"Haitian Diaspora Week Commences in the Dominican Republic"

The XII version of the “Haitian Diaspora Week” has kicked off in the Comendador municipality of the Dominican Republic with the theme of “For a good neighbor policy.” The event started with a “Dominican-Haitian fraternity lunch” at the assembly hall of the Elías Piña Governorate. Activities will also take place in Puerto Plata, Santiago de los Caballeros, Santo Domingo, and Comendador.

This celebration coincides with the Dominican-Haitian Fraternity Day and Pan American Day, featuring conferences, panels, sports, religious, artistic, and cultural events. A binational prayer chain for peace was also held on Sunday, led by Pastor Lima Confiance, along with the IX Vimenca Cup for good Dominican-Haitian neighborliness at the Puerto Plata sports center.

The Zile Foundation and Haitian and Dominican community organizations are coordinating the activities with the support of the Haitian Embassy and its consulates in Santiago and Higüey, as well as Vimenca Western Union and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Representatives from various organizations attended the event, including the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Dominican Ministries of Women and Public Health, along with representatives from different churches, civil society, CESFRONT, and the General Directorate of Migration. Haiti was represented by consulate officials, police, civic groups, transport associations, and the Dialogue Table.

The event was hosted by Benigno A. Faña and translator Lilian D. Ogando, with Pastor Eliseo Valdez, president of the Confraternity of Pastors, blessing the occasion.

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