New York Dominican Republic Strategic Alliance Project Presented by: Dr. Leonel Fernndez President o

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New York Dominican Republic Strategic Alliance
ProjectPresented byDr. Leonel Fernández
President of the Global Foundation for Democracy
and Development March 10, 2003
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Objectives

• Construct a two-way bridge between the Dominican
  Community in New York and the Dominican Republic,
  with a permanent and sustainable flow of exchange
  in the areas of education, culture, scientific,
  trade and investment, and professional services.
  
• Reproduce the success of the Florida-DR Task
  Force
  

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Goals

• A more dynamic and cohesive Dominican Community.
• A greater flow of exchange in education,
  technology and trade and investment.
  
• Maximize competitive advantages between DR-NY . .
  . Identify these.

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Topics

• Immigration and Labor Force
• Health
• Education and Cultural Development
• Sociopolitical Development
• Economic Development
• Trade and Investment
• Remittances

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Immigration and Labor Force

• How many are we? How many are citizens?
  Residents? Undocumented?
  
• Assess the effects of repatriation on the
  Dominican Society
  
• Analysis of the Dominican labor participation in
  the U.S.
  

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How many are we?
Source Information facilitated by Marilyn
Ramirez, CUNY-Dominican Studies Institute, City
College, March 2002.
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Where are we found? . . .
Source Beveridge, Andrew A., Immigrant Advances
in Metropolitan New York, Queens College and
Graduate Center- CUNY, November 21, 2002.
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Health

• Exchange through
• Volunteer Programs
• HIV Prevention Programs
• Study-abroad Programs
• Telemedicine Services
• Increase Technology Transfer
• Promote donations to the DR

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Education and Cultural Development

• Strengthen academic links between universities in
  the DR and NY
  
• Promote research on Dominican issues
• Establish Scholarship office
• Create Exchange Programs for students and
  professors, i.e. internships and fellowships
  
• Strengthen and expand the Dominican Studies
  Institute (DSI) at City College
  
• Develop Summer Program/Summer Camp in the DR and
  NY with emphasis on Dominican history, language
  and culture
  
• Promote cultural activities

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Economic Development Trade and Investment

• Assess current Trade and Investment flows
• Create Incentives
• Carry-out benchmarking to know niche markets
• Increase exports from the DR to NY- with the help
  of supermarkets and Hunts Point Market
  
• Promote Dominican products and franchises
• Identify obstacles and how to overcome them

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Exports from NY to RD . . .
Source Office of Trade and Economic Analysis
(OTEA), Trade Development, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
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What does NY export to the DR? . . .

• Furniture
• Professional and scientific equipment
• Automobiles
• Shoes
• Clothing and Textiles
• Electrical equipment

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NY imports from the DR . . .
Source Unites States International Trade
Commission Website http//www.dataweb.usitc.gov
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What does NY import from the DR?

• Professional and Scientific Equipment
• Clothing and Textiles (sweaters, pants, bras)
• Jewelry and others
• Tobacco and derivatives (Cigars)
• Electronic Equipment
• Shoes
• Sugar and byproducts

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Exports vs. Imports . . .
Source Office of Trade and Economic Analysis
(OTEA), Trade Development, International Trade
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
and the Unites States International Trade
Commission Website http//www.dataweb.usitc.gov

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Economic Development Remittances

• Assess volume, tendencies and future
• How to use them in favor of development
• Reduce costs and facilitate transaction
• Evaluate its socioeconomic impact on the DR and
  NY
  
• Identify obstacles and how to overcome these

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The numbers in remittances . . .

• Average money transfer US199.00
• Average cost of transfer US17.40
• Percent of average cost of transfer 8.74
• Percent of GDP 10
• Percent of Exports 27
• Growth Rate (2001-2002) 16.9
• Total money transfers (2002) US2,111 Millones

Source Orozco, Manuel. 2002. Statistical Profile
of Remittances. Inter-American Dialogue.
Multilateral Investment Fund, IADB. Sending
Money Home An International Comparison of
Remittance Markets, February 2003.
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Average money transfers in Latin America
Source Orozco, Manuel. 2002. Statistical Profile
of Remittances. Inter-American Dialogue.
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Costs of transferring money to Latin America
Source Orozco, Manuel. 2002. Statistical Profile
of Remittances. Inter-American Dialogue.

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Sociopolitical Development

• Assess the political empowerment of the
  Dominicans in the U.S. . . . How to strengthen
  the Dominican Community through the electoral
  system
• Offer leadership workshops for young potential
  leaders in NY and the DR
  
• Create offices in the DR and NY responsible for
  facilitating and channeling donations through
  financial support and reduction of red
  tape/bureaucracy.
• Create the Dominicorp- (similar to
  Americorp/Peacecorp)
  
• Reactivate Sister City Program from the Mayors
  Office

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Research Areas

• Immigration and Labor Force
• Education
• Trade and Investment
• Remittances
• Socioeconomic and political effects of the
  Dominican dispersion within the U.S.
  
• The Dominican Constituency (voters)

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Calendar

• Feasible within one year period

PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
Jun
Jul
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dic
Aug
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Next steps . . . ACTION PLAN

• PHASE I
• Create Work Groups
• Identify work areas, i.e. strengths of each
  institution
  
• Assess needs and realistic possibilities in each
  area
  
• Establish tangible and measurable goals
• PHASE II
• Conduct research and elaborate structure of
  programs
  
• PHASE III
• Publish conclusions
• Create follow-up commission