Culture of Peace and Citizen Empowerment: Key to the Border Zone

The study "Border situation and conflict resolution" was presented by Frontera Sur and OBMICA, within the framework of the Binational Cooperation Program Convivencia, funded by the European Union, on April 22 during the Santo Domingo Book Fair (FILSD).

Along the Dominican-Haitian border, positive interactions take place every day, ranging from sports and cultural encounters to dialogue roundtables and good-neighbor relations among individuals, researchers Bridget Wooding and Katy Civolani emphasized. The social scientists spoke while presenting the preliminary results of the study "Border situation and conflict resolution", which analyzes how a culture of peace and citizen empowerment are key to the development of the border area.

"Along the Dominican-Haitian border, experiences of positive interaction and the construction of spaces for exchange have taken place for many years, resulting in the strengthening of important commercial, organizational, and neighborhood relations for the region. However, coordinated intervention by the two states is essential to transform the structural violence present in the territory," explained OBMICA Director Bridget Wooding.

The research was shared by Fundacion Frontera Sur and the Observatory for Caribbean Migrants and Social Development (OBMICA). It was supported by the project "Social cohesion and a culture of peace at the border through the promotion of sports", which forms part of the Binational Cooperation Program Convivencia, funded by the European Union. The results of the baseline diagnosis, which discusses challenges and opportunities for building a culture of peace as a key to development in the border zone between the Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, will serve as input for awareness campaigns on the benefits of commercial, cultural, social, environmental, and sports exchanges between the two countries.

Reactions to the research

Ambassador Espensel Fragoso Furcal, director general of the National Border Council (CNF), reviewed the government initiatives focused on border development that are currently being implemented and the prospects for deepening work in the area through the different bodies responsible for public policy. For his part, Dr. Decatrel Mirville, minister counselor at the Embassy of Haiti in the Dominican Republic, representing Ambassador Smith Agustin, identified regulated and orderly migration, environmental care, and economic policies as key elements for good coexistence. He stressed that work must be carried out jointly through the Bilateral Mixed Commission, a binational coordination body.

About the research

Katy Civolani and Bridget Wooding, associate researcher and director of OBMICA, respectively, shared the findings and recommendations. They recommended that Haitian and Dominican authorities take into account the particularities of the border area, as well as its richness, diversity, and the potential of its economic, political, and social dynamics to promote development and improve people's quality of life.

Despite the many challenges, Wooding pointed to opportunities for cooperation and development in the area, such as binational exchanges and networks, the renewal of the Incentive Law for Economic Development in the Border Area, the value of biodiversity, and the commitment to expand ecological tourism. In addition, there are ongoing initiatives that help set guidelines for bilateral efforts toward the peaceful resolution of conflicts, such as the Cross-Border Dialogue Roundtables (MDT) at the four formal crossing points along the border.

Civolani, an expert in creating spaces for dialogue and conflict transformation, highlighted that community mediation is a fundamental tool for conflict resolution and empowerment: "It is essential to create more spaces that promote intra-community and inter-community coexistence; foster capacities for peaceful response in the event of violent crisis; and define and strengthen common spaces, such as sports, cultural, religious, and educational ones, that encourage dialogue and decision-making."

The closing remarks were delivered by Pedro Cano, director of Frontera Sur, who said that the study can contribute to the design of public policies for border development and to dialogue spaces such as those promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD), as well as the Border Roundtables, coordination spaces with direct impact on the territories. Building development, Cano argued, requires a local, collective, and binational outlook and the construction of bridges toward mutual understanding and citizen empowerment that grant full protagonism in the process to border communities.

The launch event took place in the European Union Pavilion, guest of honor at FILSD 2022, located in the Chapel of Los Remedios in the Colonial Zone, where the fair was held. It included the participation of United Nations Resident Coordinator Mauricio Ramirez, Sonia Vasquez, UNFPA country representative, Wilfredo Lozano, director of the National Migration Institute, Erick Dorrejo, director of Border Area Development Policies at MEPyD, and Telesforo Isaac, bishop emeritus of the Episcopal Anglican Church, as well as a broad representation of civil society organizations and cooperation agencies based in the border area.

Photo caption From left to right: Representatives of the Embassy of Haiti, OBMICA, the European Union delegation, the General Directorate for Border Development, the UN Resident Coordinator, Good Neighbours, and Fundacion Frontera Sur.