Interview director Dario Solano two world summit Pan African Reparation for Haiti Haiti now first held in UASD University Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo in August 2011. By Renata Ondo "It is a meeting to demand
repay debts
with the Haitian people who have
hampered its development. "
Dario found in his office Afrocimarrón Foundation, from where he directs the project The UNESCO Slave Route ". We are in Dominican Republic: A lot of work, it's 8 am and has already treated more than 12 people, all within membership to the poorest of the place. On his desk many documents and many, many people in need. Is a real black field, a bighorn, a Juan Sebastian Lemba, just work, nothing glabmour ... the question is inevitable P. What is your process in motion Pan-Africanist?
R. We are now living a process of articulation and reflection to give it identity and content to a budding movement of African descent or embryo. It is our great challenge in this period to give body and soul to the construction and development of African Descent Dominican Platform, AFRODOM, a kind of cultural articulation which will aim to tackle racial discrimination that exists against our people and promote multicultural condition Dominican society. Historically in the Dominican Republic has not been taken Africanism from its proper dimension. There has been a political ideological domination not allow us to delve into our own historical and cultural roots to identify with them, and prioritizing the opposite situation has created an identity crisis. Since colonial times, which caused extensive injuries to the enslaved Africans and their descendants, and most certainly in modern times, the Trujillo dictatorship that ruled the country for about 30 years ago created a tinge of shame to the status of African descent. Trujillo nucleotides to an intellectual elite which created official theories of black inferiority Dominican. On that theory justified the killing of more than 17,000 Haitians in 1937. We are a country that the issue "black" is forbidden on the political agenda. There is a fear, because in the sectors of power positions are unleashed anti-Haitian, and black, in the country, is synonymous with Haiti, who looked back.
P. We know that the maroons is the basis of pan-Africanism and was instrumental in all America in the fight against colonial slavery, but today what is the runaway motion and work in Dominican Republic
R. Our action has been directed towards the appreciation of the cultures of African origin and the promotion of cultural diversity of our nation. On the other hand, we walked in the complaint of discrimination. We foster opportunities for reflection and recovery processes of historical and cultural memory. In this regard we are developing to identify sites and historical memories associated with the Slave Route. Afrocimarrón Foundation is a joint effort and will to affect the Dominican society on human rights of African descent and the promotion of racial ethnic democracy.
At this juncture in 2011 we sued the government for a coherent approach that takes the International Year of African Descent officially with all the state's responsibilities to the UN, they are the commitments of the country. However, there is no political will to do things momentous split. I do not think the Dominican government to take a position according to the international context as part of 2011, there exists no tradition in this regard and the tendency is to see this issue as a pure measure of anthropological interest.
This year we focus, we reiterate, the core organizational promotion of African descent and the realization of a great cultural movement for the month of October through the Festival of fugitive slaves, we do every year at the premises of the colonial ruins wit Nigua mouth in tribute to the black rebellion Boca Nigua of 1796. It is a great celebration of diversity with a dimension of questioning of the official view of cultures popular.
P. What is the World Summit for Haiti and aims?
R. Haiti African descent, is the summit of solidarity that we are committed to developing from an ethnic perspective to draw attention to reorient the so-called reconstruction of Haiti and be a genuine space of encounter between siblings with an agenda from our perspective from town to town . It contained a proposal claiming emancipation Haiti autonomy to conduct their destinations. It is a meeting to demand reparation debts with the Haitian people that have hampered its development. Is to break the isolation and silence complicity that forget about commitments. Haiti is very close to us and cry in this moment of solidarity looks to streamline their development. Courage is an example of African descent. The Summit is in a context of historical vindication of debts and reparations for the people of Haiti and of African descent in general terms. Haiti is a symbol of the struggle for freedom and liberation of our peoples. Thanks to Haiti today Africa and the rest of Latin America is free. From this island, shared with the Dominican Republic and Haiti, have written glorious pages for emancipation and dignity, not only of African descent but of all mankind. However, There are debts to Haiti and its people now gravitate negatively on economic and social development and even its sovereignty.
Q: In that context that the summit?
A: The Summit acts in a context of raising new commitments to Haiti, and on the other hand, denounce the forms of neo-colonialism that aims to develop the so-called reconstruction of Haiti. Actions that are made without the slightest real participation of people of African descent in Haiti who has to outline their development strategies. Is the demand for Haitian self-determination of African descent. The Summit at its essence a political agenda for the reinforcement social development and human rights of African descent, with a speech of unity in diversity and solidarity between our communities.
P. Malcolm X was saying you can not hate a tree if you hate your Racic, in fact the debate on the idea of \u200b\u200bAfrica among blacks, Arabs or Arabia to Israel among Jews has existed simpre What is Africa to you?
R. Mother Africa. It is the result we wanted to start without achieving any purpose. Africa is the inexhaustible source of wisdom and the germ of humanity. I am a cimarron therefore beyond Africa for my cable UPI, AP, EFE, and the images of CNN and New York Times, which shows an African famine and fratricidal wars, is beyond the atrocities that have tried to indoctrinate us with his misinformation and colonization of the fields. Africa is energy, rhythm, is science and poetry. Africa is the cradle of birth and mother to rediscover. It is the face of a diaspora dream of their ancestors.
Africa remains the mother was raped and strangled to snatch their children and send them a hell of a slave. Africa is the brave, constantly fighting for their dignity. The rebels, who never stopped fighting to be free or die.
P. What is Haiti?
R. Haiti is an example of valiant people, libertarian and tender. Haiti is different fathers brother, but brother, where fraternal ties were created to overcome the boundaries of imperial impositions. It is the close vicinity of our horizons. Haiti is the default, is the starry sky and sometimes dark. Haiti is the Maroon rebellion that always sneak in the dark to give clarity to light. Haiti is the song of hope and the sun shining from the ashes, to raise the zombie.
P. What is the process of repair and
Black Memory in the Americas and the Caribbean?
R. It is and has been a multiple and diverse, but are ways of objectives that have been built on the basis of an awakening of awareness and active citizenship from African. Our reference has been, Buckman, Makanda, Martin Luther King. There are processes of change from the communities in different countries, especially in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica, Cuba, Honduras, Uruguay to name a few. We reference program and commitments to act institutionally Latin American governments took the Platform and Plan of Action 2011. And in Spain with NLP has been a breakthrough in the Hispanic world demand. It this time they defend the territories of their ancestors, is the setting in motion a political agenda from the perspective of the interests of African descent, is the visibility of our condition of objects peoples rights is the mark to banish poverty and human development policies sue for our communities, is the defense of our cultural roots, is to break down racism and xenophobia and all forms of discrimination, is the demand to create spaces of solidarity and laws protecting human rights of peoples of African descent.
P. How can you support the fight Garveyite?
R. You need to solidify a movement of African descent worldwide cos d independent of temporary factors. Build local processes and exchange experiences. You need to create networks of solidarity and the creation of an Economic Development Fund of the Communities of African Descent. We must fight to get rid of poverty in our communities. It is essential to ensure people of African descent as citizens with full rights.
Just create an international development agenda of African descent. You have to get to where you define the mechanisms of development policies. We need to promote community sample real representation in parliaments, local governments, agencies of international cooperation, in short, in all areas of political action, economic and cultural development to ensure democratic participation and be visible.
More than aid, support for creating new economic models inclusive in our countries. We need to build leadership with high commitment to democracy and a sense of belonging to the Black community, and break with the historical dependence. We must do feel the weight of numbers and quality citizens around 150 million people of African descent. Time to break the silence stupid, and say here we are and we acknowledge with power to decide.
registration to the meeting • e-mail: dasolano@gmail.com
