Dominican Republic: From independence to cooperation



It has been 165 years since a group of revolutionaries gathered across what is known as the "Gate of Compassion," at the southern margin of the old fortified city of Santo Domingo, to declare our independence from Haiti, a country which occupied our territory since 1822.

In America, a strong trend of liberation movements was in vogue. There were pro-independence movements in Mexico and Central America, as well as in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela among other South American countries.

Juan Pablo Duarte, who had traveled to the United States and Europe when he was only an adolescent, started to perceive the winds of change, freedom and dignity, in the way of life of these countries. Thus, in his heart he fostered the hope of a free and independent nation.

At that juncture, Latin American countries aimed towards obtaining autonomy, commercial freedom, the acknowledgement of civil rights and equality before other nations.

At the end of the 19th century, with the early expansion of the U.S. within Latin America, and observing how during the 20th century, after their participation in the two Great World Wars and having overcome successfully the great depression, the United States achieved super power status, we reach a new century, whose dawn has been marked by a global economic crisis and consequence of the lack of control over the financial markets. And as of today, the powerful nations, in spite of their extraordinary might, need to count on the support of other countries, even those less developed, but rich in natural and strategic resources.

In this century, characterized by globalization and interdependence, powers such as the U.S. and Japan find themselves in a situation of economic recession. Unemployment is deepening every day. A greater intervention of the State becomes necessary to avoid the worsening of the financial crisis and to try to mitigate the rise of unemployment and inflation rates.

The group of most industrialized nations of the planet, known as G-7, has manifested their concerns about the world's situation, and although it aligns with the reform of the global economic system and many of their members adopt interventionist measures for political reasons, they reject protectionism.

In Asia, the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan met on Dec. 13, during the Summit of Fukoka, Japan, and in their joint statement they specified basic principles and guidelines for cooperation between these three countries; a declaration on finance and economy was issued, and they make reference to a tight coordination in this times of financial crisis. Finally, the elaboration of an action plan was agreed, on short and medium term cooperation projects to be executed within the next two or three years.

The recently passed bill by the U.S. Congress, according to the announcement, will allocate millions of dollars in assistance to the victims of the current recession, in the form of unemployment insurances, food coupons, health services, job training and other programs. Over $48,000 million will be assigned to carry out infrastructure projects, such as the construction of highways, bridges and roads. The initiative also combines $281,000 million in tax cuts for individuals and enterprises.

The presence of strong state policy in the solution of the banking crisis, the automotive industry crisis, in the fiscal measures of tax reduction and the increase of spending in schools and roads, to generate 3.5 million jobs, resembles more the Keynesian and interventionist policies adopted after the Great Depression in the 30's, than the neoliberal strategy of the free market.

World Bank's president, Rober Zoellick, stated on Feb. 13, during the G-7 Finance Minister's Summit in Rome, Italy, that the appeal of national policy is very strong, but obviously the facts we are facing do not stop at our national borders.

The adoption of a fresh model or a third perspective seems necessary. One that is not entirely based on state criteria nor leaning towards the free market type. We are referring to the Social Market Economy, fundamental conception of the Dominican Republic's current administration's government program, which has been embraced by our President, Doctor Leonel Fernandez.

The Social Market Economy is an integrated social, economical and political order, characterized by implementing market economy policies, and at the same time, a social policy which supervises the first, representing its essential difference with regards to neoliberalism.

From this perspective, to strengthen this new concept of development it is imperative to drive the transition from the era of pro-independence movements of the 19th century, experienced by all Latin American countries, to the time of international cooperation in the 21st century.

The competitive advantages of each country should be developed. For instance, if the Dominican Republic offers appropriate conditions in terms of geographical location, logistics, trade openness to the U.S., Central American, Caribbean and European markets, it is crucial to profit from this potential.

During the last four years, the Dominican Republic and South Korea have signed about 20 cooperation agreements in areas such as modernization of customs, biotechnology, in the fields of trade, e-government and e-learning, among others. But these are not enough. We have to continue generating more official instruments, and defining other areas of cooperation opportunities between both nations.

South Korea has declared the Dominican Republic as a partner for development in 2008, integrating us to their knowledge-sharing program, implemented by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and sponsored by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. This program is a paradigm of cooperation between nations.

This experience has to be emulated not only in the field of exports, but also in the fields of agriculture, biotechnology, environment and recycling, fisheries and maritime affairs, as well as competitiveness, among others.

The notion of independence in the 21st century - as President Leonel Fernandez once stated, "resides in being tenacious guardians of our national values" - should be accompanied by the new concept of international cooperation, since in current circumstances, it is not only a fundamental tool to achieve development but also a key element to reduce the effects of the severe international crisis.


By Hector Galvan Ambassador of Dominican Republic


Source: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/02/27/200902270068.asp

Creo que los domnicanos podemos dar y en abundancia. no entiendo porque muchos siendo preparados academicamente entran en las sombras. Una de mis metas es propulsar el talento dominicano tanto alla en el pais como por aca.

My name is Marisol Diaz and I’m a full time Blogger/writer making
a living from this new and dynamic medium in the web like
http://hinenicommunications.wordpress.com and
http://hinenimedia.memberlodge.org. My main site www.hinenimedia.com

I hope to help dominicans with my profesion. Placing information on how to get employment, scholarships and travel to Canada. Back in 2004 I stumbled upon an article about ‘Blogging’. I didn’t know it at the time but that moment changed my life. Since then I've become a full time blogger/writer and have blogged on over 4 blogs and founded Hineni media inform. blogs network.

Marisol Diaz:

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked out you main page, and with a quick glance saw that you are an accomplished business person. My congratulations in your achievements, Marisol.
To quote your intro: Hineni Media can help you identify how the content on your site should be labeled,organized, navigated and searched. Have unlimited advertising and communicate with your clients around the clock... I encourage anyone who is interested in furthering their business ambitions to utilize your services.

¿Francamente, no comprendo a que ud. se refiere cuando dice?
no entiendo porque muchos siendo preparados academicamente entran en las sombras.

En este foro hay muchas personas capacitadas en ambos idiomas y parece que participan aqui por que le interesan los asuntos del pais y sus compatriotas. ¿Puede ser que a algunos les interese sus servicios? Espero que lean su oferta aqui.

Este es mi lema - 1 Tesalonicenses 5:5:
"Porque todos vosotros sois hijos de luz, é hijos del día; no somos de la noche, ni de las tinieblas."

I have a deep desire to bring others to the knowledge of God's love for mankind through Jesus His Son; Also, to prepare a people to stand in the day of Jesus' return to Earth. This is my primary motivation for expressing my thoughts on this medium. It's my burning desire to reach those looking for "the true light", Jesus. I'm not trying to make a living, rather, trying to reach those that are alive and want to enjoy a more abundant life. All that I do, I do it for His honor and glory.

Here's a list of the blogs where I attempt to reach friends and brethren:

http://endrtimes.blogspot.com (My main page)
http://ultimaadvertencia.blogspot.com
http://stpem.blogspot.com
http://maranata.nireblog,com
http://falklands.nireblog.com
http://ultimeavis.over-blog.com/
http://arsenio.amagama.com/

Welcome to the Forum, Marisol.
I hope you reach some of our brethren that can use your assistance.


Arsenio.

P.S. How's the weather?

Arsenio,

Nice work on this post. I have been saying for a long time we shouldn't just open our borders to trade with USA we should open it for everybody. The basic law of business is that if is easy to trade or start a new business then it will happen.Gov should help those in need but we just need more jobs to be created and making it easy for business is the easiest.Maybe they should aim at Dominicans outside DR that have been getting educated and find a way to bring them back home to share their knowledge.I'm one of those who got educated but won't go back until they make it easy for me to live there.Lets face it all dominicans want to go back and live in DR is just hard to do so.

I've always felt there is a lot to be learned economically from both Japan (pound for pound champion of the world) and their rivals/cousins the South Koreans. Despite military domination by USA in the first half of 20th C. both places had leaders with the instinct and cunning to keep their economies in the hands of nationals. I would note that both places, Korea in particular, are known for considerable levels of corruption but have not let this be an obstacle to economic advancement. They understood from the start the need to control their own banking & currency systems (and when they forgot they were reminded the had way via '97 currency crisis). More than that they understood the claims made by Westerners about their holy grail 'competition' do not apply in the same way to small nations...both places figured out the value of combines/cartels as a tool for self defense. The West has been terrific at busting down trade barriers like tariffs and other blunt instruments but never fully cracked open these economies because of their culturally based cartel systems...which operate on a level other than just laws and taxes but on the level of collusion amongst the elite in the name of the nation.

Japanese cartel system (pre WWII): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaibatsu
Japanese cartel system (post WWII): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiretsu
Korean cartel system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaebol

I don't know if Dominicans could ever put to use such models since DR culture is not based on Confucianism like theirs...but DR has some elements necessary such as insular elites + institutionalized graft. Ironically what may be missing is a greater sense of 'honor among thieves' in the leadership.

South Korea & Japan, as per Arsenio's article, PROVE there are more options than just capitalism vs. socialism...other more culturally appropriate models. Their situations may have more to teach us than the claims coming from the universities/banks of the USA whose vantage point is that of a mighty, dominant nation. I hope commercial trade with Korea leads to intellectual and cultural exchange, as DR could sure benefit from their example.

Japan, refutation of neoliberalism by Robert Locke (an eye-opening article by a hard right, nationalist US thinker): http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue23/Locke23.htm

Belly:

Bro. I've tried to return before, but, the harshness of the conditions there were just overwhelming.
Heck, I even enrolled for a college education there, but, after considering the obstacles before me, I returned back to my adoptive country. As you point out, just like you I've always wanted to be in my place of birth, to "be-long", to contribute to my native soil; Yet, I'm still roughing it out here in the hinterland with a eye on the Pico Duarte, Lago Enriquillo, La Islas Beata, y Saona, y Guibia our urban Beach. Somehow, I can never find my way back home; It might be the devastating poverty, the lack of civil rights? ( I live in U.S. mostly because of its Constitution) Or, how materialistic most of our brethren have become. I grew up in another era, in another culture, and I just can't fit in there now.

I've read several of your posts on the daily threads; and I find you to be "de verdad", or like the brothers here call: "For real"; And the Boricua-Tainos call "right true". You speak from your heart and that's something that few do now a days. Mostly, it's either their political mind that speaks (office politics), or their worldly ambitions. You seem to have a moral and spiritual conscience which is not typical today. You remind me of my kinfolks back in the day. "Cuando a los perros los amarraban con longaniza". I mean that earnestly. You are a sincere Dominican of the old guard. My hat goes off to you brother.

Hermano, Vivan los Quisqueyanos de valor, y honor!

Vivan los humildes de Quisqueya!

Cuan pocos quedamos......Sin altanerias, sin alardes, veraces como la aguja al compas (brujula)!

El gobierno dominicano deberia de ampliar fronteras por medio de tratados, comercio e intercambios de trabajo y estudios con otros paises que no son USA. los huevos no se ponen todos en una canasta. si USA se hunde el pais tambien! porque? simple todo lo centralizaron ahi.
Hay demasiado talento dominicano profesional desperdeciado y entonces la gente preparada se desencanta y ya no quieren cooperar con tanta burocracia y corrupcion . si nos prepareamos seremos mejores. y si trabajamos con cabeza tambien.


Aprendamos idiomas y obtengamos buena educacion, eso es progreso.
www.hinenimedia.com