This is a very good link for the Universal Declaration for Human Rights which was adopted a day like yesterday in 1948. It has the official version of each one of its articles, a plain language version and an illustrated version. You will find it very useful for educating children about international human rights.

Carlos Morales Troncoso has recently (Nov. 24, 2006) sent a protest letter to Mr. Hans Hertell, the United States of America Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, facing declarations of the Ambassador when he addressed the American Chamber of Commerce of the Dominican Republic [This post is relevant to Dominican children of Haitian origin. Please bare with me].

In the body of this post you will find a translation of the protest letter written by Morales; as attachments to this post you will find PDF copies (printer-friendly) of the Ambassador's speech (English version) and Morales Troncoso's letter (both Spanish and the English translation).
on November 22, 2006.

Y. E.
Mr. Hans Hertell
Ambassador of the United States of
America
César Nicolás Penson St.
City,

Distinguished Mr. Ambassador:

I have read with thoroughness your recent farewell address to the American Chamber of Commerce, and I rush to express my appreciation for your genuine worry shown about the future wellbeing of the Dominican people.

Likewise, I would like to communicate my disagreement with some of your appreciations, by which you not only wrongly interpret the situations that you describe and comment about, but you incursion into topics that pertain to the sovereign realm of the Dominican State.

I refer to, specifically, to your allusions about the problem of the massive illegal immigration of Haitian citizens, a real headache in the everyday handling of our relationships with Haiti, country with which we share the island and from which we are separated by a lamentably, much vulnerable border.

Your comments about the topic breach the awareness of someone who during five years has taken notice of the hardships of a problematic situation, into the attitude of the foreign diplomat that takes public partisanship on a Dominican constitutional matter.

The lack of issuance of birth registrations to children of foreigners who find themselves illegally in Dominican territory, it is not, like you have wrongfully interpreted, an administrative problem.

I am amazed that you have taken the time to find this euphemism to advance this in your address, given that it is a matter that during your permanence here as an Ambassador has been clarified by a constitutional interpretation by our Supreme Court of Justice.

Also, we consider it unacceptable, Mr. Ambassador, your veiled suggestion that in some manner the Dominican Republic lacks the human resources or mechanisms to assure that the foreigners who reside in this country may enjoy the guarantees set forward by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Allow me to make use of this opportunity to reiterate sentiments of my highest consideration and personal esteem.

Very courteously,

Carlos A. Morales Troncoso
Minister of Foreign Relations

(November 24, 2006)

The last two days I have been browsing around for pictures of my homeland, the Dominican Republic.

Thanks to The Chiri Chronicles, I ran across another blogger who I have chosen as subject of the day here at Humane Caribbean. I am talking about Jon Anderson, a photographer and writer originally from New York but currently living in the Dominican Republic, who does wonders with light and words.

I have clicked my way to his weblog (in Spanish) and the homepage for Dark Horse Images, where he hosts some of his photography and writings; there, make sure you visit Caña Brava, which I find to be a highly compelling work . . .  Just visit, as none of my words can tell you better about it than what he has done there.

Jon Anderson's portfolio is available online via a digital rights management agency.

Unconfirmed sources report the departure of Christopher Hartley from Dominican territory.

Hartley is a Roman-Catholic priest and a human rights defender who had been working in the San José de los Llanos parish to improve the health and human rights situation of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian origin.

His activities, albeit peaceful, had caused foul reactions from several key-figures of Dominican government, the conservative religious leader Nicolás de Jesús Cardinal López Rodríguez and influential interest groups.

Repeatedly, Hartley's foes pressed to terminate his human rights activism, try his deportation from Dominican soil, or otherwise induce the loss of support, revocation or non-renewal of his missionary work by his religious order to force his departure.

It all seems to be done.

There is a group of people working to stop arbitrary denationalization of Dominican children of Haitian origin. Help us help them.

In solidarity, we ask for "All human rights for all children of Haitian origin in the Dominican Republic!" Please, see the following PDF file attachment.