Worldpress Article on Sonia Pierre and Human Rights for Dominico-Haitians

[Jzakattack]

Hello Everyone --

I've recently had published an article on Sonia Pierre and the question of human rights for ethnic Haitians in the DR. (Human Rights Award Stirs Controversy Among Dominicans - Worldpress.org)

I want to thank everyone on this site for your intellectual contributions, opinions and advice. I'm sure some of you will be dissatisfied with the content of the piece, but I tried to be as balanced as possible. Considering the contributions made by those I've interviewed, I think it's a pretty fair deal.

I'd love to hear what you all think.
Enjoy the holidays and peace to all --

JZ

[NALs]

Good job!

The article was balanced and clearly presented both side of the argument.

I don't agree with a few things Sonia Pierre mentioned, but I usually find myself agreeing and simultaneously disagreeing with her everytime I read or hear her say something about such matters.

In any case, this has to be one of the best written pieces of a topic as delicate as this one.

Often times, I find myself disagreeing with the tone and general image such articles present of the DR, it sort of feels as if they are truly anti-dominican. This article, however, did not gave me such feeling. On the contrary, the feeling I get is that the DR is not being mocked as the worst place on earth, but rather a place with its problems and people disagree as to what should be done or even why such problems exist.

All in all, a fair report. Good job!

-NALs

[bob saunders]

In your article you refer to these Haitians born in the DR whose parents are illegally in the DR as people without a state, yet under Haitian law they are Haitians. Should you not have mentioned this as part of your fair and balanced reporting.

[Mirador]

[quote=bob saunders;469273]... these Haitians born in the DR whose parents are illegally in the DR as people without a state, yet under Haitian law they are Haitians....QUOTE]

Bob, Help me unravel this catch-22. Are you stating that a child born in the DR from parents that cannot produce a birth certificate or cédula are automatically Haitian citizens (and thus non-Dominicans) because Haitian law says so?

[Rick Snyder]

JZ,

All in all a pretty good report but……… as Bob mentioned, and my opinion also, was the lack of stating that which is written in the Haitian constitution and also their lack of ability to hold dual citizenship. It is my opinion that such reporting would have a tendency to present a clearer distinction in the discrepancies of both governments in their constitutional make-up. A form of, shall we say, evenness in reporting so that an uninformed reader would walk away with the thoughts that both governments need to get their acts together rather then giving the impression that it is only the Dominican government that is to blame.

Just my dos centavos.

Rick

[Jzakattack]

Rick --

You and Bob both seem to be standing by the argument that what's written in the Haitian Constitution pre-empts what's already written in the Dominican Constitution regarding those born on Dominican soil. While perhaps I should have added something to that effect in the piece, it wasn't one of the arguments made to me in the course of my interview with the Ambassador, who (obviously) is the voice of the Dominican government within the U.S. Indeed, he made no mention of the Haitian Constitution or Haiti's continued responsibilities for any of these people.

JZ

[aegap]

you should try not to depend on an ambassador to tell you what you aught to know.

[Rick Snyder]

JZ,

LOL, yes, yes I concur. If the ambassador failed to mention it then by all means there was no reason to insert it into the article. When you place it in that context then I understand and fully agree with you.

Have a Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

Rick

Edited to add;
I only wish to point out that if you are to bring up "born on Dominican soil" at any point in the conversation as it pertains to the Dominican constitution then I only feel it proper to mention what the Haitian constitution says about "born on Dominican soil". Nothing more nothing less.

[bob saunders]

[quote=Mirador;469283]

Originally Posted by bob saunders

... these Haitians born in the DR whose parents are illegally in the DR as people without a state, yet under Haitian law they are Haitians....QUOTE]

Bob, Help me unravel this catch-22. Are you stating that a child born in the DR from parents that cannot produce a birth certificate or cédula are automatically Haitian citizens (and thus non-Dominicans) because Haitian law says so?

Not quite, but close, Children born of Haitian parents anywhere in the world are Haitians. This is in the Haitian Constitution. This law is true of many other countries. There is nothing stopping a Haitian living in the Dominican republic from getting papers from the Haitian embassy/consulate, and getting them for their children as well, regardless of where they are born. A haitian child with a haitian birth certificate can go to school in the DR.

[bob saunders]

Originally Posted by Jzakattack

Rick --

You and Bob both seem to be standing by the argument that what's written in the Haitian Constitution pre-empts what's already written in the Dominican Constitution regarding those born on Dominican soil. While perhaps I should have added something to that effect in the piece, it wasn't one of the arguments made to me in the course of my interview with the Ambassador, who (obviously) is the voice of the Dominican government within the U.S. Indeed, he made no mention of the Haitian Constitution or Haiti's continued responsibilities for any of these people.

JZ

Just in case there is a misunderstanding, I don't agree with the DR Government stand on this issue, but i took issue with the "people without a State" statement. These are your words, not the Ambassadors. Dominicans that have a child in the USA, the child is American, but the child is also considered Dominican. The Supreme court of the DR interpreted the Constitution differently than the international community.