For the people of Haiti who are looking toward the rebuilding of their country, the are lessons to be learned from Mexico City which was devastated by an 8.1 magnitude quake in 1985. An estimated 10,000 people were killed, a quarter million were left homeless and about one-third of the buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Locals say it took about a year for a sense of normalcy to return. The rebuilding in Haiti is likely to be far longer and more difficult. There an estimated 1.5 million are now without a home. A rescue worker who pulled survivors from the Mexico City earthquake and just returned from Haiti where he was doing the same, says the damage is much more widespread and the victims still in a state of shock.

A sociologist who we spoke with says the biggest fallout from the ‘85 quake was a political fallout leading to a more democratic country. The PRI which had been in power for decades was widely criticized for an inept and at times corrupt response. Unable to rely on government, people took matters into their own hands. This led to more grass roots activism which culminated into multiple-party political system.

Haiti apparently lacks a strong network of community groups which are critical when government is overwhelmed.