Dominican Republic Participates in International Meeting on African Ancestry

Dominican Republic Participates in International Meeting on African Ancestry
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 9/3/2011

The Dominican Republic participated in the first Ibero-American Meeting of Cultures and Communities of African Ancestry, held in Cali, Colombia on August 23-24.

The meeting, which hosted numerous political and cultural leaders as well as representatives from 15 countries, is part of the 2011 celebration of the International Year of African Ancestry.

The national delegation, represented by the Ministry of Culture (MINC in Spanish), was headed by Mateo Morrison, deputy minister for Institutional Development and president of the National Committee of African Descendents. He was joined by folklorist Edis Sánchez and anthropologist Carlos Hernández Soto, who formed part of the commemorative committee.

The meeting, which hosted numerous political and cultural leaders as well as representatives from 15 countries, is part of the 2011 celebration of the International Year of African Ancestry.

The goal of this meeting was to discuss the current situation and the perspectives of the Afro communities in Latin America as well as to visualize, exchange and analyze the different public policies of inclusion and to look at mechanisms against existing racial discrimination.

The Ministry of Culture in conjunction with the Spanish Cultural Center of Santo Domingo, the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) and UNESCO, has developed a wide-reaching program of activities in various places around the country.

The Ministry will continue holding festivals, recognition ceremonies, conferences, trips and other activities to commemorate this year of African Ancestry.