Agents of Change: Identifying and Training Community Leaders to Rebuild Democratic Institutions in Haiti

Haiti faces an acute governance crisis marked by gang violence, a weakened police force, and deep public distrust in political elites. With national elections scheduled for 2026, there is a significant risk that gang-affiliated actors or entrenched elites will capture office, further eroding institutional legitimacy. While some elites have hinted at accommodating gangs to restore local order, citizens’ preferences remain largely absent from these debates. This project asks: Who do Haitians view as legitimate political leaders, and how can trust in political institutions be rebuilt? In many neighborhoods, gang members or vigilante groups command narrow legitimacy through their ability to impose order, while teachers, health workers, and religious figures enjoy trust based on prosocial reputations but lack coercive capacity. Our project investigates whether democratic renewal should incorporate actors with a history of violence or instead cultivate alternative concepts of community leadership. We propose an exploratory study to inform a subsequent field experiment. The intervention would aim to identify actors in citizens’ networks who are seen as both legitimate and trusted. Nominees will then be invited to a civic leadership program. Outcomes will include willingness to run for office, political recruitment, electoral support, and alignment between citizen preferences and emerging leaders.