on this edition of our world with black enterprise, the recovery and rebuilding of haiti. we'll speak with the u.s. ambassador to haiti, raymond joseph. he's our headliner. our round table explores the progress of relief and development efforts. and we'll introduce you to a person who is doing incredible things to make a difference in the haitian community in this week's "slice of life." all that up next.

the destruction, staggering. the pictures haunting. the earthquake that struck haiti took more than 150,000 lives, destroyed 90% of the buildings in port-au-prince, and left more than 1 million people homeless. now with the massive outpouring of international aid, the nation is slowly digging out, taking its first steps towards rebuilding. joining us now on the latest relief efforts, raymond joseph, haiti's ambassador to the united states. i thank you for being with us. >> thank you for inviting me. >> give me a sense, if you will, of what you believe to be the single most important aspect to move forward for this nation. >> first of all, i think is for the leadership of the country to unite together and to discuss a

plan for development. nothing going and doing little pieces of work here, building a little shack over here. nature has done something that we could not have done, destroyed the monstrosity that port-au-prince was. now is the time for us to take a deep breath and plan the city and also decentralize. have smaller cities outside. >> those of us who have been to haiti and to port-au-prince specifically understood the substandard living that was there. and as you said, even the best urban renewal plan would not have eliminated all what have nature did. how do we also make sure politically that the united states and others don't turn away from a country that existed substandardly for so long and to make sure we keep along that track to make sure that the buildup is right? >> you know, i feel sad that it

took this catastrophe, this magnitude, for the whole world to focus on haiti for the first time because haiti was the first independent black nation in the world. haiti was nation in this western hemisphe hemisphere, second only to the united states of america. but because it was black slaves that rose up against white, we were ostracized for many years. and people keep talking about haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. we don't know how it became that poor. because it was buckled up for all those years. now that this catastrophe has allowed the local world to focus on haiti, i'm sure that they will not forget and that we'll put haiti back on its feet and i say in a piece that i wrote for

the wall street journal, we want a marshall plan for haiti. i think a marshal plan will take some time and once we start it, we should keep it. >> you talk about taking some time. and though i will say that we have seen constraints that perhaps we would not see from others. you see the little hits on the news of those fighting for food and the like, but all in all, considering what has occurred, haitian people have been very calm through most of this. how do you keep the calm, remain calm, as the days, the months and the years go on? because it will take that long. washington, i've been working n with the congress and with other countries to bring attention to haiti. and, you know, haiti started to turn the corner. the thursday before it hit,

there was a big story about a hoe it tell in haiti. and this time around is built for the fact that for the first time in a long, long time, haiti has political stability. >> how do you make sure that upon the building of a new infrastructure you also eradicate poverty hand-in-hand? that to a great degree before this earthquake hit was a tremendous problem. >> as i was saying before, in washington when i went in in 2004, i came in with a slogan. the slogan was haiti is open for business. and i worked with congress and we passed the hope act. the hope act was opening haiti to investment and also to products from haiti coming to the u.s. market tariff-free.

so it's under the hope act that we started to build jobs. and i think that's going to be the solution. we have to find jobs in all areas to get the young people of haiti half of them under 25 occupied. >> we talked about this before we started to roll, and you mentioned the piece you wrote for the journal. in terms of all of this being a long term effort, something that has to sustain itself far beyond a month or a year, this is something that is ongoing. >> what i wrote, it was sad for me to see port-au-prince in 2004 as the monstrosity it was. but he said there's a silver lining. and the silver lining is that after the destruction, we can can put it back together andihe lining. and the silver lining is that after the destruction, we can can put it back together and sa lining. and the silver lining is that after the destruction, we can can put itack together and it calls for a marshal plan for haiti, a marshal plan that was

used for europe to rebuild after world war ii. i think a marshal plan pie tby international community that i think owes quite a bit to haiti. the united states owes haiti. i'm not saying this as a regular debt, but, you know prks noknow not for haiti, the united states would not be what it is. had we not beaten the french in 1803, they would probably be sitting on the west side of the mississippi river. and it's because we beat the french in haiti that they had to sell for $15 million. in those years, only haiti stood for freedom and we paid a dear price for it because black folks rising up against the white power, that's a no-no. now that we have a new world, new thinking, i think people should look at what happened to haiti in the beginning and say

let pull together to make haiti no longer the poor he is cup but a one that is developed. >> and certainly as you suggest the historical importance of haiti in the western hemisphere has been down played for many, many years and hopefully this had bring a new light to haiti from many avenues and many aspects. mr. ambassador, we thank you for being with us. >> well, thank you for inviting me. take a quick break. when we return, our round tail looking at the next steps in relief and redevelopment and how haiti can be rebuilt. right after this. we have learned the importance of recovery and rebuilding and we've learned that giving people back their livelihood is as much a part of the restoration efforts as the hands and the feet that are on the ground. - lafayette, what're you doing? - ( music playing )

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since the earthquake on january 12th, haiti has been hit by at least 50 aftershocks. people remain frightened, yet hopeful. what is it going take to restore and rebuild this island nation and will any redevelopment plan offer long term help to improve the standard of living? joining us to talk about this are the chap lichb for the salvation army. he was born and raised in haiti and lost a nephew and a cousin in the earthquake. and joanne, chief people officer at the american red cross of greater new york, and an internest, one of the first responders. he has just returned from haiti. i thank you all very much. and our condolences to you for

your loss. but talk it mto me, if you will please, about what you believe has to happen in terms of the recovery effort to make sure that it is sustainable. >> right now in haiti after the disaster, the process of recovery and rescue, those who are living in the streets without hope no food, no waters and there's a lot of things needed there for their survival. and -- but we are very grateful to those who come to our aid and the different syou are again city, but i know that the salvation army is doing a great work there and we will do anything possible for the rescue and recovery and the most hope that we have, we know at the end of this, we're going to be part of the reconstruction, rebuilding the country and we hope thatle al vaegs army going to be there for the last day of recovery.

>> one of the things i mentioned before we got started is outside of the almost uncomprehensive loss of life and we cannot bring those people back and can he can't give the parents back to the orphaned children, but there is a glimmer of hope in the sense that since so much of port-au-prince was torn apart, you you can now almost start over in terms of infrastructure and the like. we have to make sure that we don't see the substandard living that we saw prior to this. >> right. well, one thing that i believe will an byproduct of this terrible tragedy is the fact that we have learned some important lessons from the tsunami crisis where even five years after that incident, we have learned the importance of recovery and rebuilding and we've learned that giving people back their livelihood is as much a part of the restoration efforts as the hands and the feet that are on the ground. >> doctor, as a first responder, i wondered if you can give me a sense of -- because we've seen

the pictures. not so much what has occurred with the immediate aftermath, but the psych lological damage that has been on so much in haiti and what they'll have to deal with down the road. >> most affected are the children, the psychological part. when i first got there, a few of us when we got there, parents came in complaining children having problems to sleep, the fact that they don't have a place to sleep. and there are so many aft aftershocks. and the psychological effects that the devastation had on the children. and i'm sure with the help of the community here and the doctors in haiti, we can work together and help because they will need our help. >> we saw such a great outpouring of not only sympathy, but dollars and efforts. >> that's right. >> to this nation. how do we make sure that the spotlight remains on a nation

that will need assistance far beyond the first month or two? >> i think one key aspect of that spotlight remaining on haiti is engaging our partners and our organizations that are still there long after the media has gone home, they're still there, they're still pouring in support, physical support, donations, as well. and they're still asking what they can do. and i think if we join together as one global family in this and the red cross has wonderful part mercy all around the world, if we stay hand-in-hand, we can continue to raise the -- keep the spotlight on and raise the attention to this tragedy that needs to happen. and i believe that everyone involved in the effort is really committed to doing that. >> give me a sense of the environment of faith that we have seen come out of this island nation from the many who have survived this. i think sometimes we take for granted how important faith can

be and certainly with the haitian people, we have seen it overwhelming. >> haitian people are people of faith. and they've been through a lot of difficult moments in life. and that went way back. so when haitian people have problems and trouble, they turn to god for their faifth. and they find a great strength for that. >> give me a sense of what most surprised you when you got on the fwroupd, what you didn't see in the kump and perhaps that we have not seen that we need to know about. >> people need help, medical help. people with laceration, people need to be in a hospital setting. so we need all the doctors to reach out to these people so we can give then the service. not for them to get up and go and seek help because they cannot make it. they're unable to do so. >> what can a viewer do who may

have already given or who may not have the wherewithal to give but they want to do something to assist? >> well, as far as the red cross is concerned, one thing that we know is important for to us exist and to have the people to dispatch to these tragedies and emergencies is volunteers. and so even if your volunteerism or spirit of volunteerism that you bring to this catastrophe doesn't apply or can't be applied on the ground in haiti, the red cross will also be able to use and utilize and really engage a volunteer because this is what makes an organization like this work. >> we thank you for that. we thank you for getting on the ground so quickly. and as we mentioned at the beginning, our prayers to your family and our sympathy to you. >> thank you very much. and if you want to help the rebuilding efforts, logon to these websites for more information. we'll be back with our "slice of life" right after this. seeing on tv my country

destroyed like that, right now i feel like i should be in haiti as we speak helping out, all the friends, people that i grew up with, people that i considered as parents.

it was more surreal than anything. you're under fire. you're getting blown up. there's definitely adrenaline. there was the explosion, and i remember just opening my eyes, and it got both of my legs. i had surgery after surgery, you know, i was on a lot of pain medicine. "what's going to happen next? and how long am i going to be here?" the wounded warrior project dropped off a backpack for me. and it had everything in there that i could possibly have needed at that time. peer visitors, people who have been where i had been before, said, "look, brother, "everything's going to be okay. "three months from now, or four months "from now, a year from now, you'll be fine." that type of thing

was an invaluable service. to be honest, i don't know if i would be as well adjusted as i am now if it wasn't for them. to learn more, call... or visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

when the images from the earthquake hit national news, it brought tears to the eyes of many people. but since then in miami's little haiti neighborhood, one man has found a song in his heart and he hopes to inspire haitians and others around the world to unite. musician jonathan lawrence is our "slice of life." ♪ immediately after the earthquake, recent departments in miami's little haiti started organizing relief efforts. these days, a catholic church in the heart of the area looks more like a warehouse than a police of worship. its courtyard is filled with boxes of bottled water, donated

food, clothes and medical supplies. all being packed by international volunteers. jonathan lawrence is one of them. ♪ >> knowing that you're helping a family to have a meal for one day at least is a self-satisfaction. >> lawrence was personally impacted by the earthquake. >> seeing on tv my country destroyed like that, right now i feel like i should be in haiti as we speak helping out. i lost friends, people that i grew up with, some people that i considered as parents. >> born in haiti, lawrence lived there until eight years ago. lawrence reminisced about growing up there as he wrote "i know haiti will rise again" nearly a year ago.

♪ lawrence says the optimistic lyrics were heaven-sent. >> the song came in the right moment. and i like the fact that god gave me the song way before the situation happened because i can relate now. i was watching cnn, they're showing all these things and a sadness came to my heart at the same moment. and i couldn't think about anything else but this song. if the song made such impact in me, that song can also touch a lot of people. >> in the emotional aftershock of the quake, lawrence decided to donate all of the profits from the song to earthquake victims. he hopes it serves as an anthem

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before we leave you, please don't forget to tip to pray for haiti and its people. that does it for this edition of our world with black enterprise.

visit us at black enterprise.com and share your comments and questions about the show. until next week, i'm ed gordon and thanks for making our world your world.