AMERICA/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Although some people promote hate, the Church is committed to peaceful coexistence

Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) - Some sectors of Dominican society promote hatred and resentment among the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. This is what is said in an editorial in the latest issue of the Catholic weekly "Camino" of 20 July. "Do not give way to reconciliation and the search for alternatives with regards to national projects to do together", the editorial says, without mentioning the names of who these people are. The text sent to Fides also reports that, in the case of relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, there is a kind of permanent war, characterized by misunderstanding and lack of unified vision to address a shared future. "How many hours wasted to foster resentment and hatred on both sides of the border", the text says.
Recalling that the two countries are destined to share the same territory, the same island, and neither of the two will move, nor will it ever do so, it states: "We have only one way out: peaceful coexistence". In conclusion, however, the message is full of hope: it asks to grasp opportunities on behalf of both countries, learning from other nations that share borders and are able to carry out joint projects in the field of technology and in ecological, educational, industrial and cultural areas. The editorial hopes that eventually the meeting of the representatives of the two governments, held recently in Juan Dolio (Dominican Republic), is able to open the door to a new phase in the life of both peoples.
From July 10 to 12 in fact the representatives of the two governments on the island met for the third time (after the 7th January and 3-4 February) to formally review the agreements proposed by both countries in the field of trade, health, emigration, agriculture, safety and environment. The meeting, defined historic due to the presence of the two main representatives, the Minister of the Dominican Presidency Gustavo Montalvo and Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, led to the decision, among other things, to regulate migration flows and to facilitate the documentation of citizens of both countries. Haiti has announced its program to identify and provide documentation to Haitians in the Dominican Republic. The two countries also discussed the need to specify an extradition treaty to allow the prosecution of criminals who seek refuge in the territory of the other country, in order to bring them to justice. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 22/07/2014)