Forum looks at ideological stalemate

[NewsWhore]

A forum in Santo Domingo with the imposing title of "Regional and cross-border environmental management: a challenge for international cooperation" has raised what, in the light of the speakers, might be called "ideological entrapment" on the issue of how Dominicans and Haitians think about each other. The German aid agency GTZ sponsored the forum and the featured speaker, Harold Dilla, stated that the predominant economic activity on the border consisted of short-term accumulation of capital, indiscriminant use of the environment and natural resources, and social exclusion and poverty. He said, "On the Dominican side nearly 60% of the population is poor and on the Haitian side nearly 100%." The specialist on cities and frontiers said that the manipulation of history and culture on both sides of the frontier have led to an inability to reason about the mutual benefits of the situation. Dilla said he was worried about the impact that these economic activities were having on the environment, particularly on water resources. He said that demographic pressures from the Haitian side were an important issue. Looking at the results of international cooperation efforts, the keynote speaker said that most efforts have been uncoordinated, piecemeal, and inaccessible for many groups along the frontier as well as having little social effect.

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