In theory, a united Haitian economic force sounds unstoppable. But in practice, can trust and collaboration overcome generations of division?
Opinion | The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team | July 5, 2025
Recently, a viral video from content creator Lola Bantu reignited a bold conversation within the Haitian community. In her post, she passionately echoed the words of Bilolo Congo, a popular and outspoken Haitian cultural voice: “If 300,000 Haitians came together to launch an activity, they would be unstoppable. There is no force that could stop them… that force does not exist.”
Lola Bantu, known for her exceptional positivity and inspiring energy, amplified this vision with conviction. As a content creator and rising cultural voice, she has built a reputation for encouraging unity and collective empowerment among Haitians worldwide. Her unwavering optimism resonates deeply with a community hungry for change.
At its core, this concept taps into the undeniable power of numbers. With Haiti’s global diaspora numbering in the millions, gathering even a fraction of that population around a shared economic project could generate capital, expertise, and influence on a scale the country has rarely seen. If coordinated properly, this collective could birth industries, revitalize infrastructure, and shift the balance of power from dependency on external aid to self-sufficiency.
But here lies the challenge: trust. Not the ordinary, day-to-day trust we extend to family or friends, but a deep, structural trust in a system designed for collective benefit. For generations, Haitians—at home and abroad—have been taught, sometimes through painful lessons, to prioritize individual survival and success. This mindset, forged in a volatile political and social environment, has made collaboration rare and suspicion common.
To realize Bilolo Congo’s and Lola Bantu’s vision, this cultural barrier would have to be confronted head-on. It would require a structure immune to corruption, transparent in its operations, and committed to the grand objective of impacting Haiti—not individual enrichment. Ironically, if such a structure were built properly, personal gain would still come, but as a byproduct of collective success rather than its sole aim.
“The greatest wealth a nation can have is not gold or oil, but the trust its people place in each other,” a Haitian economist once said. That wealth has been depleted for decades—but it can be rebuilt.
The blueprint for such a system isn’t hypothetical. Models of cooperative economics exist worldwide, from the Mondragon Corporation in Spain to community-based investment groups in parts of Africa and the Caribbean. These structures thrive because they are rooted in a shared mission and strict rules that balance individual ambition with communal accountability.
Haitians, known for their resilience and creativity, have the raw materials to replicate and even surpass these models. But it would demand a cultural shift: from seeking personal victory in isolation to embracing the notion that “my success is tied to our success.”
This isn’t to dismiss the strides Haitians have made individually. Across North America, Europe, and the Caribbean, Haitian doctors, engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs have built inspiring legacies. The question now is whether that same energy can be channeled into a collective engine powerful enough to lift Haiti itself.
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