Haiti's success depends on many things

The world has had practice in dealing with the aftermath of destruction. From the tsunami in Indonesia to Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf coast, Mother Nature has proven that she can bring the blows of wrath crashing down upon the diminutive accomplishments that mark a society. It is only after the storm has passed that one can truly understand the meaning of ownership, or lack thereof.

The earthquake in Haiti had shockwaves that emanated far past the epicenter. In real time, pictures of the destruction caused by the 7.0 earthquake were made available on the Internet. Images of toppled buildings provided the mere suggestion of the ruptured lives that had survived. The toll of the storm would not merely be measured in sheer power, but also by the suffering it has caused for the people of the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Haiti has gone from simply a Third World country to THE Third World Country. The outpouring of support for each subsequent disaster the world faces typically garners more attention than the previous. No one can argue there's a lack of sympathy from the public.

The issue has dominated news reports and web blogs with outsiders pouring out condolences for this blighted country. Because of Haiti's lack of capital for self-recovery, philanthropists are eager to rebuild. While the question of need is sufficiently clear, what will it take to rebuild Haiti?

Shoddy construction has caused the deaths of 50,000 and counting. Haiti's lax building codes and varying definitions of the term structurally sound are evidenced by the omnipresent chunks of brick and rubble in every picture. The presence of the Red Cross and the attention of the international community may currently place Haiti in an advantageous limelight, but it will take billions of dollars to ensure that another disaster would not have the same effect.

The problem with the effort in Haiti is the fact that the work will not simply be mending the broken parts, the goal is to revamp the country to survive both future natural threats and the cost of everyday living.

The effort to bring Haiti past the status quo will be a long-term effort. An overhaul of an entire standard of living will be no easy feat. While telethons planned and hosted by A-list stars like George Clooney, wearing ribbons for remembrance, and donating money via text message are all progressive methods of achieving awareness, there needs to be a great degree of accountability.

An excess of $200 million has already been donated so far, yet this figure is merely a drop in the bucket as to what is actually required. Four billion dollars was raised for Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Two billion dollars was contributed after the tsunami hit Indonesia. The support for Haiti will have some severe competition in the form of an economic downturn and global recession.

A disaster has the perverse skill of causing reflection. Whether it has caused spectators to discover the value in their lives or direct participants to ask questions of deservedness, the earthquake that hit Haiti has provided an opportunity to rebuild a better tomorrow. Yet rushing in with the cavalry will only be as effective as the most organized strategy. Only when Haiti is eventually returned to its people will the success or failure of the rebuilding process be evident.