from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, our conversation with sean penn on the situation in haiti two years after the deadly earthquake. he has devoted much of his time and effort since the earthquake to nonprofit organization called cheye/p 80 relief organization. we're glad that have joined us. our conversation with actor and humanitarian sean penn, coming up right now. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet television] tavis: tonight marks the first show far more new studios in los angeles, as we continue our night season on pbs. our conversation with sean penn, the oscar winner, tireless human rights activist, who spent much of his time on the situation in haiti. he is not an ambassador at large to 80, given that distinction by haiti's foreign minister. his organization is called j/p

haitian relief organization. here now, a quick look at some of their wonderful humanitarian work. tavis: it seems so late in the year, but happy new year. >> happy new year. a key for being our first guest at our new digs. let me start by congratulating you on the weekend. i heard that you raised a good amount of money for your worked in haiti.

i was surprised at the figure, which belies the fact that people, to my mind at least, have haiti fatigue, yet you raised millions of dollars last week. >> we had a local organization come to us with the notion of putting together the fund- raiser. the people who worked on it, the people who hosted on behalf did an extraordinary job putting together the people, and it turned out there was a lot more good will to be tapped. sometimes i think it is just refocusing people on an issue. haiti is such an important one, and so important to the united states. there is something very powerful happening. we were surprised. tavis: how do you refocus people on an issue like haiti, still ongoing, the troubles and the

travails of the earthquake, but how do you refocus people two years later, particularly as americans are enduring poverty that we have not seen since the great depression? >> the media plays a big part in this. one of the great supporters that we had is oprah winfrey, who has some coverage going on. she was also a very inspirational force, and in that videotape she provided funding. but then you have to show the work. you have to. -- you have to show the connection between the interests of the united states, the humanitarian interests, and the accomplishments that can be made. that is one of the things that separates our organization from many of them. we have had some very good partners in haiti, but we are able to show there is a dynamic

use and sustainable use of the money is, that we have the capacity to make that money work quickly and effectively in country, and that haiti is starting to emerge with the works of the foreign involvement and support of haiti. like any place, the word governance is key. haiti is in this devastating time, and we are able to take on the status quo political system and put board president martelli, and it was really clear this was the candidate they were looking to have as president. i think that was an enormous morale boost, it in a kind of historical way, able to challenge the status quo, "de" being the people of haiti. now we have the benefit of the

decisive leadership. is difficult, it is difficult because the constitution is dictatorship reactionary, and so much of the power is in a parliament, which is also adjusting to a new world dynamic. but we see great strides happening now. as i have said when i talked to, showed examples of the kinds of work we do with the fund raiser, this is kind of that pivotal moment where the support that the government gives its people and the support we give the government and the people, they really need that, the financial back up. some of the funds that have been appropriate are slow-moving. bureaucracies are bureaucracies, and to show some movement, for the people involved, i think another thing that is often overlooked, especially one that

has been criticism about how slow some of the things have gone, and the reaction to the earthquake, it is more than an earthquake, it was poverty itself. this is a poverty earthquake. so now what is happening, the earthquake has traumatized people. in new orleans, very few public buildings have been reconstructed cents katrina. the investment in a country with an economic superpower, it has been difficult, and the people of new orleans had kind of gotten over the trauma and were able to take their own lead and make things change and happened. and that is the case now in haiti, and there is momentum as a result. tavis: a couple of things, since you mentioned president martelli, to your mind, how did

the controversy surrounding that election -- not even just copper sick, but the fact the country had to take a moment away from the rebuilding efforts, away from the revitalization efforts to focus on to the next leader of the country was going to be, and that election was held in the aftermath of the earthquake -- to what extent did that. the focus on the presidential elections and impact humanitarian work? >> in the short term, of course it did impact it. it was not only the elections, but the fact we had the sudden spike in a newly introduced strain of cholera that happened at the same time. there were a lot of issues, security issues, but with all of it, the election, it was a necessary part of the recovery effort. for example, the previous

president who had probably been haiti's most successful democratically elected president prior to the earthquake was a lame duck kennedy on the earthquake happened. went -- was a lame duck candidate when the earthquake happened. when you have millions of dollars on the line, it is difficult for donors to put money forward on programs that may not be continued once a new administration comes in. i think that is what they understood and the world community understood, that despite everything, it was necessary to get on and have a sense of normalcy for the haitian people and forward a motion for the government. in the short run, it was difficult. there were a lot of concerns about social unrest. there were pockets of violence. but mostly what you found was an incredible amount of civil

protests. we had about 250,000 people on the streets supporting president martelli right after the election, the first election, which was copter braziel. ultimately -- which was controversy all, and ultimately contested. initially, he was third. in some of the regions that have had violence, there were some incidents, and did slow down some of our efforts on cholera. it is why we have helicopters to be able to continue the movement of supplies in the remote areas while some of the streets had road blocks and problems, to be able to move supplies and personnel. but it was the right thing for haiti to have that happen, and

andorganization came mein look at the initial election, had some problems in that, and was ultimately able to influence what i think was the legitimate inclusion of president martelli. tavis: since you raised security, did you then or at any point in time, all the time the spend in haiti, a disproportionate amount of time spent there, have you or do you feel your own -- fear for your own personal security? >> not at all. it is extraordinarily simple when you consider the desperation that comes in any place in this kind of poverty. i can think of american cities where people much -- might be in a much more compromised position. one of the things that don't havein haiti if she don't

anybody on crack doing something that is completely unpredictable. even the worst times in haiti, the lack of the security and violence is largely predictable. you have a largely unified pockets. they are beginning to see movement forward. haiti, like any place, has its security problems, a great challenge in terms of establishing a globally acceptable rule of law. the president has spoken about this. but, no, as a foreign worker and haiti, speaking for myself, speaking for the workers and our organization, 95% haitian, but even for workers, we have had very minimal security issues. it is a place that can be

visited, although there are not enough hotel rooms for people to stay. tavis: he mentioned the duvalier regime back in the day. we all know that he is back and hit the country. -- we all know that he is back in the country. what does it mean, has it meant politically, socially, economically, culturally to have baby doc, who was a dictator in that country, back in the country? >> i want to give context to that, because i have met both leaders, and worked side by side with both president martelli, and haiti just mathematically, when you have 9 million people occupying the country, from an american point of view, it is a

city, it is a small town where there are still deep loyalty is through a lot of schools of thought, from various times, epoxy of leadership. i think president martelli has been extremely not only shrewd but just practical in that there is a kind of sense of reconciliation that is not formalized, but it is understood and accepted. haitians are haitians, and there is inherent loyalty that forgives an awful lot. tavis: even baby doc duvalier? >> i met him at a restaurant a week ago. he was on accosted by people in the restaurant. he was permitted to have a simple dinner, and it is an

extraordinary thing, because you are looking at someone who is connected -- i have staff members who lost family members during that regime. it is really not for us as americans coming in, foreigners coming in, to make that moral judgment about whether or not a culture is willing to reintegrate people. as for a political threat, i think it is understood that duvalier is done. tavis: zero? >> that is my opinion. tavis: to jeremiad, martelli need not worry about a political renaissance of duvalier -- to your mind? >> i don't think so, no. tavis: i take the point we have no business taking our nose into their affairs. we have done that too many times. sometimes sticking our nose in

the wrong kind of place, but what is it, to your mind, about the haitian people that allow them to be so peaceful, as it were, towards this man, on a cost it at this restaurant -- and accosted at this restaurant. i haveeard the stories. what is it about the people that allows them to accept his return? is it because they are that for giving it a people? is it they have other things on their mind? is it let bygones be bygones? this notion of truth and reconciliation? what is your sense of how they see him walking down the street, doing all he did, including killing people, and just let it pass? >> i will put it this way, in an american context -- i think that we could -- and i don't mean by

any means to make a comparison of human rights abuses or killings. there is an aspect of that historic plea. what is it that well so easily accept the exploitations of don king in boxing careers? he exploited so many young fighters, and he is able to function on this extremely high level, totally socially acceptable? well, it is because there is a kind of understanding that there has been a history of oppression on those, and he also becomes, i gather, quite an example of saying to white america were prejudiced america, hey, we can run a show, to. some of the people he was involved in fall as a result of

his involvement. i think whenever you have, particularly when you have focused depression like in haiti, that between that, between the symbol of leadership that still rises many haitians up, with a talking about aristide, duvalier, martelli, that people who have lived on $1, $2 per day still see something they aspire to be part of in some way. on the other hand, part of it that is less acceptable in the long term is there are many people who are still there who were involved in the government today, who were deeply invested with any of these candidates, any of these former leaders that you talk about. the accountability of that leader would be the accountability of them. as i said before, president martelli has been very smart

about this, that all of the campuses now has to be -- haiti is not a country that can afford to view the righteous accountability that maybe we have a high responsibility to in our own government, one that we hear it rarely fulfilled. we see that with wall street, what happened with richard nixon, the pardons and so on. it is not that different, but it is much more tangible. i think one of the big challenges going forward is going to be why this government needs to be in power, because it needs to establish a rule of law that will be equal for all parties. right now, i think it is a measure of inequality, the form of political leadership, as well

as an entirely broken system for the poor. tavis: i could dig deeper under don king metaphor, but i want. i appreciate you giving us a much time. i want to move from baby doc to aristide. one was a dictator, the other was democratically elected, it both men get run out of the country. aristide, depending on where one comes down, is run out by the haitian people or escorted out by the u.s. government. in either case, aristide is in south africa for years, goes back to haiti now. i like america, we have ex- president's living in this country, and we are used to that. you serve your term, go back to private life. in this case, both of these ex- president's were run out.

both of them are allowed back into the country. >> i would say as a presidential candidate. tavis: i took it that was what you meant. the same question about aristide, who was democratically elected, that aristide posed a political threat? >> i like to believe that ultimately former president aristide will have a productive contribution to make outside of politics. he is a highly intelligent man, former priest, educator. he is very currently infested -- one of only two campuses in the country, and

partners and health, offering residencies to the students. there is no question that aristide can provide an important contribution. as in any country, in american terms, if years ago, if someone had done that, they would have a larger presence in our conscious, the conscious of the youth. in haiti, he is a little bit of history. that does not mean that he does not have an influence. he has an influence. his party still has a strong influence in haiti,

particularly strong, but again, it is not just me saying this, i think the united states government also feels that martelli has very quickly, both presidents duvalier and every state, spoke highly of the quick learning that martelli is doing. in an ideal world, and for me this is the leadership, president martelli as an administrator, but i think there is a place for aristide. on the other hand, more than that, you brought up the model of jimmy carter, and he could be

an elder statesman. it has been one of the most neglected sectors in the haitian economy, which is the present sector and agriculture. he is not only expert and passionate and it, and it is quite clear to people he may have political aspirations. a very much hope that president martelli -- i very much hope that president martelli will continue his solicitation of council. tavis: i will and the conversation for now. but tomorrow we talked about the guy who was in charge of raising some much money for haiti. i want to know if that money ever arrived, did they receive it, and if so, what is being done with it? i want to talk more about the work you are doing and where you think you are making the greatest progress inside of

haiti. thankfully, for those of us who are sean penn fans, sean penn actor fans, there is more hollywood were coming from this guy. there is more to come in terms of his directing and acting. we'll talk more about all of that, and then some, tomorrow night with sean penn. >> you promised to come back tomorrow night? tavis: absolutely. -- >> absolutely. tavis: thank you. as always, good night from l.a., and keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. to me next time for part two of our conversation with actor sean penn about haiti, two years after the deadly earthquake. that is next time.

we will see you then. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet television] captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--