Nearly 3,000 Haitians tell the UN what it takes to have a better life

RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL February 21, 2014
A school in Haiti

A school in Haiti

As of Thursday, February 20, UN data says, 2,950 Haitians took part in its largest global survey ever, which is an attempt to find out what people everywhere really really want. (N.B.: The word ‘cholera’ was probably not mentioned.)

Another note: Indians were the largest group of people with opinions.

Let me explain, with the help of Adam Taylor’s blog in The Washington Post. The UN’s worldwide initiative called MyWorld2015 is a survey conducted by the United Nations Millennium Campaign, the United Nations Development Programme and the Overseas Development Institute plus other partners. It’s meant to find out six of the people’s favourite things. Out of 16 possibilities, people are meant to identify which six things will improve their lives. The results of the survey will inform the new development goals that are to be set next year.

As Mr Taylor points out, the UN will talk to people non-stop until 2015. So far, it’s spoken to 1.4 million. Happily, Haitians are represented and the consensual opinion is that Everyman wants better education. Is the Martelly administration listening?

Jack Kerouac

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life”
– Jack Kerouac