Haiti formally referred to as the Republic of Haiti, and Cuba, formally referred to as the Republic of Cuba, are two of North American countries between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Both countries are considered as an important part of Latin America. According to the 2018 census reports, Cuba and Haiti have a population of 11,116,396 and 10,788,440 million respectively (Index Mundi, n.d.). The main difference to note when looking at the countries' demographics is the fact that their median ages present a significant difference. The median age for the population in Cuba is 41.8 years while that for Haiti is 23.3 years (Index Mundi, n.d.). That shows a significant difference in terms of the overall social structure in both countries. It is from this perspective that this report intends to engage in an in-depth evaluation of similarities and differences between these two countries focusing on their economic and social developments, human rights, globalization, and their roles in the United Nations.
Comparison of Haiti and Cuba
Economic Development
Economic development is an important aspect that focuses on economic changes and progress, which helps in defining the overall well-being of people in different regions. Achieving the desired economic development involves the proper implementation of goals and objectives that can address key elements that impact on the lives of people.
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In Haiti and Cuba, economic development is a vital aspect that helps in determining the effectiveness of strategies and measures implemented to improve on lives of people in the given regions. The governments in the two mentioned countries engage in the implementation of measures that help to improve economic activities undertaken by the people to help in creating significant growth in economic development (Index Mundi, n.d.). The key elements of consideration that define economic growth in a region include the gross domestic product (GDP), the budget of a country, the labor force, unemployment rates, and the nature of economic activities undertaken by people.
In Cuba, the government focuses on creating a firm political control of the economy, which is an aspect that is obtained by loosening the socialist economic system. In Haiti, there is the implementation of the free market economy that is characterized by low labor costs. When focusing on the main economic activity undertaken to foster economic growth and development in the given countries, it is important to note that Cuba depends more on the petroleum, pharmaceuticals, and the agricultural industries. On the other hand, Haiti depends more on the agricultural sector, whereby most people engage in small scale, which is vulnerable to a wide range of challenges such as natural disasters. On the aspect of GDP, Cuba experiences an annual growth rate, which is an aspect that relates to economic activities. In 2017, Cuba had a 1.78% GDP growth rate, which was 1.27% increase from 2016 (Index Mundi, n.d.). In Haiti, the GDP growth rate was 1.17%, which was a decline of 0.28% growth rate from 2016 (Index Mundi, n.d.).
In Cuba, the majority of people engage in diverse economic activities, which is an aspect that helps to improve the living standards of people in society. In that case, the country does not have a population that lives below the poverty line considering that economic activities have played a vital role in fighting poverty in the country. In Haiti, approximately 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, an aspect that is attributed to the shaky and the unreliable economic activities undertaken by people in the country (Index Mundi, n.d.). Although the government capitalizes on the implementation of different measures to reduce poverty levels, it is important to note that the majority of people still live below the poverty line. In Cuba, the inflation rates of consumer prices were 5.5% in 2017, while in Haiti the inflation rates were 14.7% in the same year (Index Mundi, n.d.). Inflation rates have a significant role in defining the economic development of an economy as it focuses on understanding the sustained increase in the price of goods in a country.
Another key aspect of consideration that is crucial in the analysis of economic development is unemployment rates in an economy. In Cuba, the unemployment rate was estimated to be approximately 2.6% in 2017, which is an aspect that relates to the engagement in the service industry whereby 72% of the population are employed within the industry (Index Mundi, n.d.). In Haiti, the unemployment rate is 40.6% an indication that there is a huge number of unemployed people in the country. The huge number of the unemployed population is attributed to the fact that most people engage in small scale farming, which is unreliable due to the vulnerability to natural disasters. It is important to note that most people in Haiti do not have formal jobs due to low dependency on the service industry. In Haiti, the service industry has a labor force of less than 50%, thus resulting in a significant increase in the unemployment rates (Index Mundi, n.d.).
Social Development
The evaluation of social development focuses on how societies work on improving the social wellbeing of all individuals as a way of ensuring that they achieve their full potential. Social development analysis also examines areas such as social inclusion, especially for the poor and vulnerable populations in different countries.
Cuba’s approach to social development reflects on the idea of protecting the elderly populations, those suffering from disabilities, and the poor through its sing system social security. The system was established in 1963 focused on creating proactive structures that would push for a much more advanced framework to guarantee social inclusion for all persons irrespective of their position in society (Jover, Alfonso, Quiñones, & Díaz, 2017). Similarly, the Haitian government enacted a social welfare program covering its population as a way of protecting it from a vast array of social issues likely to affect the population.
Another important aspect to note when evaluating social development in both countries is that they each give preference to health and education as the key determines the quality of life for the people. On its part, the Cuban government has come up with strategic policy frameworks aimed at promoting access to quality and affordable health to help cushion the poor and vulnerable populations from the burden associated with poor health (Jover, Alfonso, Quiñones, & Díaz, 2017). Additionally, the country also brings to sharp focus the understanding that education is an important aspect to help combat the issue of poverty, as it creates a much better front for engaged equality. Haiti’s investment in health and education is notably lower compared to that of Cuba taking into consideration its economic positioning. However, it must be noted that the country understands the value placed on these two aspects that help push for a much better outcome in terms of improving the country’s social landscape.
The evaluation of social development also reflects on the issue of gender equality, which is one of the key factors affecting a significant number of countries around the world. In Haiti, the status of the women varies from one community to another, which range from restrictions of women to traditional occupations to other communities that allow women to hold prominent positions. Women in Haiti face serious economic and social challenges results from their relegation to traditional roles that provide them with limited opportunities for growth. Domestic abuse is rife in Haiti with the government failing to put in place proactive programs that would help offer assistance to the victims of such cases of abuse. Many of the women, who are women, suffer in silence considering that they are not in any position to seek professional help. Generally, this shows that Haiti is far behind in creating an effective social structure that would guarantee equality for its population regardless of gender.
Cuba, on the other hand, is one of the Caribbean countries that has put in place a Family Code, which proscribes all forms of discrimination based on one's gender. The value of this Family Code can be seen in the fact that it set out clear policies governing how people relate in their respective positions with the intention being to avoid a possible exposure of women to gender discrimination (Patel & Gleason, 2018). The value of the code can be seen from the fact that the number of women holding prominent positions in both the public and private sector has been on a steady rise in the country. Consequently, that shows that Cuba understands its role in protecting the position of women with the view being to ensure that it maintains high standards as it promotes social inclusion and development for its entire population.
Human Rights
The human rights situations in both Haiti and Cuba present reflect on the lack of commitment by both governments to establish a clear framework that would help guarantee rights and freedoms for their citizens. Reports by institutions, such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Human Rights Watch, have depicted dire situations in both countries, which raise serious questions on the commitment by both governments to improving on their human rights situations.
From a constitution perspective, both Haiti and Cuba have documented legal structures aimed at ensuring that the human rights situations in the countries are improved. The constitutions outline clear rights and freedoms for the people, as they both include sections, such as the Bill of Rights, which are important to ensure that the governments understand their roles in promoting human rights for all (Alexander, 2016). However, this is not the case when evaluating both governments’ approach to promoting human rights and freedoms for all.
A 2018 report by the Human Rights Watch on Cuba notes that the Cuban government is the main barrier to improving the human rights situation in the country because it continues to repress and punish those that dissent or criticize it publicly (Human Rights Watch, 2018). The government has been involved in a wide array of actions aimed at protecting its public image without due consideration of the fact that these actions go against human rights (Alexander, 2016). Some of these actions include short-term arbitrary arrests of human rights defenders as well as independent journalists, who are involved in highlighting issues including corruption in the government (Human Rights Watch, 2018). The challenge for many human rights defenders is that the Cuban government has created an unfavorable environment for them to operate, which means that it becomes much harder for them to highlight any instances where the government goes against social expectations.
The Cuban government also violates freedom of expression, as it controls virtually all media outlets restricting the information that they are to pass to the public as a way of controlling its portrayed image in the public (Human Rights Watch, 2018). Other areas where the Cuban government is failing in its expectations to protecting human rights and freedoms in the country include its constant violation of conventions of the International Labor Organization, which it had ratified as part of protecting the labor market in the country. In Haiti, the greatest obstacle to the realization of human rights is social grievances, corruption, and weak institutions. That is especially prominent in areas such as limited employment opportunities resulting in a situation 59% of its population continues to live well below the poverty line (Alexander, 2016). Many of the people in Haiti cannot access basic services, which include health care, water, electricity, and education, showing the extent to which the government is failing in its bid towards creating an even environment for all.
Haiti faces a key challenge in dealing with the excessive use of force among its law enforcement officers Amnesty International. According to OHCHR, the law enforcement department in Haiti has failed to establish clear policies touching on the use of force resulting in a situation where more than 40 people face risks of injuries and death monthly due to such cases (Alexander, 2016). Human rights defenders in Haiti equally face serious hardships affecting their ability to talk about human rights abuses occurring in the country Amnesty International. Many of these defenders encounter a vast array of challenges, which include arbitrary detention and death threats from top-ranking government officials. From such cases, it can be noted that although Haiti has a constitution that guarantees human rights for all its people, it has failed to establish policy measures that would help improve its human rights situation.
Globalization
Globalization has been celebrated as one of the driving forces for economic, political, and cultural change in different countries across the world. Cuba and Haiti are no exception as they both find themselves facing serious changes as a direct result of their acceptance of globalization.
The political landscape in Cuba has been notably restrictive in terms of ensuring that the country would embrace what is defined as a more globalized society. However, the country finds itself in an inevitable situation where globalization is having serious implications for its ability to change. One of the greatest impacts that globalization has had on Cuba can be seen from its economy, which has changed from a state-run economic system to a much more capitalist approach. The country has experienced a significant growth in its private sector driven by the country’s approach towards attracting both domestic and foreign investment through its acceptance of globalization.
In sectors such as tourism, globalization is having serious negative effects attributed to the lack of adequate employment opportunities to meet the demand in the country. For a long time, Cuba was considered one of the most educated countries in the Western Hemisphere. However, globalization has introduced new dynamics affecting its ability to compete as a leading country; thus, resulting in a situation where a significant percentage of its population work in sectors such as taxis among others. The implication that globalization has had on Cuba reflects on the fact that many of its people are replacing higher education for the need for them to earn money. Therefore, a significant percentage of its labor market has not gone past high school, which affects the growth and development of specific sectors of the economy. Many of the companies investing in Cuba are doing so because the country offers cheap labor resulting from a lack of high education diplomas.
From a political perspective, it can be noted that globalization has helped change the country’s governance structure from its long-standing communist form of government to a much less restrictive government structure. Through its interaction with other countries across the world, the Cuban government has understood the importance of creating democracy as it works towards promoting social and economic development for its people (Amnesty International, 2019). Haiti, on the other hand, has not had such favorable changes resulting from its acceptance of globalization attributed to its standing as part of the international community. Haiti is one of the poorest nations in North America; thus, globalization has only left it dependent on donations from the much more developed countries. Donors fund infrastructure and economic development in the country as a way of ensuring that the country would maintain its strategic position as a developing country.
From an economic perspective, globalization has not had any major impacts on the country’s approach to helping the poor and marginalized populations in the country. Instead, it only seeks to help those with the capacity to invest in both the domestic and international markets. A significant number of the people in Haiti live below the poverty line, which means that their abilities to invest are hindered by the fact that they do not have such monies (Amnesty International, 2019). From this perspective, what can be noted is that although Haiti is rife due to its approach to globalization, the challenges that the country is facing persist. The Haitian government needs to come up with a well-structured framework that would help protect its people from exposure to the negative effects of poverty. It is from this approach that the government would ensure that people benefit from globalization in a way that would improve both social and economic development.
United National Role
Cuba is one of the lead countries in the United Nations Human Rights Council, which is a body of the United Nations that focuses on promoting and protecting the human rights of people in the world. Being a lead country in the United Nations, Cuba has experienced diverse benefits involving the fight against cases of discrimination of different people in society. The United Nations played a significant role in promoting human rights in Cuba, an aspect that helped in the restoration of peace and social integration in society. Additionally, the United Nations helped in enhancing measures to promote economic development in the region (Jacomino, 2015). Considering that Cuba experienced challenges in the economy, being a member of the UN helped to promote economic growth through the received grants and financial assistance that promoted economic growth in the region.
In Haiti, the United Nation has played a significant role in the provision of financial help and promote peace among the conflicting communities in the region. The United Nations Mission in Haiti (UNMIH) played a significant role in the restoration of peace, which was a much-needed aspect in the region following an increase in conflicts among people in the region (United Nations, n.d). The United Nation engaged in a peacekeeping operation in the country that aimed at restoring peace in the country and ensuring that the conflicting parties reconciled and agreed to work together in the society. The provision of financial support in 2016 following a cholera outbreak that killed over 10,000 Haitians was an important aspect that helped to cater to the needs of the affected people (UN News, 2016). The financial aid from the United Nations helped to assist families and children who were directly impacted by the outbreak thus playing a significant role in returning normalcy in the society.
Conclusion
Haiti and Cuba are countries in North America between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with a population of 10 and 11 million respectively. A comparison of the two countries shows notable similarities and differences touching on their economic and social development, human rights, globalization, and roles in the United States. Both countries face serious economic and social issues affecting their abilities to achieve overall growth. Some of these issues include high rates of unemployment, poverty, and gender inequality among others. From a human rights perspective, the two countries are similar because they lack effective structures that would help improve their human rights situations. The challenge that this creates is that it becomes much harder for human rights defenders to operate and highlight key issues affecting the two countries.
References
Alexander, W. H. (2016). Freedom’s Mirror: Cuba and Haiti in the Age of Revolution, written by Ada Ferrer. Journal of Global Slavery , 1 (1), 116-117.
Amnesty International. (2019). Haiti 2019 . Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/americas/haiti/report-haiti/
Human Rights Watch. (2018). Cuba: Events in 2018. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/cuba
Index Mundi. (n.d.). Cuba vs. Haiti . https://www.indexmundi.com/factbook/compare/cuba.haiti
Jacomino, P. (ed). (2015). Cuba highlights role and responsibility of the UN in maintaining international peace and security. Radio Habana Cuba . http://www.radiohc.cu/en/noticias/nacionales/145683-cuba-highlights-role-and-responsibility-of-the-un-in-maintaining-international-peace-and-security
Jover, J. N., Alfonso, G. F., Quiñones, A. A., & Díaz, T. P. (2017). Universities, Inclusive Development, and Social Innovation: Does That Debate Matter in Cuba?. In Universities, Inclusive Development and Social Innovation (pp. 125-146). Springer, Cham.
Patel, R. B., & Gleason, K. M. (2018). The association between social cohesion and community resilience in two urban slums of Port au Prince, Haiti. International journal of disaster risk reduction , 27 , 161-167.
UN News. (2016). Haiti: UN emergency fund allocates $5 million to kick-start assistance in wake of Hurricane Matthew. United Nations . https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/10/542252-haiti-un-emergency-fund-allocates-5-million-kick-start-assistance-wake
United Nations. (n.d). Haiti: background . https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/mission/past/unsmihbackgr.html
