Beyonce and Madonna have been added to a long list of performers for the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon. Their agreement to join the Haiti relief effort adds them to a long list of respected celebs, including Denzel Washington, Brad Pitt, Bill Clinton and others.

Beyonce is set to perform in London, while Madonna is going to perform from New York. Other musical performers who are involved include Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, and Stevie Wonder. The telethon is set to be two hours long and will show on all major networks on January 22, and will be broadcast from New York, London and Haiti.

My hope for Haiti is that we think beyond fulfilling the basic needs of the Haitian people. We must think long-term and give hope to a nation that was hopeless long before the earthquake ever hit. We can start by forgiving all of the nation's debt, which appears to be on the table for discussion. Second, we should raise $3 billion dollars in private and public funding for investments in Haitian infrastructure, including roads, electricity and education. Haiti does not simply need our hope and our help. Haiti needs true economic independence.

Let's not create charity. Let's create prosperity.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.