (more…)