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The human rights of Haitian migrants to the Dominican Republic can no longer be overlooked, writes Lizzette Robleto

A favourite destination of British tourists, the Dominican Republic (DR) is known for its sandy beaches and clear blue waters. Yet behind this idyllic façade lie the murkier waters of the DR’s treatment of migrants from Haiti, its poor neighbour. While Dominican-Haitians and Haitian migrants to the DR make a significant contribution to the economies of both the DR and Haiti, they remain largely unrecognised by both states. As general elections in the DR approach this May, the situation of these two groups remains an unresolved challenge.

By 9.30pm the streets of Dili, capital of Timor Leste (East Timor), have few pedestrians; the white vehicles of the United Nations and international aid organisations speed past the tents of the internally displaced and the rapidly emptying beach bars. A curfew has been in place since February when army mutineers apparently attempted to assassinate both President and Prime Minister, leaving their leader Reinado dead. President and Nobel peace prize-winner José Ramos Horta is recovering in a Darwin hospital from stomach wounds and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao escaped injury. How did this newest nation in Asia come to such levels of violence, distrust and division so quickly? writes Steve Kibble

Zimbabwe Election Update (17 Apr 2008)

Nearly three weeks have passed since Zimbabwe's March 29 elections and full results are still pending. Despite our combined efforts to ensure that South Africa, which currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council, take a lead in mediating in the crisis, few concrete steps have been made to halt the current and escalating unrest in Zimbabwe. At an extraordinary meeting of the South African Development Community (SADC) in Zambian capital Lusaka on Saturday, South African President, Thabo Mbeki, opted for "quiet diplomacy". He now looks unlikely to lead a SADC response to the situation.

Growing Tension in Zimbabwe as full election results still not declared (8 Apr 2008)

International development agencies, Progressio, Tearfund, Trócaire, the Foundation for Development and Partnership in Africa (FEPA), and Christian Aid warn that Zimbabwe is becoming increasingly tense as election results continue to hang in the balance.

Beyond the kitchen: advancing women’s political decision-making in Somaliland and Timor-Leste (29 Oct 2007)

Somaliland women queuing to vote in Burco

Although there are differences between Somaliland and Timor-Leste – Somalilanders are Muslims, whereas most of us Timorese are Catholics – there are also many similarities, writes Ivete de Oliveira. Both our countries are poor and have seen conflict in recent years. In both, grass roots organisations supported by Progressio have been playing a strong role in helping to rebuild our countries from scratch. And for me, a crucial similarity is that Somaliland’s culture, like that of Timor-Leste, has historically been deeply patriarchal and resistant to letting women’s voices be heard anywhere but in the kitchen.

Latest Campaigns

Zimbabwe elections
The official results Zimbabwe elections held on Saturday 29 March have yet to be fully released and suspicions of fraud and mismanagement are rife. It is imperative that you act now in solidarity – the future of a country hangs in the balance.

Terminator technology
In May 2008 European governments will meet at the Convention on Biodiversity in Bonn to discuss Terminator Seeds. We want them to uphold and strengthen the ban they made in 2000. Poor farmers in the developing world need your help to make this happen.

Latest publications

Unless the grain of wheat shall die: The moral and theological case against Terminator

Unless the grain of wheat shall die book cover. Image of a farmer in Azuay province, Ecuador.

Sean McDonagh and Donal Dorr
In this Comment, Sean McDonagh and Donal Dorr argue that Terminator technology (the genetic modification of seeds so that they become sterile after the first planting) poses an unacceptable threat to poor and marginalised small-scale farmers and to the world’s environment, and is fundamentally wrong on moral and theological grounds.

Interact Spring 2008

Progressio
Changing lives: How Progressio development workers help change people’s lives. Plus articles on illegal logging in Ecuador, women’s roles in Somaliland and a question of faith in Yemen.

Becoming Somaliland

Hombre somali pasando por delante de una bandera de Somalilandia. © Stuart Freedman/Panos

Mark Bradbury
Since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, the Republic of Somaliland has successfully managed a process of reconciliation, demobilisation and the restoration of law and order. This book - the most authoritative account to date of the birth and growth of Somaliland - explores why Somaliland has not followed Somalia into 'state collapse', and considers issues of post-conflict resolution and state-building that will be of relevance and interest to all concerned with peace and progress, not just in Africa but worldwide.