helping the dominican republic

Handel

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Sep 15, 2002
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Hi everyone,
I visited the dominican republic in june for the first time and fell in love with the country. So much so, that I've decided to move there possibly next year june. However, I don't want to find a job and live out my life as some expat. I was moved by the poverty and struggle of the dominicans, and I really want to do something to help improve the state of the country even if just on the smallest of scales initially. My field is ecology, and I am attempting to develop a project that involves creating a sustainable community. A place where locals and any other persons interested,help to create a community lifestyle of voluntary simplicity, light ecological footprint. A model to showcase true sustainable living that can be applied to other communities around the island. Its ambitious. Its also gives hope and inspiration to others who may want to change the state of the country and have no heros or models to serve as guides.
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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Where are you thinking of moving to? Hace you tried the local missionary organisations? Setting it up yourself will be nigh on impossible - believe me!! Too many scoundrels out there & too many "Customs/Cultural differences" to overcome. Concepts of this sort, although VERY much needed, rarely succeed.
If you are thinking of the North Coast, drop me an e-mail as I have a couple of ideas I would like to see implemented but don't have the time to manage!! - Grahame.
 

Handel

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Sep 15, 2002
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Hey Grahame, thanks for replying.

Well, in truth, the fact that it IS needed so badly outweighs the difficulties I might face. :eek:) Like you, we have to start by thinking of some ideas and getting together with others, and then making a go at it. If we sit by and have doubts, we've failed.

Anyways, I wasn't too sure where I would have been located yet. One possibility was in a tiny village called Cruz Verde. About 20 miles north of Santo Domingo in the Monte Plata region. Its near a town called San Luis between the rio ozama. But that isn't set in stone. The North coast, could be another possibility.

I decided too post this on some dominican forums because I knew how difficult it was gonna be if I just showed up and said, "okay lets start changing the world here people!"
Discussing it, hashing out ideas with ppl in the same wavelengths, should come first and develop some clear ideas together about where they want their projects to go. Even if its a tiny start in the begining that ppl might say isn't gonna do a lick, its still somethign we did. We can build on it, grow from it. Lets just get inspired man. :eek:)

Anyways, good to hear from ya, and keep in contact.

Handel
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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Mondongo is your man. Look him up here, I am sure he will want to TALK about this. I think he is Dominican and cries for his country just about every post here but he lives in Mass.

Seems like the thought is close to Communism but what do I know.
 
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Handel

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Sep 15, 2002
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Hola Jazz...thanx for the suggestion.


In truth, I'm just interested in this idea from an ecological point of view. Everything else is purely circumstancial. I figure that one reason ppl in the Dom Rep have allowed their beautiful country and their amazing spirits to be crushed the way it has is because they don't feel the country really belongs to them any longer. People who don't feel useful and are unable to make a real contribution treat their surroundings with disrespect. I apologise if I've offended any dominicans on the forum. I know it isn't every single dominican who behaves this way.

Ecology is about caring about the home we live in. Locally and globally. Its about engendering a sense of pride, of contribution, hope, creativity and of caringness. If we can help people CARE about their home, I say lets go for it.

Reply when you get a chance.

Handel
 

Meredith

LiVe ThE LiFe YoU iMaGiNeD
Jan 24, 2002
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Hi Handel! You are very well-written and have some great ideas, but before you even start, talk to the people in the community where you are hoping to do your work, make sure that is what they need before anything else. That is the most important thing, to talk to the people, get to know them personally, find out the needs of the community and then work with the people who live there for change to happen effectively.
 

lhtown

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Jan 8, 2002
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I can understand the project somewhat, but exactly what are we trying to accomplish? Is the goal a self-sustaining, closed community with everyone sharing everything in common or teaching people to integrate new gardening or energy ideas into their present lives or what?
 

Handel

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Sep 15, 2002
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helping the dominican republic. More info.

Hola everyone,

sorry about all the confusion where my wild and wacky ways of posting are concerned. I was actually trying to hit as many interested people as possible. But I am sorry if it caused confusion.

Respnding to Ihtown's post, Its actually all of the thigs that you mentions. This is a long term project that aims to show the viability and necessity of living sustainable lives for social reasons, health reasons and planetary reasons.

We aren't going to attempt to accomplish huge goals at the snap of a finger however. Poco a poco mi amigo. Little by little.

Meridith, you are absolutely right. Dialoguing with memebers of the communities themselves is where it must begin. Finding out if they really need this and then exactly what they do need. Then working together. Which is why I started this thread. To contact people in the DR who may be in contact with ppl in poor communites or people who work with people in poor communities.

Where I was staying in the DR was extremely poor and unfortunately only one telephone, which isn't uncommon in many other parts. I can call, but that would be expansive to carry out rap sessions over the phone.
I am returning, but that wont until june next year. It might be sooner, but in either case, I wanted to get some of the very basic groundwork done first, despite the fact that I'm in Barbados.

I rememeber someone asked incredulously: " How could you possibly get something like this started when you're not even there yet?" And I totally agreed with her. It sure ain't gonna be easy. But it sure ain't impossible either. I've got all this technology at my disposal, so why not use it?

More on the project now. Yes, it will eventually become a project of multiple communities. Self sustaining to some extent, but also interconnected. A part of a larger web of communities. But that isn't what we're really going to start with. The starting point has to be getting people interested and educated about sustainable communities in the first place.

I propose to use as the starting point of the project, a fund raising, public awarness exhibition. A Village of Hope.

The Village of Hope is an event where we gather together as many as possible of the best practices around the island, region, and globe to showcase hope, creativity and caring.
Best practices could be defined as activities by communities, organisation and individuals that act as excellent models for helping to reshape their living environments locally, into something more ecologically sound.

This exhibition of hope would showcase art, culture, human spirit, alternative sustainable technologies, ideas and concepts.
It serves as a means of rallyinh support, getting locals involved in something to help their community and country, connecting the DR to the outside world as a model for sustainability and positive change and just a great source of inspiration for a people who need to find some way to be proud of themselves.

Sure it's ambitions and idealistic. But I'VE grown soo tired of hearing people cry down idealism. Its dreams and inspiration and idealism that should be validated every day of our lives. So for me, I try to live my life with that as my guiding principle. :cool:

Anyways, if anyone can get in contact with people or organisations who working in poor communities, or who would want to work on this project, pass on email addresses or email addresses of the organisations or whatever.

Hope to hear from ya'll again soon.

Handel
 

Robert

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Jan 2, 1999
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Tony C said:
Blah! Blah! Blah! Can you give any concrete ideas or are you going to continue using catchphrases?

Tony

If you haven't got anything positive or constructive to add, don't bother.
The snide remarks are not necessary and not appreciated.

Don't bother replying on the board to me, do it via email or PM.
 

Meredith

LiVe ThE LiFe YoU iMaGiNeD
Jan 24, 2002
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Handel....

Where did you exactly stay in the D.R? Just curious....
Can you explain a little more on the concept of a sustainable community, I don't think that I completely understand what you want to do and how the communities will be interconnected? Sorry, I just don't completely grasp it.
I have worked in a lot of "poor" communities and have some ties and a few projects that I am actually developing of my own right now. E-mail me and maybe I can help you out :)
 

Tom F.

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Jan 1, 2002
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Getting Started

Handel,

A friend of mine, Eric Johnson, works with Enersol on a project trying to connect classrooms in the DR to classrooms in the states. Enersol is a nonprofit promoting solar electricity in rural areas. From the limited information I have, they found it necessary to work on training programs before internet connections in isolated ares are set up. Cost is prohibitive to just going out and installing the needed technology. I have thought about how rural families would benefit from having access to the internet besides instruction in the schools. I look at my own development on using the internet and try to understand how someone would go through the same process living in la loma.

A water pumping system run by solar providing service to 100 families will cost US$20,000. Planning, installation and maintenance have been difficult. Without someone making money doing it, most projects fall apart. Celular phones run off of solar have generated income for families in some parts of the world, rural calling centers. I can't say enough about how important it is to have $$$$. Find a patron of some sort to get you started.

My long-term plans include doing something similiar in the community of Jaya, San Francisco de Macoris. It will probably take a 5 year commitment to make something like this happen. A staff of 2-5 employees and some $$$$. Probably around US$200,000-$250,000/year to cover expenses and salaries. Obviously you can scale it down. After a few years you may be able to find ways for your activities to have some income generation for the people managing the philontropic part of the work.

I also think that you may have trouble recruiting an entire community to participate but can work in a 10-15 community area where interested families can be involved. You may step on other people's or organizations turf.

Finding people you can trust is the most difficult thing to do. Money dissappears and is used for other purposes. I had a huge problem while a Peace Corps volunteer. I was assigned to a community near Castillo called Los Naranjos. I filled out all the applications when I was first lived there. It was to receive some free (grant) money to finance solar systems in the community and the surrounding areas. After installing the first three systems, it was apparent that my counterpart and myself were doing all the work, and I decided to operate it as a business for Francisco. That pissed a few people off, but my mentor in the solar work, Richard Hansen, pushed me toward doing it as a business. He had tried working with a community association already. The money came 6 months later (US$3000 from Citibank). The community wanted to use it to purchase electrical posts as they were a few kilometers from the grid. I let the Develepment Association in San Francisco de Marcois manage the money. They eventually financed around 80 systems over a year and a half with a 95% collection rate. Some people from the community made a stink but I still feel I did the right thing. The sad part of the story is the Association started to use the money to cover office expenses the month I left the country. It was gone within a year. I discovered this out the following year when I visited. If they would of kept the fund going, the Association would of had access a great deal of project money which came down the line years later.

Tom F.
 

Tom F.

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Jan 1, 2002
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There was a guy named Mark in Rio Limpio near the Haitian border in the north that started a demonstration type farm that employed dozens of people. Great place, does anyone know if it still running?

I see sustainable development having to do with farming practices, water use, waste disposal, and other ways of being productive while limiting our impact on the environment. Organic farming, using renewable energy and a host of other ideas is what I see sustainable development being. The issues of issuing title to the land, absentee ownership, access to education and health care can get wrapped up in the equation. Dismantling a patron mentality is at the core.

A commune type existence might not be so bad. I can do without many of today's modern convinences to have a society not based on consumerism and the pursuit of money.
 

Jim Hinsch

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Jan 1, 2002
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One or more people need to be the thinkers, administrators, ... Not much different than a boss that isn't in it for profit or at least not for greedy profit. I run many of my businesses that way. No employees, lots of "associates". When I win, everybody wins. Everybody gets cut a better deal than they could get elsewhere. It takes a very long-term mentality, something I've seen little of in the Dominican Republic. Maybe the word "sustainable" is a good one.
 

Keith R

"Believe it!"
Jan 1, 2002
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Have you contacted GTZ?

Handel,
Given your interests and the type of on-the-ground expertise & support you're going to need, I really think you should touch base with the German technical assistance agency, GTZ, which has been working on many of these issues in the DR for around 20 yrs.
Best Regards,
Keith

>GTZ Office Dominican Republic
>
>Mr. Ulrich Mohr
>
>C/ Lic. Polibio D?az No. 47
Ensanche Evaristo Morales
Santo Domingo / Dominikanische Republik
>
>Tel.: +1 809 541 1430
>Fax: + 1 809 540 9566
>E-Mail: gtz-domrep@do.gtz.de
 

Handel

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Sep 15, 2002
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helping the dominican republic. More info.

Hey guys, thank you so much for all the great insights. I wanna make some stuff clear where things might be a little vague. Like Meridith's question about what a sustainable community really is.

Tom F gave a good description of what it is in truth. Intelligent living that reduces the heavy impact on the planet by finding solutions to current problems.

I'l toss in my long winded idea of what I see it as also. First, in describing a community, I tend to define it as the relationships between humans, the relationship between humans and non human elements of the natural world. Animals, natural resources etc. The community has as its foundation an economy which serves to improve the state of the community.

A sustainable community also recognises the relationship between humans, humans and non humans and the natural resources. But the Sustainable Community seeks to live in a way which recognises the intrinsit value of humans, non hmans and natural resources outside of the economic value humans attach to them. An ethic, if you will, that seeks to curb exploitation of resources. This does not mean that we don't use them, but we just use them wisely.

We tend to exploit the natural world because our belief is that the only value the planet and its inhabitants have, is a value for the human alone, in terms of ehnhancing economic growth. We do not have an ethic which says that we can only take so muc and no more until we can replenis naturally what we took.

I'll post a couple sites that could give a clearer definition, but as you can see, it lends to broad interpretation.

You've definately given me some good stuff for me to think about Tom. Thanks !!!! The stuff Enersol does sounds like a "best practice" that could be used as a model for indivduals.

To reply to Tony C ;) , I do want to start getting posting some concrete stuff. Ideas in the beginning like community gardens in impoverished areas. Setting up good food boxes. ie, helping communities to set up organic vege gardens, and supplying their produce to supermarkets, individuals who can't grow on their own. Community beautification and clean up projects .
I'm also getting some amazing results with bio diesel. Fuel for diesel vehicles made from vegetable oil, methanol and caustic soda. I'll post some links to the resources on it. Its AMAZING , and IT WORKS !!! Hikes around parts of the island to help locals and visitors appreciate the beauty and fragility of the DR.
And much more to come. Thank for getting me up off my butt Tony.

When you think about it, all these ideas could help with job creation for locals and income for communities.

Jim,
 

Handel

New member
Sep 15, 2002
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helping the dominican republic. More info.

Hey guys, thank you so much for all the great insights. I wanna make some stuff clear where things might be a little vague. Like Meridith's question about what a sustainable community really is.

Tom F gave a good description of what it is in truth. Intelligent living that reduces the heavy impact on the planet by finding solutions to current problems.

I'l toss in my long winded idea of what I see it as also. First, in describing a community, I tend to define it as the relationships between humans, the relationship between humans and non human elements of the natural world. Animals, natural resources etc. The community has as its foundation an economy which serves to improve the state of the community.

A sustainable community also recognises the relationship between humans, humans and non humans and the natural resources. But the Sustainable Community seeks to live in a way which recognises the intrinsit value of humans, non hmans and natural resources outside of the economic value humans attach to them. An ethic, if you will, that seeks to curb exploitation of resources. This does not mean that we don't use them, but we just use them wisely.

We tend to exploit the natural world because our belief is that the only value the planet and its inhabitants have, is a value for the human alone, in terms of ehnhancing economic growth. We do not have an ethic which says that we can only take so muc and no more until we can replenis naturally what we took.

If anyone has any better concepts, chuck 'em into the mix here.

I'll post a couple sites that could give a clearer definition, but as you can see, it lends to broad interpretation.

You've definately given me some good stuff for me to think about Tom. Thanks !!!! The stuff Enersol does sounds like a "best practice" that could be used as a model for indivduals.

To reply to Tony C ;) , I do want to start getting posting some concrete stuff. Ideas in the beginning like community gardens in impoverished areas. Setting up good food boxes. ie, helping communities to set up organic vege gardens, and supplying their produce to supermarkets, or individuals who can't grow on their own. Community beautification and clean up projects .
I'm also getting some amazing results with bio diesel. Fuel for diesel vehicles made from vegetable oil, methanol and caustic soda. I'll post some links to the resources on it. Its AMAZING , and IT WORKS !!! Hikes around parts of the island to help locals and visitors appreciate the beauty and fragility of the DR.
And much more to come. Thank for getting me up off my butt Tony.

When you think about it, all these ideas could help with job creation for locals and income for communities.

Jim, I like your thinking. This is definately an everybody wins thing. There are no bosses. Wisdom groups, administrators and associates are terms that include people more.

Keith, thanks a million for the contact. I plan to get in touch with him when I'm finished with this post.

This looks like a group of really great thinkers here. I feel really great that I was able to hook up with you guys. Just keep thinking and believing that this could really and truly do something to reshape the DR.


links to sustainable edu sites:http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/sei/sustainability/livelihoods/res.html

http://www.moea.state.mn.us/sc/defined.cfm

http://www.sil.org/anthro/articles/sustain.htm
 

El Jefe

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Jan 1, 2002
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Next time, instead of posting twice use the edit feature. Saves time and space...only you and the moderators can edit your posts.