DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: SOLICITATIONS FOR

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 000208 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA, WHA/CAR, G/TIP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC ELAB SMIG PHUM KCRM DR SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: SOLICITATIONS FOR G/TIP-MANAGED FY 2008 ESF AND INCLE FUNDS REF: 2007 STATE 161287 ¶1. Per REFTEL, following are Embassy rank-ordered solicitations from a variety of sources for G/TIP managed FY-2008 ESF and INCLE funds. Full proposals to follow via e-mail. a) Name: International Organization for Migration Requested funding: 310,275 USD (all federal) Project title: Counter trafficking in the Dominican Republic - Strengthening the Government's Response through Capacity Building for the Judiciary and Victims' Protection and Assistance Project duration: 1 year Proposal abstract: The proposed project will significantly contribute to strengthening the Dominican government's ability to effectively respond to the substantial challenges brought about by trafficking of human beings in the Dominican Republic. The project proposes a two pronged approach: a) strengthening the capacity of the judiciary (particularly judges and prosecutors) to adequately handle trafficking cases, protect victims of trafficking and ensure that their rights are respected and addressed within the existing legislative framework and conclude successful prosecutions against traffickers and b) assisting the government of the Dominican Republic in establishing shelter facilities for victims of trafficking and facilitating their reintegration in their communities of origin. Although the Dominican Republic enacted legislation against the crime of trafficking in persons, judges and prosecutors often lack the necessary know how to successfully prosecute cases of trafficking in persons and offer the necessary safeguards for victims of trafficking. The absence of appropriate facilities to temporarily shelter victims of trafficking (both Dominican and foreign nationals) prevents their effective rehabilitation and reintegration and often leads to re-trafficking. Victims of trafficking who are given the necessary protections in their recuperation phase, are more likely to participate in legal proceedings against their traffickers. Without their valuable testimony and information, the legal system lacks the basic elements to conclude successful prosecutions. b) Name: Centro de Orientacion e Investigacion (COIN) Requested funding: 116,900 USD plus non-disclosed incidental/administrative expenses (all federal) Project title: Dominican Republic Community Response to Trafficking ("DR-CRT") Phase 2 Project duration: 2 years Proposal abstract: In 2007, the Dominican Republic continues to be ranked the Tier 2 "Watch list" due to: "its failure to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly in terms of providing increased assistance to victims and undertaking vigorous actions to counter official complicity with trafficking activity." (Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2007, p. 92) Centro de Orientacion e Investigacion Integral (COIN),in partnership from the International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA),requests $232,000 to continue implementing the Community Response to Trafficking Project - Dominican Republic (CRT-DR) for an additional 24 months, creating a grass roots, community-based response to trafficking in persons, and enhance the project by adding new communities and a program to address law enforcement corruption. The results of this project will be the following: 1. Combat trafficking in persons from, to, and inside the Dominican Republic through multi-dimensional prevention efforts, enforcement of the law, and victims referral and protection, 2. Enable local grassroots organizations to create monitoring system to enhance the awareness of anti-TIP efforts by the Government of Dominican Republic, 3. Increase the ability and capacity of primary responders for victims identification and service provision, ¶4. Address issues of corruption to increase the number of trafficking prosecutions. c) Name: Dominican Center for Accompaniment and Legal Research (CEDAIL) Requested funding: 374,325 USD (341,000 federal share, 30,675 USD by CEDAIL) Project title: Attention to victims of human trafficking and racial violence against Haitian immigrant workers in the Dominican Republic Project duration: 2 years Proposal abstract: The present proposal has the purpose to disclose the issues and reality of human trafficking of Haitian immigrants through the Haitian Dominican Frontier in the three dioceses of that area and to contribute to strengthening the intercultural network and support between the Dominican and Haitian population. We will do this by means of a mini-diagnosis of the local situation, the implementation of the pedagogical suitcase (gender and diversity),the development of the legal context on human trafficking and involvement of the legal advocates of the three dioceses in collaboration with the dioceses of San Pedro de Macors and Higuey. We aim to strengthen the inter-diocesan team and the internal synergies (inter-diocesan exchange of the problems and practices) to establish a mechanism of information, support and a radio media campaign. We will form five diocesan teams made up of lawyers, legal advocates (we have formed more than five hundred at the national level who have three years educational training) and representatives of our focus group, the migrant workers from Haiti in the Dominican Republic. The expected result will be 300 people of the three dioceses trained on human trafficking and resources for intervention, a network of concerned groups, a support system in the area and resources available. Ten thousand (10,000) people indirectly will be benefited. The diocesan team will have more effective tools for intervention in their areas, better knowledge about this problem in other areas of the country. The beneficiaries of the project will have better support in the areas mentioned; the population of the dioceses will be informed and given the tools for a more effective contribution toward solutions of this problem. This proposal is projected to be developed in two years time, beginning from the approval date and disbursement. A process of integration will be developed with the diocesan directors, the legal advocates (orientadores legales) and community organizations and institutions with whom we make alliances in the area. FANNIN