Archive for category Perspectives
Dominican businesses promoting cooperation with Haiti
Posted by ONeil in Perspectives on November 5th, 2009
New flyer from the mobile telephone company Orange promoting their service to Haiti
Today was an odd day for news on relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. On one hand, the reporting of interview that the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, gave to a local newspaper focused on the “heavy weight” that Haitian migration imposed on the Dominican Republic (link to story in Spanish). On the other hand, Haitian and Dominican business leaders jointly announced a plan to increase binational cooperation.
However, my favorite item of the day was the flyer that the mobile phone company, Orange, is handing out in the Dominican border towns (shown above) that highlights their promotion of cheap phone calls to Haiti–”You can call Haiti for the same price as a local call.” This is quite a change from the normal pricing which has phone calls to Haiti at four times the cost of a local call. Not only is this a great message of solidarity, it is also accompanied by a great image.
Is the Dominican Haitian border as unique as we think it is?
Posted by Molano in Perspectives on October 19th, 2009
Pedernales - Anse a Pitre Border. Photo by Andy Wilson.
By Sebastian Molano
Those of us who have had the privilege of knowing the area which geographically divides Haiti and the Dominican Republic are continually intoxicated with the sensation of experimenting with a reality completely different from anywhere else on earth. Certainly the isolated situation of these two nations, the undeniable reality of Haiti and the possibility of intervening in the dynamics of the frontier from the Dominican side, can both contribute to and exacerbate the existing conditions of this border.
However, is the Dominican Haitian border as unique as we think it is?
Why is Haiti so much poorer than the Dominican Republic?
Posted by ONeil in Economy and Trade, Perspectives on August 28th, 2009
Haitian Woman in Ouanaminthe
One of the fascinating aspects of our activities along the border is the chance to work in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This island of Hispaniola (or Quesqueya as the Haitians prefer) is less than half the size of Florida and yet is divided between two very different worlds. Although neither country is well-off by US or European standards, the Dominican Republic is doing dramatically better than its neighbor. Whereas the Dominican Republic’s economy is based on exports and tourism, most Haitians work in subsistence agriculture. Over much of the last forty years, the Dominican Republic has had one of the fastest growing economies in the hemisphere while Haiti has had one of the slowest. In real estate, brokers say that the value of a property is based on three factors: location, location, and location. Yet somehow, Haiti’s location has not helped its value. Read the rest of this entry »
Amarilis Castillo-Caramés: a Leader for the Borderlands
Posted by ONeil in Perspectives, Volunteering on July 5th, 2009
Amarylis Castillo
Amarilis Castillo was born in Las Matas de Fanfan in the Dominican Republic, but had to emigrate to the US as a young woman. She lived 24 years in the U.S.and became a psychologist and social worker. In spite of this success, she remained concerned about the poverty back home in the Dominican borderlands. “I thought constantly of the people who were always empty-handed and wearing the same torn cloths.” Amarylis said. “I always wanted to return home and do something about it. I Worked with senior U.S. officials, including members of the Black Caucus. It has always had a strong belief in people and their ability to affect change.” Read the rest of this entry »
Developing Haiti (and the DR) from the border inwards
Posted by ONeil in Economy and Trade, Perspectives on July 3rd, 2009
We’ve spent nearly six years wrestling with development in the Haitian-Dominican borderlands. We’ve made some big mistakes and had some big successes. As we begin sharing what we know of the borderlands, it seemed appropriate to start with our lessons learned. Read the rest of this entry »
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Perspectives category.
-
