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Culture, in its broadest diversity, is meant to unite peoples, but also to create awareness of human fraternity and the unbreakable link of it to Mother Nature and the universe.
In the Decade of Biodiversity and the 25th Anniversary of the Fundación Ciencia y Arte, Inc.
FOR CULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY! Green and sustainable cities 1st World Ecotourism and Production Fair Nature-based tourism in its many forms is becoming more relevant for the peoples of the world. Awareness of the importance to take care of the fundamental basis of life – nature – is increasing. Many visitors are interested in going to relevant areas of the globe where there is rich and radiant biodiversity. Similarly, many communities in the world seek to display their history and preserve their cultural heritage with pride. In many cases, nature and the culture of peoples unite to redefine tourism and make it more attractive, a tool for development that ensures a prosperous and dignified life for all. It is known that to protect nature requires a global collaborative effort. It is not only an individual task but it is fundamentally a collective one. As such, it is relevant now more than ever, given the levels of destruction of the vital ecosystems of life in the world, that the damaging and degrading action that affects habitats be stopped and biological richness preserved. To this end, it is necessary to adopt strategies for the careful management of natural resources, including important conservation action, with local, national, regional and international entities that link the preservation of nature to human development in a dynamic fashion.
Location and Scope The First Ecotourism and Production Expo will be held in the MUNICIPALITY OF SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS, located 148 kilometres from the city of Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, in the islands of the Caribbean. The activity will take place from Saturday 18th to Sunday 26th October, 2014. The expo will take place in the province of Santiago and neighbouring provinces, located in the heart of the region of Cibao, where the colours of nature, hard-working people and the culture of the communities combine to create one of the most authentic and welcoming environments on earth. This activity is the 18th Ecotourism and Production Fair organised by the Fundación Ciencia y Arte, Inc., and the first international one. To date, and in the framework of the expos, there have been five binational Fairs with our sister Republic of Haiti. This international expo is being organised in conjunction with the municipal council of Santiago de los Caballeros, an entity whose objective is to turn the municipality into a model green city of general development. The fair is supported by state institutions, the private sector and community-based entities, as well as by countries and regional and international cooperation bodies. Based on the above, the motto for this first international fair is: FOR CULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY! Green and Sustainable Cities The organising entities will make every effort to have the five continents represented so that states, councils, companies, associations, academic centres, regional and international multilateral cooperation bodies, and various communities can share their experiences and showcase their advances with regard to the objectives identified. Santiago de los Caballeros: a municipality of exceptional, productive, cultural and natural richness SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS, formerly Santiago de América, was founded in 1508, on the skirts of the impressive mountain Pico Diego de Ocampo. Santiago de los Caballeros is the second most important economic and densely populated municipality of the Dominican Republic. Providing 15% of the Gross Domestic Product of the country, it is particularly important for the national economy. Its population is almost one million inhabitants. Farming and industrial production is known to constitute one of the historical bases for economic development in
economic and cultural forms so that the people in the municipality may develop in harmony with each other and with nature.
the Dominican Republic. Today, this production includes a working sector of great importance and productive areas of great relevance for the social and economic life in the Dominican Republic, particularly in the domestic market and in exports. Industrial sites and plantations are a clear expression of the progress achieved over the past forty years. Some of the areas of production have become international brands due to their high quality. SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS, with its heroic accomplishments, has set the historic pace of the Dominican nationality and identity. The city is known as the HEART CITY due to its very privileged location. The heartbeat of the whole Dominican land is felt in this city given its many special features. The levels of social organisation and cultural development are high. It possesses the most varied business institutions, unions, environmental, academic, religious, community-based, sporting and cultural associations, which for decades have been working together in a long-term municipal and provincial development plan. The architecture, the historic centre, the monuments and the recreational area, as well as the carnival and the many forms of art expression give the municipality of Santiago a special charm. Exuberant and luscious nature is found in its surroundings, with the main attraction being the mounting Pico Diego de Ocampo, on the northern mountain range. The council of SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS is not only concerned with the environmental sector of the municipality but also with the development of the rural and urban infrastructure of neighbourhoods so that people may lead dignified lives and enjoy a better quality of life. In drafting its municipal policy, efforts and willingness are evident in articulating the various political, social,
To date, the Municipal Council has organised more than seventy projects, amounting to almost US$4,000,000.00 with a view to modernising the city and the rural surroundings and to bring them up to speed with advances experienced by similar municipalities worldwide. SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS is strategically located to be a hub by excellence and, in a way, the capital of the most productive region of the Dominican Republic: El Cibao. SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS is a bridge between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and it is connected through a direct network of airways with Central America, the Caribbean, North America and Europe. It is a municipality equipped with the most modern hotel and communication infrastructure, and business and finance have seen significant progress in the past two decades. Organising the First World Ecotourism and Production Fair in SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS also means creating possibilities for tourists around the world to visit the Dominican Republic, a country that has been experiencing particular development in tourism in its extensive costal and marine ecosystem in the past forty years. Moreover, more than 67% of its territory is covered by mountains and gifted with tropical crops in fertile valleys. The Dominican Republic has enormous potential to expand the ecotourism activity which is already developing in many areas. Special features of cultural manifestations of the Caribbean country are portrayed in the various regions, weaving the fabric of the Dominican identity and displaying centuries-old heritage of contact with the whole Caribbean, Africa, Europe, America and the rest of the world. All of this ensures visitors come into contact with new experiences from nature, business, agritourism and cultural tourism. Objectives of the Ecotourism and Production Fair The seventeen Ecotourism and Production Fairs organised by the Fundación Ciencia y Arte since 1997, have been held mainly in rural areas of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. From these, five fairs have been bi-national. They have been organised in conjunction with municipal councils, the governments of the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Haiti, Dominican and Haitian social entities, the private sector, international cooperation entities and guest countries. It is important to note that the second Ecotourism and Production Fair was successfully held in the area of Jacagua, municipality of Santiago de los Caballeros, in 1998, amidst an extraordinarily beautiful rural landscape.
Its objectives have been, inter alia: -To spread, in the heart of communities, the idea that they can develop their own natural, productive and cultural resources with their own strengths and means. -To promote the culture of conscientious use of natural resources and to preserve cultural identity. -To promote internal tourism and the knowledge of world geography. -To contribute to the process of organisation of communities and social cohesion in the heart of those communities, among other communities and among peoples of other countries. It is an ecotourism fair because it portrays ecotourism as an option for local, sustainable and general development. It is a production fair because only through productive work by the people is it possible to make ecotourism a lasting activity. For those reasons, the fair is A SONG TO NATURE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SOLIDARITY AMONG PEOPLES.
Objectives of the First World Ecotourism and Production Fair 1.- The preservation of cultural and biological diversity worldwide On this occasion, the fair will transcend the local and national realms. The Fundación Ciencia y Arte and the municipal council of Santiago de los Caballeros seek to facilitate the sharing of experiences among various countries on how to promote local development with the conscientious use of natural resources and the protection of the environment, as well as management of historic and cultural heritage for lasting development.
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Small and medium cities and municipalities of the world are called upon to unite, to interact, to share experiences in a spirit of solidarity and to look for ways to manage and reduce disaster risk, and administer and regulate production and technological progress that provide such cities and municipalities with real opportunities to have better and more manageable living conditions, to provide their population with a higher quality of life that relates the social and economic development with the culture and protection of nature. This sharing of experiences is geared at strengthening solidarity among peoples so that peace is ensured in the long term and mankind may attain such harmony, biological and cultural diversity that dignifies human life. 2.- The development of green municipalities Having a city that is average to worldwide standards as a venue, the fair will also include the urban dimension of sustainable development. It is a response to the willingness of the municipal authorities of SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS and the Fundación Ciencia y Arte to create links among peoples and councils of various countries of the world in order to facilitate the sharing of experiences that help to improve management and attain the sustainable development of small and medium-size cities, while states and companies, with a responsible environmental and social vision, help to promote green cities and municipalities.
4.- Sports and outings. Exchange of various sporting disciplines and outings to places of interest in the city, its surroundings and neighbouring communities, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
In this context, eco-friendly techniques to structure green cities and how to articulate the development of highly urban areas with that of rural ones will be, among other aspects, a topic for discussion. 3.- The worldwide promotion of SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS The First World Ecotourism and Production Fair seeks to promote the municipality of SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS worldwide. Its natural richness, historic and cultural heritage, geographical location and willingness to become a green city and municipality, open to the world, to exchanges in culture and capital for lasting development, the municipality of SANTIAGO DE LOS CABALLEROS can be in the worldwide map of tourism and become a centre of attraction for investment, science and technology as well as art and sport. In light of this objective, it seeks to share experiences with other countries on sustainable development and tourism and to attract companies from different parts of the world that operate with sustainability criteria. 4.- The strengthening of solidarity of the peoples in pursuit of peace and cultural and biological diversity
ACTIVITIES 1.- Showcasing of products, services, projects and activities at booths or stands. Business exchange forum, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. 2.- Conferences and workshops on scientific training based on the identified objectives, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 3.- Art displays and cultural activities. Workshops, folk groups, typical music and popular bands from Santiago, from the country and from the world, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
FOURTH WORLD YOUTH CAMP The Fourth World Youth Camp organised by the municipal council of Santiago de los Caballeros in conjunction with the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) will take place within the framework of the First World Ecotourism and Production Fair, in which young people from more than thirty countries will participate. The first three WORLD YOUTH CAMPS, organised in Santiago by its council, have been based, according to the Mayor of Santiago, Honourable Dr. Gilberto Serulle, “on the vision that the youth of the world strive to value their own importance as shareholders and authors of the changes experienced by peoples”.
Text: Drs. José Serulle Ramia and Jacqueline Boin. Design: Sandino Rodríguez. Photos: José Serulle Ramia. Counci l of Santiago and bottom stripe: Photographers of the world. Logo: Irina Miolan.
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