Eyes of the Heart is only 80 pages long, and can easily be read in an hour or two. The wonderful thing about the book is that it's the perfect length. Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president of Haiti in 1990, was forced to flee a coup in 1991, but was ultimately allowed to return to the country in 1994, to serve out the rest of his term. Aristide was elected by the poor masses of Haiti, itself the poorest nation in the world. While he has described this book as a letter on behalf of the poor, it is also an exploration of the moral struggles Aristide was forced to endure, knowing that his nation couldn't afford to solve its people's problems. One of the most powerful sections of the book describes the events leading up to Haiti's refusal to implement a Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). Aristide knew that this would hurt his nation, and refused to sign an agreement unconditionally. Eventually Haiti relented, under a different government, but Aristide demonstrates the power that even the poorest nation in the world can wield. Aristide tells stories of individuals, placing a human face on the overwhelming devestation caused by the world's economic system. It is an important emotional and moral contribution to an oeuvre that is dominated by rational, factual work.
Interesting Quotes:
"But the lesson, I believe, is that there is room for negotiation, even when the balance of power seems so uneven. We should never forget that international lending insitutions need us, as we need them. They are lending us money, not giving it to us. This is business, not charity. Only by defending our interests will we cease to be a restavek state, in perpetual economic dependence. When they offer us water, it is our right and responsibility to ask for chocolate" (page 33).
"Our world is facing profound economic and ecological questions. These experiences demonstrate that the answers we need may be theological ones.
God said to Moses, "I see the suffering of Israel; I hear the cry of the people." Do we? Do we hear god speaking through the poor? In a world oriented only toward profit, it may be difficult for us to hear God's voice among the din and the racket of the moneychangers who have filled the world's temples. But God is not the market. God is love. God is justice. God is peace.
God is also a woman.
Wherever women are heard and respected, the face of God is illuminated. Wherever the poor are heard and respected, the face of God is illuminated" (page 72).
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