On the fifth of December 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered Haiti, and he was surprised by the beauty of the sight seen; he called it "pearl of the islands." Five hundred years later, the beauty is still there, but it has been the scene of rampant exploitation, poverty, resistance, and revolt. Half a century before the abolition of slavery in the United States, the Haitian slaves had the extraordinary audacity to chase their masters and proclaimed the first Black Republic of the world. 500 Years of Exploitation explores what role Haitian expatriates and the international community and can play in this tragic nation"s transition from survival to developing country.