Sharing Guadeloupe’s expertise in the Caribbean
From July 31 to August 4, PIRAC was welcomed in Santo Domingo by the Dominican Republic Red Cross (CRRD) to meet its members and technical partners. The trip was part of the Let’s Be Prepared program, which aims to create regional synergies in risk prevention by sharing experiences in the Caribbean basin.
The first objective of this mission was to present the Paré pa Paré project and its methodology, implemented in Guadeloupe since 2019, to various Dominican stakeholders. After an initial meeting with Mr. George Guzman, presidential advisor promoting the approach, a full presentation was made to the various CRRD departments involved in education and disaster risk management.
For a fully mobilized Caribbean in the face of risk
The second objective was to study the possibility of implementing a project similar to Paré pa Paré on Dominican territory. Throughout the week, PIRAC and CRRD, represented by Mr. Jesus Vallejo, Program Coordinator, and Mr. Cesar Bernal, Youth Coordinator, presented their approach side by side to the partners that a project of this type would involve. The Ministry of Education, the Civil Defense, the University of Santo Domingo… all responded favorably to the implementation of such a project and underlined their interest and motivation to participate.
While there is no guarantee that the project will see the light of day for the time being, this week’s initial results are encouraging and clearly demonstrate the need for such a project and the motivation of the Dominican Republic Red Cross to implement it, symbolized by the enthusiasm of its president, Mr. Victor Morel. In the coming months, coordinated efforts will be deployed to propose a project adapted to the local context and best preparing young Dominicans to face the risks.
