Informe PNUD 2008

Available in English? On-line? Where?

I visited the site contained in the DR1 story on this report. It appears from the site that only the Spanish language version is available? True? This report seems very interesting, perhaps controversial. I would like to read it in English; my Spanish is mediocre. I'm being charitable! Thank you.

I believe what he proposes is the DR's only chance of making this a place where those of us who do not want to live in gated communities can live the lives we have until about now.

They should soon translate the summary of the report.

What is most important is that there now will be a base for discussions, as the report effort has compiled a bunch of data for continued analysis.

Yesterday at the presentation, there was not a single government minister.

I participated in the 2005 report. At first it was very criticized, but then even its opponents realized the truth was being said. We need inclusion, not exclusion. If we continue to exclude, we soon will exclude ourselves.

The 2008 report may be able to make a similar impact. It opens wounds, many people will be in denial. It has to be talked out.

Was there at the presentation in the precious Aula Magna of the UASD. I wondered if people understood what was being said.

The summary is already available in English.

See http://www.pnud.org.do/sites/pnud.onu.org.do/files/Resumen_Ingles.pdf

miguelspencer said:

Could you please say briefly the differences in the two reports. Which data show decrease or increase in certain key areas? I have just downloaded the 2005 report.

Miguel

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The 2008 report builds on the 2005 one. The 2005 report established that the relatively low human development in the DR is not the result of the lack of resources, but rather the lack of commitment of the leadership (business, political, social and religious) to long term development and the scarce empowerment of the most influential sectors of society to push for a social pact that would guarantee human development. Basically, there has been economic growth, but this had not trickled down to the people, with the indifference of the powers that be.

The 2008 report takes it a step forward. It criticizes the local style of economic growth and institutions that create wealth reproducing the misery of the people. The most dramatic finding is that the province that has generated the most wealth in recent years, La Altagracia (where the tourism development has concentrated in Punta Cana) has dramatically low human development indexes.

And then it establishes that empowerment of the people is necessary if people are to have opportunities. It sends out a challenge for empowerment, and for this citizens have to become better citizens (including business, social groups, religious groups, even politicians) need to demand the rule of the law for the common good. It brings it down to politics, this time around. By establishing that it has found that human development is a matter of power, and thus, of politics, understanding that politics is the space where power relations are dealt with. And it concludes that historically, given the degree of social, economic and institutional inequity in the DR today, the power structures have failed to build a society that provides access to opportunities except to those that are in power. It criticizes governments, indicating that these have upheld a logic of perverse loyalties: the logic of power for power and to themselves. There is no loyalty with the population nor with state policies nor with development.

It concludes that for a regime of rule of the law to be achieved, where the people can have fair access to opportunities, there needs to be consequences for actions. That is a system of justice that penalizes violations of the law, and an empowered population that exercises its rights. It criticizes that the system of political parties has served to weaken the consequences.

To end, the report states:

"Finally, if up to now the structures and power relations have not generated human development as would be expected given the resources available, have not reduced the inequities nor strengthened the country's institutions, there are no reasons to suppose that they will do so spontaneously in the future. If the society does not organize itself, empower itself and restructure its power relations, there will not be human development. Human development is a matter of power."

Those interested in reading a summary of the report in English, see See http://www.pnud.org.do/sites/pnud.onu.org.do/files/Resumen_Ingles.pdf

Dolores said:

And then it establishes that empowerment of the people is necessary if people are to have opportunities. It sends out a challenge for empowerment, and for this citizens have to become better citizens (including business, social groups, religious groups, even politicians) need to demand the rule of the law for the common good. It brings it down to politics, this time around. By establishing that it has found that human development is a matter of power, and thus, of politics, understanding that politics is the space where power relations are dealt with. And it concludes that historically, given the degree of social, economic and institutional inequity in the DR today, the power structures have failed to build a society that provides access to opportunities except to those that are in power. It criticizes governments, indicating that these have upheld a logic of perverse loyalties: the logic of power for power and to themselves. There is no loyalty with the population nor with state policies nor with development.

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This is crucial stuff. I read the English summary yesterday & am just starting on the whole report in Spanish. It is so terribly important that this report is understood and taken on board. Disappointing to learn that not one single Government minister was present. Were there any opposition representatives (PRD) there? Much of the content should reverberate with what a populist party ought to be about..............

The back cover of the English summary says: '...........There is no reason to believe that political institutions and power structures will change spontaneously. There will be no human development if people fail to organise, to become empowered, to mobilise and to restructure power relationships because human development is a matter of power.'

I wonder how the Human Development Office intends getting the attention from Government for this report which it deserves? How they 'mobilise, become empowered etc' will be an object lesson for all citizens. Do you know, Dolores, whether for example this report will be widely circulated to foreign academic institutions i.e. those who have courses in Latin American & Caribbean studies/economics/sociology/social policy etc? Will it be circulated to the foreign press? Will it be sent to foreign countries with large investments here? Even to companies thinking of investing here?

If this report can have wide circulation & a big impact then I believe that would give citizens hope for change. Currently that hope is missing as was all too clear here:
El Dinero - Informe del PNUD revela 57% criollos quiere irse del pa?*s
Yes it most certainly needs to be used as a basis for informed discussion but perhaps even more so as a basis for informed action.

I wonder what would happen on this island if the politicians were paid a comparative salary with other professionals working here, botellas were removed and all of this surplus money spent on public infrastructure, education, and better wages for police and health sector workers? Can anybody imagine a RD with clean and drivable streets, a professional police cadre, dependable power and water?

This is the kind of report that gets to the heart of the problems in the Dominican Republic, and many politicians are running away from it. The whole report is "crucial stuff" as Lambada stated. Its criticism of the education system I found most interesting along with the information on page 53 Box2 "The laws are broken and nothing happens" This should be pasted on the door of the national palace and also distributed en masse to the population in general.

The following links indicated that there has been coverage which hopefully will generate some interest for the progress of the country.

Entienden informe PNUD es un reto para Rep?blica Dominicana - DiarioLibre.com

Informe del PNUD revela desequilibrio entre casos y jueces - DiarioLibre.com

El Dinero - Desigualdad y pobreza nublan desarrollo RD

http://www.elcaribecdn.com/articulo...d=357335F6D2E84034BE81B1BF1D98F4EC&Seccion=63

Benito Ángeles dice informe PNUD revela la pobreza del pa?*s - Hoy Digital

PNUD resalta desigualdades en RD, centralización del poder y carencias de servicios básicos

Desigual distribuci?n de la riqueza y falta de servicios impiden desarrollo

This link will take you to the link were all the above came from...

Cobertura en los medios | Oficina de Desarrollo Humano del PNUD

E palante que vamos......... LOL:disappoin

Chip said:

I wonder what would happen on this island if the politicians were paid a comparative salary with other professionals working here, botellas were removed and all of this surplus money spent on public infrastructure, education, and better wages for police and health sector workers? Can anybody imagine a RD with clean and drivable streets, a professional police cadre, dependable power and water?

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This is the perfect picture for Scandinavian nations or Switzerland
In DR, it is total science-fiction !
As long as Hispaniola will be shared by Dominicans & Haitians, both sides of this island will be heavily corrupt. It is like rice & beans, g?ira & merengue...

Squat said:

As long as Hispaniola will be shared by Dominicans & Haitians, both sides of this island will be heavily corrupt.

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I don't subscribe to this. I don't subscribe to 'it'll never change' - it jolly well has to and we (expats) have to make ourselves active in the change effort. I think NOW is the time for less corruption and more equitable distribution of power (not unrealistic enough to expect 100% corruption free but a clear start to be made). The Government basically has two choices - they can either have it done the peaceful way 'mobilising for empowerment' as the Report says or...........there's the other alternative. And that would kill off investment stone cold.

Everyone, educated thinking Dominicans and expats alike, knows what is wrong - well so do less educated people as well! And in response to Miguel Spencer I think those of us expats who have a sense of committment to our adopted motherland have an obligation to engage in the work of empowerment. We have had the advantage of a good education & we have skills in social analysis. Consciousness-raising, writing, speaking at Junta de Vecinos meetings, volunteer teaching, supporting organisations which are pushing for peaceful change..............whatever it takes. Active community involvement in whichever way our skills and talents best befit us.

It isn't enough to sit back & say 'not our country' 'it won't change' 'ok for us, most of us have enough money to play the system'. If that is where we stand then we (expats) are among the ranks of the exploiters.

K. I'll step down off the soapbox and thank you for listening.

Sometimes I get this feeling that some gringos, expats what have you, would love to exile Dominicans from their own country so that they can have it all.......ah yes paradise, of course sirvientas are exempt....

A.Hidalgo said:

Sometimes I get this feeling that some gringos, expats what have you, would love to exile Dominicans from their own country so that they can have it all.......ah yes paradise, of course sirvientas are exempt....

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Heck, if all the Dominicans are exiled, I'll be left behind with a whole bunch of white, fat, ugly and old gringos like myself - not a pretty picture.

Why didn't Ministers attend?

IMO, as I've stated several times before, nobody wants to be told by a bunch of outsiders how screwed up they are, and how the outsiders know best how to fix their problems. This is especially true if the outsiders don't bring a "camione de la basura" full of money with the solutions.

The report would be just as accurate if it had simply stated, as the solution,
"change the culture and political systems 180 degrees, become Switzerland".

The DR is what it is. It will change when it's native population wants it to change, and not when the outsiders (I am one) tell them to.

The United Nations Development Report was written by an exclusively Dominican staff. The organization does not use foreign consultants because it acknowledges that natives know what their problems are.

The report seeks to wake Dominicans up to the peril of delegating the development of the nation to politicians that are clearly in it for their self interest.

It will be interesting to see if it will have any effect on the Fernandez administration, especially at a time when clientelism is at a rise and when government costs could surge even more to accommodate in the nation's budget all the people that feel they contributed to keeping Fernandez in power. It is at least a call for Dominicans not to be so complacent and accepting.

Dolores said:

The United Nations Development Report was written by an exclusively Dominican staff. The organization does not use foreign consultants because it acknowledges that natives know what their problems are.

The report seeks to wake Dominicans up to the peril of delegating the development of the nation to politicians that are clearly in it for their self interest.

It will be interesting to see if it will have any effect on the Fernandez administration, especially at a time when clientelism is at a rise and when government costs could surge even more to accommodate in the nation's budget all the people that feel they contributed to keeping Fernandez in power. It is at least a call for Dominicans not to be so complacent and accepting.

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The UN are "outsiders" regardless as to who wrote the report.

The people and gubmint know exactly what is "wrong". But there is obviously no political will to change it.

When the will is there, things may change.

That is exactly the point. The report stresses that the government will not change spontaneously. The people have to pressure it to change.

There are already some movements to empower people. The National Competitiveness Council for years has been working on grouping people in clusters. The clusters work from bottom up. They identify their problems and seek to find their solutions and push so that government does not side track them.

The clusters movement has had funding from the USAID, IDB and soon European Union. The CNC that heads this effort is a government organization, but run more like a private operation. It is impressive to see there are no "botellas" in that office. It is difficult to empower people, but there are several examples of successful empowerment. Others in the country can look up to these, and say, maybe we can do it also.

So, the empowerment theme has been running through several caring sectors of the country that can be influential. What the UNDP has done is given numbers to make this objective, taking the subjectivity out of it, supporting efforts such as that of the clusters movement. Giving people a ball to run with to see if the people in power can wake up. Note that groups with power are not only the government, also business, religious and social groups, too.

Dolores said:

Note that groups with power are not only the government, also business, religious and social groups, too.

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So that's what? 70-80+% of the population, especially when you factor in the devotion to and influence of the Catholic Church? The top 2 Presidential candidates and their parties THRIVE on clientelism, and they got around 94% of the vote. Even with the turnout, that's a big % of folks who have no problem with the current process.

When THEY want "change" things will change in the way THEY want to "change", not when and how some outside groups say they should.

Note: I am NOT saying things ~shouldn't~ change. I am saying that as a practical matter, I don't see a broad movement ~wanting~ change. Vocal pockets here and there, yes. A broad movement? Hardly a blip on the political screen, certainly not enough to break out the pitchforks among the populace.

Now, if ALL subsidies for food, electricity, fuel, gas, etc. were to be eliminated, THEN you'd see riots in the streets. IMO.

Dolores said:

That is exactly the point. The report stresses that the government will not change spontaneously. The people have to pressure it to change.

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The government won't change, as it is an image of the people... This is not Switzerland, and it'll never be, sorry Lambada... I understand your point, it is valid, but it is unrealistic. The governments are corrupt here because the people are corrupt. So far, there's simply no way around it...

Acknowledging that fact doesn't mean we want to get rid of both Dominicans and Haitians to have a "fat, bold, whitish gringa-Hispaniola"... It is just unbiased observation...

Wrong... I have seen lots of subtle change happening. This UNDP Report gives the people who want change an opportunity to push for it.

All may not be lost.