Assessment of the Dominican-Haitian dialogue of the Evangelical Protetant Churches

Background:
In 1998 the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) contacted NCA, asking the organization to join an initiative to facilitate an internal political dialogue in Haiti. Parting from the idea that improving the relationship between the two countries also would contribute to stabilize the situation in Haiti, MFA also asked NCA to also take on a role as facilitator of a dialogue between Haiti and Dominican Republic.
A process was started and included a range of different groups in both societies. However, the first attempts at dialogue eventually stranded because of a lack of commitment from the key actors involved locally. NCA, in close dialogue and collaboration with MFA, therefore decided to focus on local actors which had shown a commitment to the process, in particular the protestant churches in both countries.

Purpose/ Objective:
The overall objective of the evaluation is to document results from the period 2005 – 2009/10. The evaluation is to analyze the impact of the Haitian Dominican Church Dialogue in light of organisational effectiveness and achievement of goals. Based on the results in the evaluation, the Haitian Dominican Church Dialogue has made decisions on how to improve their work both in programmatic and organisational terms.

Methodology:
The evaluation will be conducted using techniques that include the following:
1. Review and analysis of documents:
2. Project visits
3. Interviews(semi-structured) and/or focus group discussions:
4. Sharing of results of the evaluation

Key Findings and Recommendations:
- The point of departure for the Norwegian cooperation is the recognition of a conflict situation affecting the population of the two countries. The lesson is that you cannot delegate the facilitation between parties to one of them (or both) without being sure that it has the ability and maturity to overcome the differences that lie at the core of the conflict.
The emergence of tensions and estrangements, together with a history of dissatisfaction, demonstrates that the churches of the Dominican Republic and Haiti need external facilitation and support for the Dialogue process.

- DDHIE/DHDE’s strategy has been based on a proposal for cultural change, directed towards a new reading of history and a construction of new visions of the Dominican and Haitian condition, in two societies affected by mutual negative imaginaries. This type of change has to be developed as a process, not as a sum of events.

- The follow-up of the agreements must be as important as the quality of the events, in order to avoid weakening the spaces of encounter. To make this possible, it is essential to ensure a follow-up strategy, with appropriate involvement of the parties and facilitators of the process.

-The process was affected not only by the asymmetries and negative imaginaries, which were the basis of the conflict, but also by cultural traits that constitute the idiosyncrasy of each people.

- When there is a conflict and no confidence between the parties, proceeding without progressively establishing the rules may lead to a deepening of the conflict factors between the parties, giving rise to new elements of dispute or suspicion.

- The DDHIE/DHDE has enormous potential. Its capacity has been demonstrated in its policy advocacy —aimed at decision and opinion-makers—, in the exchange exercises carried out in the educational sector and with the women, and also in the emergency after the earthquake of January 12 when the demands were at their most.

- In order to be able to deploy the transformative potential of the churches in the two societies, it is necessary to work —without idealizing— on their inherent characteristics.

- The new post-earthquake situation in Haiti in which the predominant traits of the Haitian crisis have deepened calls for a dialogue within Haiti, its churches, its society and institutions. It is necessary to rearrange the priorities in order to face a process of territorial, economic, social and institutional reconstruction.

- In this context, starting from the right to self-determination of the Haitian society and nation, it is necessary to recognize the place of the Dialogue process, a place from which it can function as a follow-up and critical analysis space of such sensitive issues as the role of cooperation and international intervention, the role of the Haitian civil society, the content of the new agenda of bi-national relations, etc. These changes to the agenda must account not only for the Haitian problem but also for the legitimate interests of the Dominican society in this crisis.

- Resuming the DDHIE/DHDE process requires a self-assessment exercise —starting from the Dialogue structures— that recognizes the realities and organizational changes of each of the parties.

-The DDHIE/DHDE must incorporate studies and thematic research processes carried out by various academic and institutional sectors. These knowledge and analysis, undoubtedly, will contribute to the development of a better qualified and more effective Dialogue.

Comments from Norwegian Church Aid (if any):
A seminar was held in Santo Domingo to share and discuss the results of the evaluation in February 2011 together with representatives of the two commissions and representatives from NCA.