To mark the long history of Dominican involvement in defence of human rights, in the year celebrating the 800th anniversary of the confirmation of the Order of Preachers, two hundred Dominican brothers, sisters and laity met in Salamanca, Spain, to discuss the contribution of the Dominican Order, in the past, present and future, in the promotion and defence of human rights. It was in that city in the sixteenth century that, prompted by his Dominican brothers, such as Bartolome de las Casas, who were defending the indigenous people of Latin America against the Spanish conquistadores, Francisco de Vitoria planted the seed of today's international human rights movement. This volume presents in original languages the eleven papers given in Salamanca as well as the statement adopted by the delegates at the end of the meeting. They combine historical views, theoretical insights and testimonies from life experience. This offers a rich contribution, not only towards strengthening the role of the Dominican Family, and even the universal church, in defending human rights, but also towards a deeper understanding of 'evangelisation' and 'mission'.

This book offers a critical perspective into social policy architectures primarily in relation to questions of race, national identity and belonging in the Americas. It is the first to identify a connection between the role of international actors in promoting the universal provision of legal identity in the Dominican Republic with arbitrary measures to restrict access to citizenship paperwork from populations of (largely, but not exclusively) Haitian descent. The book highlights the current gap in global policy that overlooks the possible alienating effects of social inclusion measures promulgated by international organisations, particularly in countries that discriminate against migrant-descended populations. It also supports concerns regarding the dangers of identity management, noting that as administrative systems improve, new insecurities and uncertainties can develop. Crucially, the book provides a cautionary tale over the rapid expansion of identification practices, offering a timely critique of global policy measures which aim to provide all people everywhere with a legal identity in the run-up to the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Introduction to this report focuses on the expulsion of Haitians and Dominico-Haitians from the Dominican Republic between the months of June and September 1991, coercive labour practices on sugarcane plantations, progress since the 1991 harvest, and the stance of the United States. The first section of the report deals with forced 'repatriations', including the Presidential Decree 233-91 which promised reforms in the treatment of sugarcane workers, the arbitrariness of expulsions, the failure to recognize Dominican citizenship, and the widespread abuses during roundups of Haitians. Individual case studies are presented of the abuses as well as information on detention centres and testimony of deportees. The report then examines forced recruitment at the border and in Haiti. Individual case studies are again used. A separate section of the report concerns forced labour. The report argues that the practices of restriction of freedom of movement, confiscation of personal belongings and detention and physical mistreatment combined to form a system of coercion that continued to underlie the state sugar industry in 1992. The report states that the Dominican Government continues to reject and to try to discredit international criticism of its human rights practices. The report defends many of the criticisms put forward by the Dominican Government against Americas Watch and the National Coalition for Haitian Refugees. The final section of the report deals with US policy and the decision of the Administration to maintain trade benefits to the Dominican Republic. The attitude of the US State Department and the US Congress towards the Dominican labour practices are also evoked. The report concludes with various recommendations for the Dominican Government.