Former Haitian PM Works For Social Impact In Two Ways
This post was originally produced for Forbes.
Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe recently announced the formation of a foundation named in honor of his father, The Dr. Louis G. Lamothe Foundation. The Foundation will fight social injustice in Haiti and complement the work he is already doing through LSL World Initiative.
“The Dr. Louis G Lamothe Foundation is an organization that aims to carry on my father’s work as a socially responsible activist in the fight for an inclusive and united Haitian society,” Lamothe said. “Decades of poverty, squalor, violence, economic insecurity and dictatorship have ravaged our country. As a result, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere with a limited capacity to respond to the effects of political and social instability and natural crises. This Foundation is essential and long overdue as it will focus on providing the Haitian people with opportunities to transform their own country – something my father believed in and fought for.”
Lamothe is also a social entrepreneur and impact investor who leads the LSL World Initiative, which works to arrange innovative financial resources for developing countries around the world. The Foundation will give Lamothe another tool for helping the people of his homeland.
He told me, “I started LSLWI to provide solutions for innovative financing based on my personal experience in the private sector as well as former Prime Minister of Haiti where I had to a do a lot with little, and innovative financing helped a great deal.”
He notes that the success of LSLWI will give “governments the resources to reduce poverty and level the playing field for all their citizens.”
On Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 4:00 Eastern, Lamothe will join me for a live discussion about his work in Haiti and around the world, via both the Foundation and LSLWI. Tune in here then to watch the interview live. Post questions in the comments below or tweet questions before the interview to @devindthorpe.
More about the LSL World Initiative:
Twitter: @lsl_wi
LSL World Initiative is a global organization dedicated to the socio-economic empowerment of emerging countries, with a proven track record of results that benefit the most vulnerable populations. We help governments attain their sustainable development goals in line with national needs and priorities.
Laurent S. Lamothe, former Prime Minister of Haiti, courtesy of LSL World Initiative
Lamothe’s bio:
Twitter: @laurentlamothe
Former Prime Minister, Republic of Haiti
President and Founder of LSLWI, Laurent S. Lamothe successfully served as Prime Minister of Haiti between May 2012 and December 2014, the longest tenure of any Prime Minister in the last three decades. During his time in office, Lamothe presided over the design and implementation of an important social policy agenda that targeted the poorest sectors of the Haitian population. Lamothe also presided over the largest infrastructure development in recent memory that included schools, bridges, roads, and which are now clearly visible throughout Haiti.
Additionally under Lamothe foreign direct investment increased to the highest level since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in the mid 1980s. Under his leadership Haiti pursued reforms that made Haiti a safer and more business-friendly country including 15-year tax holidays and tax breaks to companies investing in the island nation, and increasing the police force by 30 percent.
Lamothe brought to the office of Prime Minister an entrepreneurial spirit and dynamism that earned him the title of “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst and Young in May 2008. More recently in November 2014, Latin Trade magazine recognized his innovative skills by naming him the year’s Innovative Leader of the Americas. Latin Trade noted that Lamothe “helped establish a paradigm shift for Haiti as a destination for investment, rather than simply for humanitarian aid.”
Having grown up in a country affected by poverty and lack of resources at all levels, this savvy businessman has developed throughout his life a deep sense of social responsibility and a strong tendency to assist those in need. Lamothe is a pragmatist who throughout his role in the public sector emphasized practical solutions over partisan politics to address the urgent needs of Haiti. Lamothe obtained a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Barry University in Miami and in 1996 earned his MBA with honors from University of St. Thomas. In 1998 Lamothe founded Global Voice Group SA (GVG) considered today a world-leading provider of ICT solutions for telecom and fiscal authorities. He served as CEO of GVG until he stepped down to assume his public sector duties with the government of Haiti.
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