FYI, for anyone wanting to travel to the other side of the island.
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/440363p-370884c.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/440363p-370884c.html
- Thread starter Ricardo900
- Start date
At least 80 Americans have been kidnapped in Haiti in the past year!!
Richard, um... this is DR1.com.
I understand the connection there is to Haiti with Haitian neighbors prowling through this site and potential visitors to Haiti as well.
But, Haiti is Haiti and DR is DR and this site is devoted to DR.
-NALs:ermm:
I understand the connection there is to Haiti with Haitian neighbors prowling through this site and potential visitors to Haiti as well.
But, Haiti is Haiti and DR is DR and this site is devoted to DR.
-NALs:ermm:
Good point!HOWMAR said:
So, why do we need another thread?
I think what needed to be said about this subject has been said and then some.
Another thread of the samething may not bring to the table anything new, other than the same responses from before but with different words.
-NALs
My name is RICARDO, not Richard since the last time I checked my birth certificate and passport, but anyway, Since many posters acquire about travel into Haiti, (http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51682&highlight=haiti)NALs said:
http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46084&highlight=haiti
I thought this would be an informative post, so yes it is somewhat Dominican related, since many DR travelers sometimes would like to visit Haiti. Thanks for pointing this out for me.
Sorry RICARDO for translating your name into the preferred language of DR1ers.Ricardo900 said:
I'm not really criticizing you per se, just wondering why people keep creating more and more threads about this subject since all the other threads say pretty much the same thing over and over again.
In any case thanks for the info, eventhough it simply reiterates what has been said in other threads.
-NALs
By all means, if this thread turns into one of those nasty DR vs. Haiti debates, then the powers that be, by all means should close it down, because it was not my intentions to stir up contraversy.
Ricardo
Ricardo
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NALS seems to be a little touchy today. Could it be that he is Haitian? Why not, If I remember right he has lied about other things.
Chuckuindy
Chuckuindy
I understand the relativity of this info and very much appreciate you posting it, as there is no question that we are frequently asked about the safety issues of crossing over to Haiti from the DR, and if we, as DR1ers, cannot respond with the correct info, who can?Ricardo900 said:
Howmar, assuming this thread would had actually developed into a full fledge discussion on the situation in Haiti, I would have said the same thing you quoted from me!HOWMAR said:
And the same general message that was said in other threads by everybody else would be repeated here again.
Thanks for proving my point!
-NALs
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Neither!chuckuindy said:
Just wondering why similar threads keep appearing in such a short time period.
The same thing occurs with the crime in DR issue (it seems to have seasons when it sprouts all over the place in a short time period then it abruptly ends until it sprouts again), etc.
What's wrong with simply posting everything in ONE thread?
My, it's incredible how quickly people fall into speculating! I wonder how often people simply speculate on this board in general?:ermm:
-NALs
The Economist also had a recent (July 25th) article in regard to the current violence level within Haiti:
the economist,
Quote:
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More than 2,000 people have been kidnapped for ransom in Haiti over the past two years, according to one report. Though most victims by far are locals, the situation seems to present a growing risk to foreigners.
Some 50 Americans (including children) have been abducted in the last year, according to the US Department of State, which has renewed a travel warning for its citizens visiting Haiti. Only one other country in the western hemisphere—Colombia—is featured on the US’s list of places with similar safety advisories. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation says Haiti has surpassed Colombia as the riskiest country in the Americas for kidnapping
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The UN has a force within Haiti which is over 9,000-man strong, but even they haven't been able to stop the violence within the quarter-island Haiti occupies.
the economist,
Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">
More than 2,000 people have been kidnapped for ransom in Haiti over the past two years, according to one report. Though most victims by far are locals, the situation seems to present a growing risk to foreigners.
Some 50 Americans (including children) have been abducted in the last year, according to the US Department of State, which has renewed a travel warning for its citizens visiting Haiti. Only one other country in the western hemisphere—Colombia—is featured on the US’s list of places with similar safety advisories. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation says Haiti has surpassed Colombia as the riskiest country in the Americas for kidnapping
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The UN has a force within Haiti which is over 9,000-man strong, but even they haven't been able to stop the violence within the quarter-island Haiti occupies.
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Ricardo, you thinking of visiting Haiti? I just got back from yet another trip, and frankly while I agree that one should be vigilant, since the situation, mainly in PAP, is very unstable, there is no security, still the fact is that reports such as this do not reflect everyday reality and in order to be interpreted correctly one must look at the details. The campos for example are very quiet, and I dont find them much different from small town life on this side of the border -- though in fact Haitians tend to be more low key, quieter, dont make so much "bulla" and they respect your private space more. Then there are towns like Jacmel where you find a thriving art center, tourism, beautiful old architecture, etc. The spectre of "Haiti" as it is represented in the media -- and by various members of this board who have never been there and know nothing about it -- is one thing, a big bogeyman, but Haiti in all its various manifestations as a vibrant and rich culture is quite another. I admit, haiti is one of those places you either love or hate, there is little middle ground, but if you do happen to love it, then its virtues are quite unmistakeable.
I wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to people. In fact, once you get past the prejudices and stereotypes you will be surprised to find that it can be quite charming and shares much in common with our side of the island.
also it is absolutely ridiculous to object to posts about Haiti on DR1 since in fact the two sides of the island are so intertwined. Moreover, I just dont see the point of policing discussion on this board to the point that spontaneous discussion and a bit of rambling is effectively choked off. So there have been previous threads, so what? the server cannot fit it all in? what is this preoccupation with thematic purity? Lighten and loosen up.
I wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to people. In fact, once you get past the prejudices and stereotypes you will be surprised to find that it can be quite charming and shares much in common with our side of the island.
also it is absolutely ridiculous to object to posts about Haiti on DR1 since in fact the two sides of the island are so intertwined. Moreover, I just dont see the point of policing discussion on this board to the point that spontaneous discussion and a bit of rambling is effectively choked off. So there have been previous threads, so what? the server cannot fit it all in? what is this preoccupation with thematic purity? Lighten and loosen up.
I think one of the original quoted threads the op referred to was one of mine.
I did post the question here on DR1 because of the RD related question I had.
I had been to Haiti and had a great time and of course a fabulous time in the RD.
I get back home and in my local newspaper is an article about how many missionaries are not returning since they are a more likely target and the UN officials are too well guarded.
With less aid how many more Haitianos will try to enter the RD?
Now, this may not be totally related but with over 2 million (known) Haitianos living in the RD-what will effect will this have on the RD now?
I too agree that it is somewhat of a related issue in the RD and good flow is always a refreshing sight. (Course if I posted this in the Mars thread saying I was writing this in the nude - this would get 10 x's the views and replies).
Just my two gourdes (for today anyway)
I did post the question here on DR1 because of the RD related question I had.
I had been to Haiti and had a great time and of course a fabulous time in the RD.
I get back home and in my local newspaper is an article about how many missionaries are not returning since they are a more likely target and the UN officials are too well guarded.
With less aid how many more Haitianos will try to enter the RD?
Now, this may not be totally related but with over 2 million (known) Haitianos living in the RD-what will effect will this have on the RD now?
I too agree that it is somewhat of a related issue in the RD and good flow is always a refreshing sight. (Course if I posted this in the Mars thread saying I was writing this in the nude - this would get 10 x's the views and replies).
Just my two gourdes (for today anyway)
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macocael, I was considering visiting friends in Dajabon, and possibly taking a quick peek across the border during the day. Kidnapping in Haiti is not a new topic, but it usually focused on Haitians being kidnapped not americans, it was just for FYI purposes.
Sure I understand Ricardo. Dajabon has a been a bit tense in the past few months, so it might not be the best place to have a look around, but it is perfectly possible.
Jrf I dont know where you got that figure, but 2 million is exaggerated. We have about 8 million Dominicans and maybe around 800,000 Haitians here. Some estimate that the number may be closer to a million but there is no evidence for such a figure. Secondly, the aid workers are not leaving Haiti, if anything there ar emore than ever. The media tends to exaggerate isolated examples and over generalize. There are more aid organizations operating in Haiti than in practically any other country. I sometimes think they outnumber the native population.
Jrf I dont know where you got that figure, but 2 million is exaggerated. We have about 8 million Dominicans and maybe around 800,000 Haitians here. Some estimate that the number may be closer to a million but there is no evidence for such a figure. Secondly, the aid workers are not leaving Haiti, if anything there ar emore than ever. The media tends to exaggerate isolated examples and over generalize. There are more aid organizations operating in Haiti than in practically any other country. I sometimes think they outnumber the native population.