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"Concept Paper"
is drawn up
Progress is Made on Efforts to Establish a Dominican Republic-New
York Strategic Alliance
 NEW
YORK, July 10- Members of Work Groups on the "New York-Dominican
Republic Task Force" gathered together to inform of their
progress and establish the next steps to follow.
On this occasion the Budget Committee produced
a detailed report on the preparation and content of a "Concept
Paper," which captures the essence of the project to
build a Strategic Alliance between the Dominican Republic
and New York.
Such an initiative is being sponsored by
The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE),
an organization founded and presided over by Leonel Fernández,
ex-president of the Dominican Republic.
The paper, which was discussed by Fernández
and the members of the various Work Groups through videoconferencing
from the headquarters of FUNGLODE in Santo Domingo and New
York City College in New York, respectively, this past July
10, will serve to influence on the public policies and private
initiative from both parties.
"Consensus was reached in that this
paper will be enriched with the main ideas from the Action
Plan soon to be submitted by the various Work Groups,"
said María Elizabeth Rodríguez, project's coordinator,
who added that afterwards the paper will be nourished with
suggestions from the various Dominican community groups in
the city of New York.
Concept Document
Ms. Rodríguez indicated that Concept
Paper is aimed to serve as a model for the various fundraising
proposals, as it will be introduced to those institutions,
whether foundations or private companies that may become interested
in this long-term project that will benefit the Dominican
community.
The paper was put together by Dr. Ramona
Hernández, director of the City College Dominican Studies
Institute; Guillermo Linares, former District 10 Councilman
and chairman of Fundación Juan Pablo Duarte, and Walter
Delgado, Executive Director of "Audubon Partnership for
Economic Development LDC".
On the other hand, Mr. Carlos Sosa, financial
advisor to Merrill Lynch, who was invited to address the budgeting
subject, stressed the importance of the Strategic Alliance
project as a platform for the creation of continued changes
within the Dominican community. Sosa urged to identify the
persons and institutions that may undertake the project's
postulates.
On her part, Mrs. Ninoska Uribe, from Cornell
University, stated that the identification of resources shall
not be limited solely to financial resources. She asked for
the identification of all sources whatsoever, in and out the
Dominican community, that may help the project become a reality.
In the talks with the president of FUNGLODE,
it was agreed that the action plans, complemented in some
instances with the research, shall be ready by the first week
in October.
During the videoconferencing, the Work Groups
on health, education, immigration and work force, remittances,
economic development (trade and investment), cultural development,
socio-political development, and sports presented a synopsis
of the works carried thus far. These ideas and research work
will soon be shared with the Dominican community in New York
and also in the Dominican Republic.
Upon listening to the papers from each group,
Leonel Fernández referred to his vision on the New
York-Dominican Republic Strategic Alliance, and stressed the
urgent need to conduct a study on the "Profile of the
Dominican Community in New York," which shall serve to
strengthen the links.
Also, he underlined the importance to create
a Technological Work Group intended to identify the Dominican
technical talents in US universities.
For the project, Fernández proposed
the following steps:
- Each group's Action Plan shall supported by studies,
which shall have sufficient information and strict professional
research as to guarantee credibility and respect.
- Each group shall identify an expert in each area to conduct
such research.
- Examples:
- Education: study the reality of the educational situation
of Dominicans in New York and conduct a comparative
study with the educational system in Dominican Republic
- Health: Study of the health situation of Dominicans
in New York.
- Host a series of "New York-Dominican Republic Task
Force " symposia, which shall also serve as material
for the research.
- Identify financial and non-financial resources, within
and outside the Dominican community in New York and Dominican
Republic.
- Selfprogram with the idea that the project shall consist
in a long-term process that shall guarantee the required
respect and credibility for a sustainable and beneficial
implementation for the Dominican community in both nations..
- El NY-DR Task Force project shall serve as a model to
be reproduced in other US cities.
SANTO DOMINGO, JULY 22,, 2003.
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