Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainable Development

PPAF y SImACT, Inc. llevará a cabo un evento sobre la reconstrucción en el sur de Haití, en Cap Lamandou Hotel en Jacmel en junio 12 a 13. El evento se centrará en áreas de desarrollo elegido por los participantes. Posibles áreas: agricultura, infraestructura, incluyendo puertos y aeropuertos, las estufas de etanol, energía, vivienda y construcción, distribución, turismo, transporte / logística, el distrito histórico de Jacmel, capital de riesgo social, la salud, la educación, la microfinanciación, el arte y la artesanía y otros temas identificados por los solicitantes de registro. Los participantes podrán reunirse con las autoridades gubernamentales locales y nacionales, se familiaricen con las necesidades y oportunidades en el sur de Haití y se reunirá con inversionistas potenciales y socios de negocios y organizaciones no gubernamentales.

Gastos de viaje lado Jacmel es de $US 100, a pagar a Public-Private Alliance Foundation (PPAF). Ver la ficha de inscripción, que debe ser presentado y pagado por 01 de junio. Este evento tendrá lugar inmediatamente después de la conferencia “Construyendo un Nuevo Haiti” celebrará del 9 al 11 de junio en el norte de Port-au-Prince (Club Indigo, Costa Arcadin, Montrouis). PPAF / SImACT proporcionar transporte Club Indigo en Jacmel en la mañana del Sábado, 12 de junio y volver a Port-au-Prince el 13 de junio, aquellos que se inscriban en este tema. Favor de registrarse antes de 01 de junio de usar este formulario de registro.   email: ppafoundation@gmail.com para el formulario en espanol.

NOTA: Si usted desea permanecer días adicionales, por favor escriba a ppafoundation@gmail.com para más detalles.

Two weeks ago I traveled by road to Haiti from Santo Domingo, D.R., with Dominican and American colleagues.  The purpose was to review local conditions, seek opportunities for establishing small and medium enterprises, and to collaborate with Haitian-American colleagues, Haitians, Dominicans and others to help rebuild the devastated infrastructure and livelihoods.   Before traveling I met with people from the World Food Program and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Map of Haiti

Our focus would be on Jacmel, on the southern coast, in collaboration with the Haitian-American investment group Société Immobilière de Agriculture, Commerce et Tourisme, Inc., (SImACT) .  Our team identified priorities and made initial preparations for a workshop on investment and commerce to revive Southern Haiti.  This is scheduled to take place in Jacmel in late June.      

En route we visited tent camps near the border and encountered the diversity of conditions we would see throughout the trip.   One camp dealing with post-operative care was well-equipped by Harvard University and USAID.   Another, for displaced families, run by the American Refugee Committee and assisted by UNICEF, was more basic.   A third was “do-it-yourself.”  

I wanted to learn how people were faring.   I was interested in how people were cooking their meals, and confirmed charcoal and wood had become more scarce and more expensive since the earthquake. I explained that one of our concerns was to promote better, clean cookstoves and ethanol fuel.  The ARC camp supervisor was delighted and the woman below gave me permission to take this photo of her using a charcoal stove.

Woman cooking on a charcoal stove

We traveled to Port-au-Prince, Leogane and Jacmel.  Many people remained in great distress; others at first sight appeared to be going about their daily lives.   In some cases destroyed and intact buildings were side-by-side.  One could see tents in front of houses and encampments in schoolyards, churchyards and public sites.  There were still people with little shelter from sun and rain – sometimes a bedsheet attached to sticks.  

Parts of Port-au-Prince were untouched; other parts were devastated.  The image of the demolished Presidential palace has become known worldwide.  Leogâne, with a population of about 150,000, suffered heavily.  Much was destroyed. Jacmel had been cut off by mountain landslides.  The route was reopened but still vulnerable in the coming rainy season.

Maternity Ward at Jacmel Hospital reduced to rubble

The charming port town of Jacmel, with a population of about 50,000, had been damaged.  Its hospital had been destroyed.  Sections of town had been flattened.  But we could also see early possibilities for economic and social reconstruction.  With the national policy focus on decentralization and the international attention coming to Haiti for rebuilding, we felt that Jacmel could be a center for recovery and improvement.   Jacmel has been known as a site for Haitian tourism and the arts.  Its historic district, much of which was slated for demolition after the earthquake, has been spared, at least for now. 

There is great need to strengthen the infrastructure and services people need – from the hospital to the schools to the port.  Then there is room for imagination and creativity.  SImACT and PPAF confirmed their intent to organize the workshop on investment and commerce, with topics that could include infrastructure, renewable energy, ethanol cookstoves, housing, agriculture and agribusiness, social venture capital, health, historic district, tourism and arts and artisans.  The outcomes of this workshop can help Haiti Build Back Better.

Historic building near port of Jacmel

David Stillman, PhD

Executive Director

Public-Private Alliance Foundation

The Dominican Aquaculture Association (ADOA) and its partners held a workshop on March 23-24 called  “Estrategias para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura Dominicana 2010-2015.“    The workshop focused on achievements of the earlier strategic planning process and worked to develop a new strategic plan for 2010-2015.    The Organizing Committee was composed of a representative from each of the following institutions and agencies: IDIAF, CONAPROPE, ADOA, CODOPESCA, FAO-RD, University ISA and the TAIWAN Mission.  

 Rafael Pérez Duvergé , the Executive Director of IDIAF – the Dominican Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Research – opened the workshop.    Featured speakers included Dr. James Tidwell, chair of the aquaculture program of Kentucky State University and Dr. Darryl Jory, a professional with the American Soybean Association.  The Public-Private Alliance Foundation was a co-sponsor of the event.  

As a result of presentations to the U.S. Peace Corps staff in January by Maximo Nicolas, President of ADOA,  David Stillman, Executive Director of PPAF and former Peace Corps Volunteers Bill Miller and Dan Mizroch, Peace Corps has agreed to add fish farming as a priority in its future programming and volunteer assignments.  

The workshop included working groups on research, training, finance, marketing, promotion, and quality control.   The working groups developed presentations that are currently being distilled into a report of the meeting and a contribution to the National Strategic Plan. 

 Highlights at the meeting were announcement by the Taiwan Technical Mission and the Agricultural Development Bank of the DR (Bagricola) that a lending program for small farmers had been agreed and would soon begin.  This would be managed by ADOA.  Kentucky State University announced cooperation with IDIAF and others for research and training.  KSU has offered to facilitate exchanges of students and young professionals, both Dominican and from KSU.  The American Soybean Association announced its support for continued seminars and for nutrients for fish stock.

See the Dominican online newspaper El Nuevo Diario for an article on the aquaculture conference.  (en espanol)   Also see PPAF”s blog for March 6. 

Aquaculture Strategic Planning Workshop Participants

 

Ricardo Colon, CODOPESCA, speaking at opening session

Finance Workshop including representatives of the Taiwan Technical Mission and Bagricola (Dominican Agriculturel Bank), with workshop participants

Leaders of ADOA, Technical Mission of Taiwan, PPAF and American Soybean Association

Several recent articles have mentioned PPAF’s work:

FUNGLODE, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development of the Dominican Republic, featured PPAF’s work in Haiti, at the UN Department of Public Information / NGO Forum  “NGOs Responding to Crisis: Meeting New Challenges, the Case of Haiti” held on February 24, 2010.  Press release dated March 1, 2010.

The Dominican newspaper El Nuevo Diario  wrote in “Expertos nacionales e internacionales revisarán estrategia en acuicultura“ about the fish farming conference  held by the  Dominican Aquaculture Association ADOA on March 23-24, 2010.  Article dated February 23, 2010.

The April newsletter of the Kiran C. Patel Center for Global Solutions of the University of South Florida included an article about David Stillman’s March 22 talk on Alternative Energy in Developing countries.  See page 4 of the newsletter:   http://patelcenter.rc.usf.edu/documents/newsletters/1004Apr.pdf

Powering Haiti’s Future

TAMPA, Fla. (March 16, 2010) – International experts involved in the rebuilding of Haiti believe there’s an unprecedented opportunity to incorporate alternative energy sources into the new infrastructure, says David Stillman, the executive director of the Public-Private Alliance Foundation which is working with the United Nations in charting a new path for the earthquake-ravaged nation.

Stillman will brief the USF community on those plans during a talk at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 22, in the Marshall Student Center, Room 2707, on sustainable development and renewable energy in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and other developing nations. The conversation is open to the public.

The Public-Private Alliance Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing poverty in the world by uniting business, governmental, community, academic with efforts through the United Nations. The organization’s goal is to stimulate entrepreneurship, commerce and investment in sustainable development. 

Stillman, a United Nations senior officer for 30 years, said he recently attended a Haiti reconstruction conference where organizations are already taking steps to incorporate alternative energy resources – such as ethanol-powered cook stoves – into relief and rebuilding efforts. Stillman said alternative energy can be built into the Haiti’s new infrastructure, creating jobs and a sustainable economic base for the impoverished nation.

The organization had already been considering opportunities to incorporate alternative energy into development in the Dominican Republic when the Jan. 12 earthquake hit Haiti. The focus had been on a sugarcane-based ethanol – a natural because of the island’s history in sugarcane production, which has waned in recent years leaving fields vacant and workers unemployed. But other alternative forms of clean, sustainable energy could be developed if public, private, academic, non-governmental organizations, private corporations and financiers can coordinate their efforts, he said.

“Renewable energy is needed and is possible in various ways at various levels,” he said.

Stillman’s presentation is part of a continuing focus the Patel Center has on renewable energy projects in the region. The center recently selected two USF students for a six-week business development internship to analyze market potential for alternative energy products in the Dominican Republic and Panama.

Kedwin Dominguez is currently a junior majoring in electrical engineering. His research interests include incorporating alternative energy sources in communities in United States and Dominican Republic. Wilnelly Ortiz is a marketing major in the College of Business Administration with an interest in learning more about businesses in other countries.

The focus of these U.S. Department of Education-funded internships is to help small businesses in Florida involved in alternative energy products and services to develop and expand their export markets.

The University of South Florida is one of the nation’s top 63 public research universities and one of only 25 public research universities nationwide with very high research activity that is designated as community engaged by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.  USF was awarded $380.4 million in research contracts and grants in FY 2008/2009. The university offers 232 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. The USF System has a $1.8 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 47,000 students on institutions/campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.

-USF

by

Vickie Chachere
News Manager
University Communications & Marketing
813-974-6251
vchachere@admin.usf.edu

The Organizing Committee of the Workshop “STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF DOMINICAN AQUACULTURE 2010-2015″ has reported that its plans are well advanced. Institutions and public and private agencies linked to national and international production and marketing of fish, shrimp and other seafood in our country have been invited to participate in this important event.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 March in the Conference Room of the Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Research (IDIAF), whose Executive Director, Dr. Rafael Perez Duvergé, has expressed the commitment of this institution to strengthen the development of aquaculture through efforts for training, research and evaluation and technology transfer.

The Organizing Committee is composed of a representative from each of the following institutions and agencies: IDIAF, CONAPROPE, ADOA, CODOPESCA, FAO-RD, University ISA and the TAIWAN Mission.

This unique event will bring together more than 45 professionals from government institutions, local and international universities, international cooperation agencies, consultants, importers and exporters, in hotel and restaurants, supermarkets, congressmen and producers, who will debate the way forward for the next five years, and update the 2007 Plan.

Kentucky State University (KSU) has confirmed the participation of Dr. James Tidwell, Director of the Department of Aquaculture and past president of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS).  He will give a lecture on global aquaculture and strategies for success.  Also Dr. Darryl Jory, a professional with the American Soybean Society (ASA-IM) will give a lecture.  ASA-IM has concluded support arrangements for 2010 with the Dominican Association of aquaculturists, Inc. (ADOA).  

Agriculture Minister Salvador Jimenez is scheduled to give the keynote address, and a paper will be presented by the Deputy Minister of Planning.

Dr. David Stillman, Executive Director of the Public-Private Alliance Foundation (PPAF), will also participate.  PPAF is linked to the United Nations.  Since 2007 PPAF has supported numerous events and activities of  ADOA and the aquaculture sub-sector in the Dominican Republic.  Through the efforts of PPAF, Mr. Aurelio Monreal will make a presentation on alternative energy use in aquaculture.

Discussion and debate will begin in mid-afternoon the first day and continue on the final day of the event, concluding with the presentation of the draft new strategies for 2010-2015.

PARTE DE PRENSA

La Comisión Organizadora del Taller “ESTRATEGIAS PARA EL DESARROLLO DE LA ACUICULTURA DOMINICANA 2010-2015”, informó, que los trabajos para la realización del mismo se encuentran muy avanzados. A este relevante evento han sido invitados a participar, instituciones y organismos públicos y privados nacionales e internacionales vinculados a la producción y comercialización de pescados, camarones y otros mariscos en nuestro país.

 El Taller se realizará los días miércoles 24 y jueves 25 de este mes de marzo, en el Salón de Conferencias del Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales (IDIAF), cuyo Director Ejecutivo, el Dr. Rafael Pérez Duvergé, ha expresado el compromiso de esa institución con el desarrollo acuícola, a través del esfuerzo que se realiza en la capacitación, las investigaciones y validaciones y la transferencia tecnológica para consolidar el mismo.

 La  Comisión Organizadora está compuesta por un representante de cada una de las siguientes instituciones y organismos: IDIAF, CONAPROPE, ADOA, CODOPESCA, FAO-RD, Universidad ISA y MISION TAIWAN.

 Este evento único, reúne a más de 45 profesionales de instituciones del gobierno, universidades locales e internacionales, organismos de cooperación internacional, consultores, importadores y exportadores, sector hotelero y restaurantes, supermercados, congresistas y productores, quienes debatirán sobre el camino a seguir durante los próximos cinco años, y la actualización del Plan 2007.

De la Universidad del Estado de Kentucky (KSU), ha confirmado su participación, el Dr. James Tidwell, Director del Departamento de Acuicultura y pasado Presidente de la Sociedad Mundial de Acuicultura (WAS), quien dictará una conferencia sobre la acuicultura mundial y estrategias para el éxito. También el Dr. Darryl Jory,  profesional de la Sociedad Americana de Soya (ASA-IM), como parte de los acuerdos de apoyo para este año, concertados con la Asociación Dominicana de Acuacultores, Inc. (ADOA). El Dr. Jory tendrá a su cargo una Conferencia Magistral.

Se ha programado un discurso principal que realizaría el Ministro de Agricultura Salvador Jiménez, así como una ponencia la cual estaría a cargo del Viceministro de Planificación.

En adición, participará en el Taller, el Dr. David Stillman, Presidente de la Fundación para la Alianza Pública-Privada (PPAF), enlazada a la ONU, quien desde el año 2007 ha apoyado en numerosos eventos y actividades a la ADOA y a todo el sub-sector acuicultura en la República Dominicana. Por gestiones de la PPAF el profesional Aurelio Monreal hará una presentación sobre la utilización de energía alternativa en la acuicultura.

Las discusiones y debates se iniciarán a media tarde del primer día y continuarán en el día final del evento, concluyendo con la presentación del borrador de las nuevas estrategias 2010-2015.

The work of PPAF in renewable energy, in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere,  has become even more critical because of the earthquake in Haiti.  The Dominican involvement in relief and reconstruction and the Haitian and international concern to “build back better” have put renewable energy into the forefront.  PPAF has established an Advisory Group on Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development to guide its strategy and program, with a major focus on the island of Hispaniola.     

Members of the Advisory Group have a breadth of knowledge and experience, in government, business, academia, finance and non-profit management.  The broad work of PPAF aims toward achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, especially those aimed toward poverty reduction, environmental sustainability and building global partnerships.

Members of the Group may work together on areas of common interest, and also provide guidance individually. 

The first two topics the Group will address are:

(1)  Renewable Energy in the Dominican Response to the Haiti Earthquake Crisis;  

(2)  Renewable Energy in Haitian Post-Earthquake Reconstruction and Development

Members of the group are: 

Philippe Barjon, MS EE, Product Manager Energy Solutions at OpenLink Financial; Energy Director of BioTek Solutions, Inc.

Antonio Bento, PhD, Associate Professor, Applied Economics & Management, Cornell University

Marty Borruso, BS Forensic Chemistry; Chief Executive Officer, Fuel Bio Holdings, LLC

Gerónimo A. Chotin, BS Finance, Manager of Operations and Finance, Dominican Renewables, Inc.

Johanna Mendelson Forman, JD, PhD, Senior Associate, Center for Strategic & International Studies and Executive Director, Jatropha Foundation

Virgilio Malagon, PhD, Adviser to the President, National Energy Commission of the Dominican.Republic

Pablo Reyes, MA, International Policy; Director, Centro de Estudios Estratégicos Latinoamericanos

Robin van Puyenbroeck,  Master of Law/ Lic. Jur.; LLM International Law; Treasurer, UN Association of New York; Member, Carnegie New Leaders Program; international banker

Jean-Marie Wolff, MBA, MA Real Estate; President, SImACT Mining Holding, Inc.; CFO, SImACT, Inc. (Société Immobilière d’Agriculture, de Commerce, et de Tourisme)

Ex-Officio members of the Advisory Group are:

V. Judith Bowman, MBA, PPAF Senior Fellow.  Consultant in finance

Nazia Habib-Mintz, PPAF Fellow, Renewable Energy Program.  Doctoral candidate, Cambridge University. Consultant in renewable energy

Herb Oringel, MBA, PPAF Board Member.  Chair, Energy Advisory Panel, Town of Somers, NY

Amar Shibli, MBA (2011) - Dartmouth, PPAF Associate.

PPAF has posted materials on its website (see Events Section) relating to the Bioenergy Sectoral Meetings held at the National Energy Commission of the Dominican Republic from 2 to 4 December 2009.   This includes the Spanish language report approved by the CNE as well as links to the invitation, photos and videos filmed in the D.R. with Dominican TV Revista 110 and by PPAF.

PPAF ha publicado material en su sitio web (Sección Eventos), relativa a las reuniones sectoriales de Bioenergía, celebrada en la Comisión Nacional de Energía de la República Dominicana 2 a 4 diciembre de 2009. Esto incluye el informe en español, aprobado por el CNE, así como enlaces a la invitación, fotos y vídeos.

The meetings brought out the views of representatives from the public sector, the financial community and companies with pilot field experience, and academics and the private sector — over 55 people in total.  

En las reuniones participaron los representantes del sector público, la comunidad financiera y las empresas con la experiencia sobre el terreno, y los académicos y el sector privado – más de 55 personas en total.

In addition to the National Energy Commission (CNE) as host and leader, the Public-Private Alliance Foundation and ResearchPAYS, Inc. benefited from collaboration and sponsorship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the RJS Group, S.A., and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP).  The December discussions expanded upon the recommendations reached at the introductory session held in Santo Domingo in early October, where Grupo Vicini, the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization (IREO) and the Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD) were sponsors as well.

Además de la Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE), como anfitrión y líder de la Public-Private Alliance Foundation y ResearchPAYS, Inc. beneficiado de la colaboración y el patrocinio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, el Grupo de RJS, SA, y la United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP). Los debates de diciembre ampliaron las recomendaciones formuladas en la sesión preliminar celebrada en Santo Domingo a principios de octubre, donde el Grupo Vicini, la Organización Intergubernamental de Energías Renovables (IREO) y el Centro de Exportación e Inversión de la República Dominicana (CEI-RD) fueron los patrocinadores también.

In January 2010 David Stillman, PPAF Executive Director, met with Maximo Nicolas, President of the Dominican Aquaculture Association (ADOA) and others to discuss achievements and plans for fish farming in the Dominican Republic.   Dr. James Tidwell, Chair of the Aquaculture Program at Kentucky State University, and past president of the World Aquaculture Society, participated in these meetings.  Rounding out the team were Bill Miller and Dan Mizroch, former Peace Corps Volunteers in the D.R., who have long maintained connections there.  Miller is President of the Kentucky State Division of the United Nations Association of the USA and host and producer of Global Connections TV.  Mizroch is an information technology consultant in New York.   

ADOA and its partners are planning a workshop in March called  “Estrategias para el Desarrollo de la Acuicultura Dominicana 2010-2015“, which will focus on achievements of the earlier strategic planning process and needs going forward.  The previous strategic plan is available under the publications section at http://www.idiaf.org.do .

Nicolas, Stillman and Tidwell participated in a meeting of the organizational committee for the March workshop.  There they met with representatives of the Dominican Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Research (IDIAF), where the workshop will be held, and with the Technical Mission of Taiwan and others.  The group met Ginny Heinsen de Freitas and other senior staff of the Center for Agriculture and Forestry Development, Inc. – Centro Para el Desarrollo Agropecuario y Forestal, Inc. (CEDAF). 

Maximo Nicolas, Romeo Massey

Alberto Rodriguez, Tim McFarren, Stillman, Tidwell, Nicolas

Miller and Mizroch joined the group for a meeting with Romeo Massey, Director of the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic, and his staff, to discuss the potential for Peace Corps volunteers in aquaculture.  The whole group, joined by ADOA member Richard LeClerc and Alicia Mizroch, visited three fish farms in Monte Plata province.

Nicolas, LeClerc, Tidwell, Miller, Stillman, Mizroch

LeClerc, Nicolas, A. Mizroch at a fish hatchery