UNPHU Social Affairs Forum. Timeline of the search for solutions to the problem with Haiti, from the academy

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña has been working since July 22, 2022, on the Haitian problem, launching the UNPHU Forum on Social Affairs. There are already five forums held with the aim of contributing to the solution of the social problems that directly and indirectly affect the Dominican nation, through an academic vision with a projection to the present and a view towards the future, in which democratic openness prevails.

Since the creation of this project on social affairs, the analysis of the situation of the Dominican Republic in the neighboring country has been proposed as the main topic. From the beginning, a discussion table was set up with the topic: Present and future of relations with Haiti, the challenges of a good neighborliness, which has generated interest from academics, environmentalists, politicians, writers, journalists, architects and experts on border issues. This has given rise to debate in search of solutions to the existing problems, from their origins in colonial times to the present.

The first day began on January 19, 2023, with the Present and Future of Relations with Haiti seminar. The challenges of good neighborliness. On that occasion, the Dominican-Haitian relations were discussed in depth, with emphasis on the following topics: The internal Haitian crisis and its impact on the country and the subregional level; the current and future challenges of immigration and Haitian social and political instability; the economic consequences of massive illegal immigration on employment and the social security system; illegal immigration and urban marginalization. The historians Miguel Reyes Sánchez, José Miguel Soto Jiménez, and José Chez Checo participated in this day. Miguel Guerrero and Reynaldo Espinal participated in the afternoon session, as did political leader Pelegrín Castillo and sociologist Wilfredo Lozano, director of the National Institute of Migration. 

Welcoming words were offered by the rector Architect Miguel Fiallo Calderón, who indicated that the desperate situation in Haiti requires resolute and effective action by the international community and its complex network of governments, agencies and organizations; concurring with the opinion of the speakers. The closing of the forum was made by the president of the University Foundation Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Arq. Raúl De Moya Español, who said: “The University Foundation Pedro Henríquez Ureña (FUDPHU), has the commitment to collaborate with society, and UNPHU, as an academy, has to seek truth above its own convictions.” He also declared the space open and permanent, and said that what is sought is to generate beneficial actions for the situation.

The second edition took place on February 22, 2023 and gave continuity to the topic of Dominican-Haitian relations. The purpose of this meeting was to provide answers that lead to beneficial formulations in the search for solutions, both from the audience present and from experts.

Wilfredo Lozano, José Chez Checo, Miguel Guerrero, Nelson Rodríguez, Enmanuel Castillo, Franklin Dominguez, Juan Daniel Balcácer, Persio Maldonado, Nilo de la Rosa and Fernando Pérez Memén participated in the debate. On the part of UNPHU, they were the Architect Omar Rancier, dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Arts; Dr. Leonardo Conde, dean of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences and the later deceased, Dr. Juan Alfredo Biaggi Lama, then dean of the Faculty of Legal and Political Sciences

Subsequently, on March 17, 2023, the university moved to the border area of the country, in the Restauración municipality, of the province of Dajabón, to continue with the analysis and debate. With the event, UNPHU ratified the support for the call made by the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader in those days; joining efforts in the academic sphere, with those of the government and other forces of the national scope that show concern and explore possible joint solutions to the existing problem with the neighboring country. On this day, the deans, Dr. Leonardo Conde and Architect Omar Rancier. Miguel Guerrero, director of the UNPHU Forum for Social Studies, participated in the discussion, as well as prominent personalities from the province of Dajabón.

On July 11, 2023, the fourth edition of this event, the progress in the planning of the Border Zone, considered one of the priority strategic actions to be carried out in the topic of relations with Haiti, was discussed. It was proposed that this process would cover the 7 provinces that form the border area, Montecristi, Dajabón, Santiago Rodríguez, Elías Piña, Independencia, Bahoruco and Pedernales. The main speaker was the Architect Erick Dorrejo, director of Border Zone Development Policy, MEPyD, and as panelists were José Castillo, sociologist; Rafael Bello, Economist; Architect Milagros Nanita, of the Institute of Higher Education in Diplomatic and Consular Training (INESDYC) and Architect Mizocky Mota, by the School of Architecture and Urbanism at UNPHU.

Facing the crisis between the two neighboring nations over the construction of a canal by Haitians on the Massacre River, on October 11 of this year, the 5th Social Affairs Forum entitled “The Massacre is Passed on Foot” was organized. Conflict of a canal in the river”, where environmentalists analyzed in depth the existing problems of the Massacre River, and the conflict of this canal. This space led to the debate between experts on environmental issues, in which the environmentalist Luis Carvajal, and the engineers Osiris De León and Leopoldo Taveras participated as panelists.

Luis Carvajal stated that the real problem is the decrease of the water available in all the flows and tributaries of the Dajabón/Masacre river basin and presented official statistics and measurements on the area, the river in question and its affluents. The gradual decrease in the flow rate, which has accelerated in recent years, was demonstrated; Meanwhile, Engineer Osiris De León agreed with what Carvajal proposed; he added updated contextual elements through aerial photos, pointing out that many of the technical data that have been presented have not been properly interpreted, causing unnecessary confusion in the public opinion. For his part, Engineer Leopoldo Taveras, professor at UNPHU, Faculty of Science and Technology, highlighted how the border with Haiti has various land and water sections, the largest being the first, and that the use of water has been equitable to the extent of needs, declaring that from the Artibonito river Haiti benefits the most.

Finally, the panelists concluded that peace must be the end of all discussion, with the equitable and consensual use of common resources by both nations, establishing clear and duly respected rules.

UNPHU Social Affairs Forum

The Social Affairs Forum of Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, is a space open to discussion of relevant issues and committed to the analysis and discussion of national problems, in order to generate answers and solutions from academia, and coordinated by the Faculties of Architecture and Arts and of Economic and Social Sciences.

Yajaira Soriano / Manager of Public Relations and Marketing

Contact: 849- 803-2022