Case Stokes Haiti’s Fear for Children, and Itself

As Haiti’s crippled government asserted itself in the name of defending the nation’s children, officials made it clear that more was at stake. In the wake of the worst natural disaster in Haiti’s history, the authorities have opened the country to a flood of international assistance, some of it coming uncomfortably close to infringing on national sovereignty. The 10 Americans, the authorities said, had crossed the line. Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive angrily denounced them as “kidnappers” who “knew what they were doing was wrong.” The Americans, most of whom are affiliated with two Baptist churches in Idaho, said they were trying to rescue orphans from the earthquake and take them to an orphanage they were setting up in the Dominican Republic. But that noble intent came under scrutiny on Monday as questions were raised about whether all of the children were indeed orphans. An 8 year child told workers "I am not an orphan." She said that her mother had just arranged a short vacation for her. Fearful of the possibility that unscrupulous traffickers would take advantage of Haiti’s sundered justice system to take children from poor families for illegal adoptions, prostitution or slavery, the government had halted all adoptions except those already in motion before the earthquake. Mr. Bellerive’s signature is now required for the departure of any child.

While I feel that their hearts are in the correct place I believe that this is a great example of self delusional arrogance. If you go to a country that has bad living conditions you cannot simply take children across international borders because you feel that you are doing the right thing. Though they're eventual goal was bright, the volunteers went about it the wrong way. Taking children and taking them out of the country is not the right answer. Before anything was done with the children, they should have checked with the authorities and government officials. They broke Haiti laws for what seemed like personal gain. Though they may have been trying to help secure a better future for these children, they are only causing more and more problems for the troubled country of Haiti.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/world/americas/02orphans.html