Francia Simon. Photo www.rnw.nl
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The Hague.- This year’s KidsRights International Children’s Peace Prize was awarded to 16-year-old Francia Simon, of the Dominican Republic, on her efforts to get IDs for children of her Batey (sugar cane workers village).
Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú handed the award to Simon, as a way to show that “a part of Children’s rights are often an abstract topic deliberated over by lawyers and other scholars.
”The award.ceremony was held in the Ridderzaal (Knight’s Hall) in The Hague.
“The Dutch foundation KidsRights is showing the world that there is another way of approaching this issue: by putting children who help their peers in the spotlight. Out of 80 entries from all over the world, four were shortlisted for the 100,000-euro prize,” said Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
Francia fights for registration
"Francia wants all children to have the right to be registered, and to have a name and a nationality. Many children in the Dominican Republic, and in particular children who have fled neighbouring Haiti, do not have a birth certificate. Officially these children do not exist. As a result they cannot go to school, use health facilities and they have difficulty getting a job later in life," adds Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
From: Dominican Republic, Santiago de los 30 Caballeros
The international community urinates on our constitution and sovereignty once again.
Written by: anthonyC, 30 Nov 2010 9:52 AM
From: United States
Until the D.R. wakes up and realizes they need to start a comprehensive P.R. campaign the media will always favor the Haitians in any issue regarding the D.R.
From: United States
Countries are a sum total of individuals and act collectively and in unison as if it were one single person. Humans do the same, compensate for the areas in which they have deficits and used it to their advantage.
Similarly, Haitians for ever have cried poverty and to gain sympathy for ever have played on the hearts of others , the role of damsel in distress unable to free herself from a curse or captivity. It is the only tool Haiti has to their advantage and learn to use it quite well. The only person capable of rescuing her is an altruistic hero figure, the DR. Whereas the DR has done so much to assist Haiti but in the end always ends up looking like the bad guy. No matter what the DR does, it is just never enough.
The only way the DR will look like the hero, requires a sacrificial ransom Christ savior of the Haitian people is to eliminate the border and let them all freely enter the DR and bestow Dominican naturalization, anything less then that is irrelevant and a moot poin
From: United States, Chicago, IL
Guillermone, its certainly a messy situation my friend. Just as in Haiti, DR has many actors with different interests and circumstances. There are Haitians and Dominicans profiting the plight of Haitians and Dominicans. There are Haitians and Dominicans being taken advantage of with or with out consent. Two poor places, one way richer than the other. corruption and drug cartels running rampant on both sides. money and force comes first. nationality fits in where it can.
its a shame all the good stuff your country does can get lost in the bad things happening. DR is certainly NOT the bad guy. its not even a guy. its a buncha guys (and girls lol) doing abuncha different shit, a lot of it good. but we don't always hear about it. I feel for you!
Written by: Pepe32, 30 Nov 2010 8:31 PM
From: Dominican Republic
According to our CONSTITUTION she is not Dominican ...she is a Haitian refugee without documentation from her government!
If these people really want her to have ID they should sponsor and fund a program for the HAITIAN government to document ALL of its people inside and outside of Haiti!
Rigoberta Menchu is a worthless liar and leftist icon going around the world spreading her idiocy!
Written by: antonio1, 30 Nov 2010 10:13 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Av Santa Rosa, La Romana
It don't matter how white or black you are, if you don't speak like us, you are no Dominican....If baby sister Francia talk Dominican then she is Dominican, case close....hope some of the guys who speak funny don't take offense//
From: United States
Rigoberta Menchú is a commie. She loves to hang around Evo Morales. She wants to be the first lady of Bolivia.
Written by: Atabey, 1 Dec 2010 8:03 AM
From: United States, NYC
AC,
I agree. The DR has done one great job in NOT addressing its pitiful response to the international campaign against the massive plight of poor indigent Haitians streaming across the border until lately. And the lack of organization and strong institutional control over the matter is at the heart of the issue. There are as several people have said, various interests, on both sides of the border, that have played upon this lack of organization to create the modern day chaos and disorder surrounding the issue. This process already having given way to close to two million Haitians entering DR has created a huge internal dynamic that is not likely to be corrected, even IF Haiti somehow began to rise from the abyss next year. I see no counter-arguments being expressed by the leadership of the DR to this process and this leads me to think that there are interests involved that facilitate the process. People have been known to sell their mothers if the price is right. :(
Written by: Atabey, 1 Dec 2010 8:16 AM
From: United States, NYC
One thing that really gets the international community fired up and act in its self-serving and hypocritical ways is the use of racist sentiments on the part of Dominicans on this issue. These racist views and opinions have created the false impression that this issue is one of RACE and not one of identity and national coherence. So all those Dominicans that express themselves in insensitive and disparaging ways against Haitians should realize that their words HELP the Haitians in the PR game. DR, if it still has a chance to correct its very poor hand in the game, needs to develop a far more sophisticated and timely PR campaign. Many Dominicans are actually GIVING the process all the wood and fuel it needs to burn whatever vestiges there may exist of a decent and humane counterargument to the enormous demands and dis-articulations the plight of Haitians have caused the nation of the DR. Haiti can only be saved by Haitians. Their identity crisis is theirs and theirs alone.
From: Dominican Republic
She is not dominican, she is a Haitian girl with false identity documents, She was rewarded for violating laws faking documents for illegal Haitian children!!!
From: United States, New York
I hope that the labor made by this young lady would be appreciated from the point of view that really matters, that is understanding the value of EDUCATION, which unfortunately is usually disregarded in our country. I am a very proud Dominican and proud of Francia for her concern on education.
Please let's stop being selfish, racist and stop believing that we are a superior race. We are all the same kind: Human.
From: Dominican Republic
Dear Kikodeivid, noboby is talking about superior race, nobody is talking about the human condition of the haitians, thats comment is about the peace price tha she received for breaking the dominican laws, i am not proud of that because she is not dominican she is an haitian and a forger too.
From: United States, New York
what law did she break? this she stole the papers from the civil registry? Our system has to be a vary bad one!
From: Dominican Republic
Faking documentation is legal?
From: Dominican Republic
Pay for faking documentation is legal? so if i contract a thief to rob a bank i am not a thief?
From: United States, New York
if that is what happened, then I agree with you. We all know that in our country things can be very shady, I think we need to be responsible for our part...
I Do Not support faking papers. But I think that children of Haitian parents that are born in the Dominican Republic, should be able to get their birth certificates, get an education...
Those kids get to the Dominican Republic without their own opinion by their parents, because they are looking for jobs, and let's recognize that the jobs they do most Dominicans would not do it, and I think that we should help those kids have the opportunity of a better life.
From: United States
kikodeivid-I believe in basic human rights for all, but not at the expense of another group of destitute and underpriviledged people. Please do not justify illegal immigration. We are not the US or an American territory. We are a poor 3rd world country with limited resources. We only have 1 slice of bread to share with our own family, nevermind if we have to split it with our neighbor. Yes, we can partake food with others or maybe even let them stay over for a night or two but we can not allow them to permanently move into our house and stay for a life time.
And who said, Haitians only take jobs Dominicans do not want? That is a complete and total fallacy. Pro-Haitian activist always misinformed. Who the hell do you think was doing the work before the Haitians came? Don't you know that an over supply of labor will depress wages for poor Dominicans. A desparate Haitian will work for a plate of food, a couple of pesos, and a spot to sleep for the night. No native will ever do that.
From: United States, New York
They say we do the same thing here in the US. So sad.
From: United States, New York
We know that a big part of our population benefits from money that we send from outside the Dominican Republic. If we treat our neighbors that way, then we can't complain when we are treated bad somewhere else.
Written by: Atabey, 22 Dec 2010 12:15 AM
From: United States, NYC
Immigration neutralizes development
French political scientist Aymeric Chauprade said that the Dominican Republic would not be able to implement a development strategy to improve the lot of millions of its poor citizens as long as it continues to tolerate uncontrolled Haitian migration. He added that issues surrounding this problem are also generating negative publicity in the European Union. He said that, "all policies that try to get the poorest class into the middle class are going to be affected by this migration, and President Fernandez understands this perfectly."
Accompanied by Rosanna Pons, the Coordinator of Geopolitical Studies at the Global Democracy and Development Foundation (Funglode), Chauprade, a critic of United States foreign policy and a defender of the move towards the left currently under way in Latin America, said that the solution to the Haitian problem is not in the hands of the Dominican Republic or the United States, or even France.
Written by: Atabey, 22 Dec 2010 12:15 AM
From: United States, NYC
He said that "the problem in Haiti is one of identity... and they won't find their political stability until they find their identity."
Written by: Atabey, 22 Dec 2010 12:19 AM
From: United States, NYC
I for one have acknowledged that DR and Haiti need to develop an understanding in labor matters that is transparent and opened. If Dominican business interests need Haitian laborers fine. Just do it openly and with documentation. In other words, legalize it and with make the system a credible one! To allow this chaos to ensue is in no ones interests, but those harboring sinister thoughts or private interests beyond the mandate of the Citizenry.
Furthermore, the issue is not one of ignorance, but an issue that is at the heart of Haiti's evolution as a State & Nation: Its lack of identity as a Nation. Yes, after more than 200 years, Haiti has yet to find its voice. What is Haiti? For the DR this lack of resolution carries a dreadful result: Our own national development is held hostage by the great waves of poorer Haitians escaping that nation's inferno. Yes, help our neighbor but at what price?
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The international community urinates on our constitution and sovereignty once again.
Similarly, Haitians for ever have cried poverty and to gain sympathy for ever have played on the hearts of others , the role of damsel in distress unable to free herself from a curse or captivity. It is the only tool Haiti has to their advantage and learn to use it quite well. The only person capable of rescuing her is an altruistic hero figure, the DR. Whereas the DR has done so much to assist Haiti but in the end always ends up looking like the bad guy. No matter what the DR does, it is just never enough.
The only way the DR will look like the hero, requires a sacrificial ransom Christ savior of the Haitian people is to eliminate the border and let them all freely enter the DR and bestow Dominican naturalization, anything less then that is irrelevant and a moot poin
its a shame all the good stuff your country does can get lost in the bad things happening. DR is certainly NOT the bad guy. its not even a guy. its a buncha guys (and girls lol) doing abuncha different shit, a lot of it good. but we don't always hear about it. I feel for you!
If these people really want her to have ID they should sponsor and fund a program for the HAITIAN government to document ALL of its people inside and outside of Haiti!
Rigoberta Menchu is a worthless liar and leftist icon going around the world spreading her idiocy!
I agree. The DR has done one great job in NOT addressing its pitiful response to the international campaign against the massive plight of poor indigent Haitians streaming across the border until lately. And the lack of organization and strong institutional control over the matter is at the heart of the issue. There are as several people have said, various interests, on both sides of the border, that have played upon this lack of organization to create the modern day chaos and disorder surrounding the issue. This process already having given way to close to two million Haitians entering DR has created a huge internal dynamic that is not likely to be corrected, even IF Haiti somehow began to rise from the abyss next year. I see no counter-arguments being expressed by the leadership of the DR to this process and this leads me to think that there are interests involved that facilitate the process. People have been known to sell their mothers if the price is right. :(
Please let's stop being selfish, racist and stop believing that we are a superior race. We are all the same kind: Human.
I Do Not support faking papers. But I think that children of Haitian parents that are born in the Dominican Republic, should be able to get their birth certificates, get an education...
Those kids get to the Dominican Republic without their own opinion by their parents, because they are looking for jobs, and let's recognize that the jobs they do most Dominicans would not do it, and I think that we should help those kids have the opportunity of a better life.
And who said, Haitians only take jobs Dominicans do not want? That is a complete and total fallacy. Pro-Haitian activist always misinformed. Who the hell do you think was doing the work before the Haitians came? Don't you know that an over supply of labor will depress wages for poor Dominicans. A desparate Haitian will work for a plate of food, a couple of pesos, and a spot to sleep for the night. No native will ever do that.
Immigration neutralizes development
French political scientist Aymeric Chauprade said that the Dominican Republic would not be able to implement a development strategy to improve the lot of millions of its poor citizens as long as it continues to tolerate uncontrolled Haitian migration. He added that issues surrounding this problem are also generating negative publicity in the European Union. He said that, "all policies that try to get the poorest class into the middle class are going to be affected by this migration, and President Fernandez understands this perfectly."
Accompanied by Rosanna Pons, the Coordinator of Geopolitical Studies at the Global Democracy and Development Foundation (Funglode), Chauprade, a critic of United States foreign policy and a defender of the move towards the left currently under way in Latin America, said that the solution to the Haitian problem is not in the hands of the Dominican Republic or the United States, or even France.
He said that "the problem in Haiti is one of identity... and they won't find their political stability until they find their identity."
Furthermore, the issue is not one of ignorance, but an issue that is at the heart of Haiti's evolution as a State & Nation: Its lack of identity as a Nation. Yes, after more than 200 years, Haiti has yet to find its voice. What is Haiti? For the DR this lack of resolution carries a dreadful result: Our own national development is held hostage by the great waves of poorer Haitians escaping that nation's inferno. Yes, help our neighbor but at what price?