Haiti's Politics of Catastrophe

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 13, 2010) – One of the leading critics of Haiti's system of government will visit the University of Kentucky's campus this week.

Professor Robert Fatton, the Julia A. Cooper Professor of Government and Foreign Affairs in the Department of Politics at the University of Virginia, will present the second lecture of the "Haiti in the Modern World" series, titled "Haiti in the Aftermath of the Earthquake: The Politics of Catastrophe," at 4 p.m. on Oct. 15, in Room 213 of the Gatton School of Business and Economics Building.

According to event organizer and history professor Jeremy Popkin, Fatton's talk should be of wide interest to the campus and community.

"Fatton has been regularly quoted in The New York Times and elsewhere this fall commenting on the upcoming Haitian elections," Popkin said. "Both Haiti and the United States are hoping that these elections will produce a competent and stable Haitian government to tackle the challenge of reconstructing the country."

Fatton is the author of several books and a large number of scholarly articles, including "Black Consciousness in South Africa," "The Making of a Liberal Democracy: Senegal's Passive Revolution, 1975-1985," "Predatory Rule: State and Civil Society in Africa," "Haiti's Predatory Republic: The Unending Transition to Democracy" and "The Roots of Haitian Despotism."

Born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and now an American citizen, Fatton studied in the mid 1970s in France, and earned a bachelor's degree from Goshen College, in Indiana, in 1976. He holds master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. He has been teaching at the University of Virginia since 1981.

Popkin's series and accompanying course of the same name focus on different aspects of Haitian life. November's featured speaker, Leslie A. Brice will discuss Haitian religion and art.

"Every American knows about the poverty that afflicts Haiti," said Popkin. "But there are fewer people who know about the vibrant culture of the country."

 
"Haiti in the Modern World" is co-sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of History, International Studies Program, French Division of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Department of Political Science, Africana Studies Program, Patterson School of Diplomacy and the Office of the Provost.

For more information on "Haiti in the Modern World," please contact Popkin at popkin@uky.edu.