Live Chat: What’s the Way Forward for Haiti?

Lionel Pressoir has a vision for a new Haiti. Where some see a lost cause, he imagines a thriving, tourism-fueled economy. And he believes he can lead the way.

How, exactly, does he plan to pull off such an ambitious transformation? And what inspired him to try?

NPR Planet Money reporter Adam Davidson — who’s been covering post-quake economics in Haiti — journeyed to meet Pressoir and find out.

Here’s your chance to talk with them both — what’s the way forward for Haiti?

We’ll also be joined by award-winning journalist Janet Reitman, who recently wrote an extensive piece on the rebuilding effort in Haiti, which she calls a “disaster of good intentions.”

Join us for a live chat at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Submit your questions in the chat box below anytime.

Lionel Pressoir, the man we’ve dubbed “An Optimist in Haiti,” was once a wealthy furniture exporter with homes in New York City and Paris. After spending 40 days in prison following a loan dispute, he changed direction and focused on a new dream: making the small, poor town of Milot, Haiti into a travel destination for people from all over the world.

Adam Davidson is co-founder and co-host of Planet Money, a co-production of NPR and This American Life. His work has won every major award in broadcast journalism, including the Peabody, DuPont-Columbia and the Polk.

Our guest questioner Janet Reitman is a contributing editor at Rolling Stone and the author of Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion.