Dominican Republic/ Haiti

	Progressio country representative in Santo Domingo:
	Sonia Vasquez
	Regional Manager in London:
	Osvaldo Vasquez
	No. of development workers currently in post:
	12
	We have been working in Dominican Republic since 1989

Following the earthquake in Haiti on 12 January 2010, we are focusing our efforts on supporting the survivors of this terrible event. Our staff and development workers are playing a key role in the Ayuda a Haiti (Help Haiti) platform of organisations, helping to coordinate the relief efforts. We also have development workers in Port-au-Prince, using their specific expertise to help deliver emergency aid. And we'll be there in the long term, helping Haiti's people rebuild their lives.
 
Progressio's work to date in the Dominican Republic and Haiti is described below.

Progressio has been working in the Dominican Republic since 1989, focusing on its three themes of developing a sustainable environment, combating the spread of HIV and AIDS, and promoting greater involvement of the people in political, social and economic decision-making affecting their lives. Following the military rule of most of the twentieth century, the restoration of democratic rule in 1978 enabled Progressio and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to work in the country.

Progressio has strengthened the capacity of civil society organisations in the Dominican Republic and Haiti to achieve political and social change to improve the quality of life and achieve greater gender equality in poor rural communities.

Specifically Progressio's development workers have:

• supported the work of partners who are arguing for the introduction of laws and regulations favourable to organic production, biodiversity and protection of natural resources
• worked alongside Dominican and Latin American partners to bring together farmers, researchers and government policy-makers in a seminar on genetically modified organisms
• raised awareness and debate on the economic, environmental and political impact of free-trade agreements and better alternatives to free trade agreements
• secured improved legislation relating to HIV and AIDS, in order to reduce the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among the general population and principally among women and young people
• supported partners to influence the country's changed constitution, so that it incorporates agroecology, sustainable agriculture, HIV and AIDS rights, and the rights of Dominican-Haitians
• Organized the diploma on local development and municipal legislation with a gender perspective, forming more than 55 community leaders.
  
• Monitored the drafting of the national plan of regulation of migrants and the reform of the Dominican constitution so that it complies with human rights standards.
• Monitored the participatory budgets of the municipalities so that they include the most vulnerable and poor people of the area, including their participation on the drafting. Our development workers designed the methodologies used to produce these budgets and have trained and supported communities to participate in this process.
• Encouraged the mainstreaming of gender in municipalities policies and agendas.
• Strengthened community organisations in Santo Domingo and lobbied government on poverty reduction policies and budgets.
• Developed a forestry development plan that meets the needs of rural people in the impoverished Dominican Republic/Haiti border area.
• Promoted access to medical services and counseling for people living with HIV to reduce stigma and discrimination.
• Promoted the implementation of pro-poor policies and services in DR/Haiti border areas.
• Strengthened the ability of women’s organizations to advocate for women’s rights and participation in local development initiatives, including access to treatment for HIV.
• Introduced organic farming and better marketing and distribution of small-scale farmers’ organic produce.

Challenges remain. By 2010, Progressio aims that:

• Progressio's partner organisations, of whom Fundacion Solidaridad recently won a UNDP award for best practice in gender implementation, will continue to tackle gender inequalities, ensuring that local development allows women to be part of decision-making and responds to their specific needs. Partners will incorporate and implement an anti-sexist perspective in their work. This will include training men in these, to enable them to develop a different masculinity, that for example, does not include domestic and family violence.
• In response to the high level of stigma and discrimination against Haitian people with HIV and AIDS, Progressio's partner organisations will train at least ten community groups or individuals to promote the prevention of HIV, and increase women's participation in HIV prevention activities by 20 per cent.
• In response to the bureaucratic and inconsistent international organic certification process, Progressio will support the development of organic farming and agricultural methods by partner organisations to increase locally and regionally-certified plantations.
• Following the gender audit of all Progressio projects in the Dominican Republic, Progressio will ensure an increase in the level of women's participation in local partners' decision-making procedures, allowing them equal access to benefits generated by sustainable natural resource management.