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