RFK Memorial lays out plan to "Move Forward on Statelessness"

A recent report released by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights is capitalizing on the winning campaign slogan of "moving forward" by re-elected President Leonel Fernandez. The report entitled "Dominican Republic: Time to Move Forward on Resolving Statelessness" reviews the current situation of legal limbo of hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children being denied citizenship in the Dominican Republic against Dominican law. A growing number of Dominican citizens are under investigation for deportation because of their Haitian ancestry.

In March 2007 the Dominican government issued Circular No. 17, a directive requiring registry offices to investigate any birth certificates that had been issued “irregularly” to children of foreigners “who had not proved their legal residence or status in the Dominican Republic.” In practice this circular is being used to de-nationalize Haitians’ descendants, as registry offices are equating being of Haitian descent with fraud.

These investigations lack due process, and recent experience at Batey Libertad and other communities working within the broad consortium of Fundacion de Libertad confirm the systematic denial of citizenship, for example, the denial of national identification cards (cedulas) to Dominican born and raised young men and women.

The report released by the RFK Memorial outlines recommendations to the Dominican government, the international community, and donor nations, including compliance with the DR's "... international legal obligations ensuring that any document investigation is conducted following due process without retroactive application of the law and avoiding the creation of statelessness."

NY Times highlights recent crackdown on Dominicans of Haitian descent

Off the heals of recent reports of the United Nations and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, the New York Times today published a story entitled "Dominican Crackdown Leaves Children of Haitian Immigrants in Legal Limbo". The article highlights the story of Angel Luis Joseph, a Dominican of Haitian descent who's denial of legal papers by the Dominican government has precluded the possibility of a lucrative baseball contract with the San Fransisco Giants. While Angel's story has received some press due to its plot of rags-to-almost-riches, it echoes an increasingly entrenched denial of legal papers to Dominican children, men, and women born with Haitian names or Haitian skin.

L.A. Times on "Roots of Haiti's Food Crisis"

The Los Angeles Times today published a story on the "Roots of Haiti's Food Crisis", highlighting the roots of Haiti's food insecurity. Over 30 years of heavily subsidized U.S. rice imports have created a fundamental dependence on rice and a now decades-old shift away from traditional food stocks. Today, with more than 70% of Haitians living on less than $2 a day, the recent price increases in rice imports have lead to food riots in the capital. David Coia of the USA Rice Federation reports that:

... last year [the Federation] sold $111.5 million worth here, making Haiti the fourth most important market for U.S. producers ...

Rising import prices, combined with shrinking arable land, will continue to stimulate Haitian migration, a trend that's part of worldwide growth in south-to-south migration. And according to farmers interviewed:

There's no turning back the clock ... in a countryside ravaged by floods, soil erosion, misguided trade policy and ongoing landownership disputes.

Johns Hopkins "Lose the Shoes" Fundraiser to Benefit Futbol para la Vida

On April 26th, Johns Hopkins University hosted its first PUGG Lose the Shoes 3 v. 3 Barefoot Soccer Tournament in conjunction with the annual JHU Spring Fair. Thousands of people enjoyed the weekend full of great music, food, the famous beer garden, and this year ... some awesome barefoot soccer. Over 125 people came out to play or watch -- from soccer fanatics to public health advocates -- and the group raised over $2000 for Grassroot Soccer and our very own Futbol para la Vida progam.

Thanks so much to Johanna Chapin -- a visiting futbolista with Las Chicas of Batey Libertad during her time at PUCMM -- for organizing the event and raising funds and awareness for our HIV/AIDS prevention education program. Congratulations to Johanna and all the organizers and participants.