Living in the Dominican Republic

Up to this point, my blog has mostly been about my general thoughts: how I will fit in, norms by which I live my life and ways in which I envision myself to (re)act appropriately to new experiences. I have briefly touched on the culture of the Dominican Republic but have yet to talk about its geography, the climate and other physical conditions in which I will encounter during my 3-month stay. So, here's to the Dominican Republic:

When asked to think about The Dominican, most people think of a tropical climate and a vacation spot full of resorts. They travel to the country and although they have been there, they do not truly get to interact with its culture. This summer, I get the rare opportunity to live in a host family and understand life as a local, 130 km away from the capital Santa Domingo, in a town called Cabrera. Although the region is still undeniably beautiful, my trip there will not be a trip in the park.

The People
As mentioned in my previous blog post, the people of the Dominican Republic come from a varied background. 73% of its citizens are of mixed background while its next highest population being white, accounting for about 16% of the population. What unites the country most, however, is probably its shared religion: 95% of its people are of Roman Catholic descent. Interestingly enough, though, Cabrera does not share in this faith tradition—its 39, 000 population shares in a mainstream religion of the Christian Evangelic Church.

Economy
The Dominican has mostly been known as an exporter of coffee, sugar and tobacco. However, there has been a shift in recent years and now the service sector and tourism now account for 65% of its GDP. However, despite its attraction to tourists, the nation is not as glamorous as it looks. Over 40% of the population lives below the absolute poverty line and this makes for a huge gap between the rich and the poor. In fact, the top 10% of the population enjoys over 40% of the GDP, whereas the poorest half of the population share less 1/5 of the nation’s GDP.

Although Cabrera is located on the coast and is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, La Playa Grande, it is not dependent on tourism as a main source of income. In fact, the economy in Cabrera is driven by cattle, its milk and meat, mixed with a bit of agriculture.

Climate
While thinking about the Dominican and when I am going to be there (May-August), I was afraid of its climate. Although I whine and complain about the cold weather now, I think it is harder for me to be active in the summer months. At least when I’m cold, I can wear more clothes and react accordingly. In the scorching hot heat, however, sometimes you are paralyzed and just cannot continue to work. It was to my delight, then, to find out that the Dominican’s temperature does not vary that much throughout the year! It’s temperature during the hottest season, May – October, ranges between 22-30 degrees Celsius. The main difference is that it is more humid during these months. Furthermore, the first month when I will be there, the Dominican sees the most rainfall. Fortunately, it is expected to be in short bursts followed by sunshine.

Despite the weather being ideal during the summer season, it is actually the low season for tourism. Most tourists often visit the Dominican to seek refuge from the cold North American winters.

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Now what am I doing in the Dominican? Throughout my blog, I have mentioned briefly the name of the project with which I will be work, The Esperanza Project. A literal translation of its name would mean The Project of Hope. The Esperanza Project is a non-profit organization, run and founded by a Canadian/British couple, that was “born out of a perceived need to provide a much needed supplementary education and extra-curricular program, giving individual students an opportunity to explore, create, and inspire, whilst empowering them to grow academically and socially, in a safe, supportive, hands-on learning environment” (Esperanza Project, n.d.).

I will be running an individual sports section at the camp with another student from the University of Victoria! I’m not 100% sure what we’ll be doing yet but we have the months ahead to plan and prepare a program that can be reused: obstacle courses, relays, team building exercises and the like. If you have any ideas, send me a message and I’ll be happy to bring a piece of you to the Dominican with me!

There is no doubt that the experience will be hard and challenging. Living in the Dominican Republic will not be a walk on the beach. I will live the life of a local, away from tourist infrastructure: very few comforts of my normal life will be present. The Spanish language, although I have studied it, will be a barrier to both my host family and myself. Yet despite all these challenges, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that I can learn and become an advocate for what happens in the Dominican. I am hopeful that I will become a trusted member of the local community and I am hopeful that my presence will be well received.

I invite you to take a look into the town I will be in—I hope this blog gives you an understanding of my excitement and an appreciation that I will not be going as a tourist! Here is a link to a video that some women took passing through Cabrera in 2010:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZzC_L2HBs8&feature=player_embedded#at=515

Works Used

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic

http://www.esperanzaproject.ca/index.php/about/

Living.

On Friday, March 18th, I had the pleasure of hearing Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire deliver a keynote address for the Art's Student Union at the University of Waterloo. Dallaire, most known for his refusal to pull UN troops out of Rwanda during the genocide in 1994, talked mostly about the international community's responsibility to protect when a national government fails to provide security for its citizens. What struck me most, however, was his question "Are some humans more human than others?"

He understood conflict and a nation's willingness to intervene politically in terms of gain. When "personal" interests are not met, one's desire to intervene dramatically decreases. Such was the situation, as he explained, in the summer of 1994. The international community was hesitant to label the atrocities within Rwanda as genocide. Terms including "tribal civil war" and "acts of genocide" were used to describe the massacres, yet these terms did not necessitate an immediate reaction from the UN to intervene. In fact, when several Belgium UN Peacekeepers were killed, the UN urged Dallaire to pull his troops out because their lives were at risk. Yet despite this sense of urgency for peacekeepers, there was no similar response in fear for the lives of Rwandans. Why is this so? Can it be, then, that some humans are more “human” than others and deserve better treatment? Fortunately, the UN General Assembly has, since 2005, adopted the Responsibility to Protect, calling on the international community to intervene “where the state is unable or unwilling to meet its own responsibility” (Evans, 2008). As a result, there is now a mechanism of response that puts an emphasis on all human life, and not only those “worth saving.”

Despite the progress towards the equality of human life, however, there are still regions of the world where someone’s life is worth less than that of their peers. Such discrimination effectively denies thousands of individuals the “right to a range of economic, civil and political rights, including their right to acquire a nationality, to education, to security of the person and to freedom from discrimination (Amnesty International, 2007). Yet as a Canadian citizen, this reality of life is foreign and is at times disheartening.

Although such discrimination is not apparent in my daily life, it may very well be this summer. The Dominican Republic has had problems with illegal migrant workers coming from their neighbouring country, Haiti. In fact, estimates say there are approximately 800, 000 – 1, 000, 000 Haitians working in the Dominican Republic, accounting for approximately 10% of its population (Dominican Today, 2010). As a result, government officials have been increasing checkpoints for identification and deporting Haitians, who may have spent the last 10 or more years in the Dominican when the cane sugar industry needed help. The result? Many children born in the Dominican Republic with Haitian parents are denied their right to a nationality, and are considered stateless (Amnesty International, 2007). The lack of proper documentation and witnesses at the time of their birth make it hard for these children to gain Haitian citizenship as well. The children are, then, destined to a life of poverty: they cannot receive education and are denied many basic services.

This is what we should have to worry about: living. It is the reality of many people in the world that they stress about their next meal and where they will find work. On the other hand, last week’s newest Youtube sensation Rebecca Black reminds us that our biggest concern is sometimes determining which seat we can take in our friend’s convertible. So perhaps it is time to pick up a book, learn about an issue and fight for something that matters. We need to start looking beyond ourselves and start seeing the human in others.

Tim notes in his blog that Canada’s 18-30 year old population represents 35% of its demographic. This is enough to make a significant change in the politics of Canada, if we take a stand and vote for the issues that matter to us. In fact, Roméo Dallaire, as a current Canadian senator, noted that our generation has the ability to form a new political party if we truly wanted to and theoretically “take over parliament”. Yet the apathy and complacency in our lives focus our attention on the immediate and what is close to home.

In a way, it is ironic that my Beyond Borders placement is in the Dominican Republic, a country where the rigidity of its borders is constantly being fortified.
I do not know how this will affect my experiences in Cabrera. Fortunately Roméo Dallaire reminds us that life is valuable and, as such, I will try my best to value life in each person I meet.

Work Cited


Amnesty International. (2007). Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the United States: protect rights, reduce statelessness. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20070422232810/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR270012007

Dominican Today. (2010, June 29). Dominican immigration: number of illegal Haitians jumps 15% to 1.0M after quake. Retrieved from http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/poverty/2010/6/29/36162/Dominica n-Immigration-Number-of-illegal-Haitians-jumps-15-to-10M-after

Evans, Gareth. (2008). The Responsibility to Protect: ending mass atrocity crimes once and for all. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.

Living Truthfully

One of my favourite companies recently released their new company logo. For its 40th anniversary, Starbucks removed the "Starbucks Coffee" around their logo and made the Siren the focal point of their logo. The company's decision, aside from aesthetics, was due to the fact that they no longer wanted to be "limited to coffee" despite its success stemming from its coffee roots in Seattle. To be honest, I thought it was dumb and I did not like it. What I have learned to love is now different, although it's the same. Yet the more I think about this, I wonder how much this has to do with me: a fan of Starbucks--which I even refer to as "Starbs." In fact, the company's decision has nothing to do with me. Starbucks, as an entity, felt the need to express itself differently and I think that's the key point I was missing.

Much like Starbucks, this summer I have the opportunity to re-invent myself. In all honesty, I could be whoever I want and no one would know the difference, aside from Carissa and Brittany with whom I am travelling and are a part of the Beyond Borders crew. I have come to the realisation that Starbucks' new logo has less to do with pleasing others than to being true to itself, as a company. I am not saying I will try all the things I've been too scared to do and wreak havok in the Dominican Republic but there are aspects of my life which I would like to develop.

One such aspect of my life is sports. Personally, I don't think I am necessarily bad at sports but I'm also not going to say I'm very well coordinated and skilled. I think, in a way, sports have become a scary part of my life; it is an opportunity to be vulnerable and to not be good at something--to look stupid. If I'm being honest, I sense more pressure in performing well in front of male peers, with whom I would normally play, and perhaps I am "bad" at sports because I am too scared to even try to be good. Yet this summer, I have signed up to run the Individual Sports station with the Esperanza Project. I guess my hopes are to be comfortable with my skills, regardless of what the are, and to inspire the youth to be okay with trying hard even though the results aren't necessarily what we want. Most of all, I hope to be a positive role model who is okay with being who they are.

This week, I also had a marked change in attitude towards going to the Dominican Republic. Finally, it seemed real. In addition to getting my shots about a week and a half ago, we had to look at the concrete risks of the Dominican Republic and we also had a session about packing and what to bring!
I learned about the risks of worms and parasites, the likelihood of earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis and the dangers of taxis in the Dominican. Yet despite all these dangers, I think what changed me most was my conversation with Carissa and Brittany this past Saturday.

We decided to meet up at William's to discuss some of our fears, expectations and what we're like under stress. It made me think, again, at the person I want to be and who I will have to be when we're in the DR. Normally, I try to avoid conflict. It became evident, however, that frustrations will be a regular part of our life simply because of our situation. Although I have an intermediate level of Spanish, language will no doubt cause conflict: whether they arise from misunderstanding or total non-comprehension. Secondly, after thoroughly discussing our dislike of bugs, it seems like I may need to get over my squirmish self and take one for the team! Although something like dealing with bugs might seem small, it still puts me outside of my "normal." I will be challenged to live out my fears, to live in response to others and to test my limits. Yet my desire to avoid conflict and please others puts me at risk. Living truthfully will be a challenge--I hope I will live true to my limits and only be "the man" that tries to "help" the girls.

I hope to re-invent myself yet I hope to acknowledge my limits. From volunteering, I think I've had this sort of expectation for myself. WASL is a great place to connect with others, "do some good" and try new things. My first two times there, I was definitely "trying to fit in." However, I am much more comfortable there and am not afraid to be myself. I honestly hope I remember how that feels so I can connect with others and not be afraid to show who I am.

Living truthfully is liberating. I invite you to show your true self too.

Living Outside the Circle

Reading this post, you may have noticed its title: Living Outside the Circle. It's funny because, in a way, it's a joke that a friend and I have in reference to 'Thinking Outside the Box'. However, for us to truly think outside the box, we feel it is necessary to not even think in terms of boxes and hence 'Outside the Circle'. In order to make any radical change in the world we live in, we have to think critically from a mindset different from that which created the initial problem. I am going to talk about the problems we face as a result of the language we use.

The power of language is truly remarkable. The tone in which we speak and the words we choose to use can change a situation drastically: we can make an inclusive environment or we can threaten the safe space that exists. Tim pointed out in his blog "I'll Make a Man Out of You" that we live in a world defined by gender stereotypes and are defined by specific words. Heaven forbid someone says that you "throw like a girl" because girls... are inherently unable to throw? Why is "you act like a sissy" an insult? The words we consciously, or sometimes unknowingly, use have an impact on the lives of those around us. Similarly, guys often feel the need to "act tough" or perhaps withhold their tears. Why is this so? Tim pointed out very well in his blog that these because we associate certain words and actions with being masculine or feminine, and we do not want to act any differently, it would make us weird. "Men" actively make fun of chick flicks because... I don't even know why. Does it threaten their masculinity? How do such remarks affect those around you, who may enjoy chick flicks? It is time to pay attention to what we say and the impact words have.

The image above was found throughout the University of Waterloo campus not long ago, near the end of the Federation of Students (FEDS) elections. Posters were set up on campus over the face of a female FEDS Vice-President candidate. Although no physical harm was done, its effects resonated throughout campus and threatened the security of several university groups. The Women's Centre and GLOW were closed in order to protect its members and visitors. Other groups had forums to discuss the events that occurred as well.

Although these events did not demonstrate the culturally engrained gender bias/stereotypes in society, the sentiments of hate outline, once again, the power of words. As Cher says in her song If I Could Turn Back Time, "words are like weapons, they wound sometimes." Words can damage an individual's dignity and their sense of self. This fundamental human identity need is a vital part of one's self-worth. To an extent, I think it is more harmful to unconsciously use biased words on a regular basis than to explicitly make your views public once or twice , like the poster defamer did. I am, in no way, trying to make light of the situation on campus but I urge everyone to think critically of what we say. In every day interactions, I personally avoid the use of profane words. I am not sheltered enough to be bothered by the use of swear words yet I consciously worked "What the poo!" into my everyday vocabulary repertoire. The way I see it, such variety provides a bit of comic relief while I avoid making other people uncomfortable. We can make efforts to change the way we live, and live outside the circle:

- Embrace emotions. Cry if you need to, it is a natural part of life.

- Don't come out if you're straight. A mentor of mine consistently says "Me & my partner" despite being in a heterosexual relationship. It simply creates a more inclusive environment and does not portray heterosexism.

- Challenge yourself and engage what is typically feminine or masculine (depending on your gender) and try to like it! It may be cheesy, it may be ridiculous but do not write it off without giving it a chance.

- Be aware of the words you use and what they mean/imply. How does saying "Hey guys" to a group of all girls come off?

Words have power. Yet, I also want to raise an issue with being over-sensitive. It is not uncommon for me to hear my friends having difficulty choosing the right words to describe someone. For me, it is okay to call someone "black" or "oriental" if you are trying to differentiate them from someone else, as a descriptive adjective. Alternatively, if there is a value judgment associated with the statement, that is when the issue becomes sensitive.

In the Dominican Republic, machismo acts as a cultural code of interaction where both men and women see all this behaviour as normal. It will even be harder to be cautious of my words in a different culture when I go abroad. Reading pre-departure material has advised me to find myself a copy of a Spanish Phrase Book. I only hope my inclusive behaviours resonate with others and can be interpreted correctly and respectfully in my experiences.

Please join me in doing so!