The U.S. and the 'Region'

February 10, 2010

 I would like you to read the following comments regarding the US response to Haiti:

.....Prior to the devastating January 12th earthquake, apparel manufacturing was one of Haiti's most important industries, employing some 25,000 workers and accounting for more than three-quarters of the nation's export earnings, with 82 percent of the exports going to the United States.

....industries "play a responsible and proactive role in Haiti's overall recovery."... infrastructure problems, factory capacity levels, workforce training and sourcing patterns.

....the U.S. apparel industry has a long partnership with Haiti and is "ready to be a cornerstone of Haiti reconstruction." .... making sure growth is sustainable and continues into the future."

.... By renewing pro-Haitian provisions in U.S. trade law, streamlining Customs processes and opening up avenues for foreign investment, the U.S. can have a significant impact on this fragile economy and restore a much-needed sense of normalcy."

.... It is more important than ever that this two-way relationship be continued and expanded. The legislation will put Haitians back to work at a crucial time, and will help provide long-term markets for their products that will help build the foundation for economic prosperity and political stability.

This is all good. It is the right thing to do. But, why did it take an earthquake? This response of Haiti is what these very same people should have been having about the entire region all along – that it is strategically vital both ways, to provide stability, to ensure security, to create wealth, to sustain jobs, to recognize the tightly wound cultures of this hemisphere, to see this region as a ‘flat world’ when it really has always BEEN a flat world in our own time zone. Why did it take an earthquake?

How do you define ‘social responsibility’? If you define it as being responsible for societies, then this new focus on Haiti by US brands and retailers is the ultimate in social responsibility. But why wait for the next earthquake?

Everywhere you listen in our country, you will hear Spanish spoken. If in Florida, throw in some Creole. We are what we are. Our cultures, our supply chains, our commerce, our destiny in this hemisphere is very tightly wound together. To illustrate this took a devastating earthquake. But an even stronger force threatening it is ignorance of the importance of the responsibility we all have to proactively, “play a responsible and proactive role in (the region’s) overall recovery” and to build “long partnerships” and to exercise balanced “sourcing patterns” in this hemisphere and to “make sure growth is sustainable and continues into the future" and to “have a significant impact on (these) fragile economies” and to be sure “(these) two-way relationship be continued and expanded” and to “provide long-term markets for their products that will help build the foundation for economic prosperity and political stability”.

Haiti, The Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru and above all else, the United States. This is a supply chain region, and within it AAPN members are its spinal cord, directly connecting brands and retailers to factories and their suppliers. It doesn’t take earthquakes. It just takes stakeholders. This kind of reaction to crises needs to be ongoing acceptance of responsibility before they occur. And we do that.

Join this effort. Commit to this commerce. As we see first hand, nothing stops poverty like a job. And with company jobs comes country and regional “economic prosperity and political stability”. It took an earthquake to highlight in Haiti. We hope this email highlights the actual and true big picture responsibility we all have for this entire region.

Mike

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