Teaching Democracy and Diversity

Teaching Democracy and Diversity: A Summer Seminar for Caribbean Teachers

University of South Florida By Danilo Ozuna

How the Lack of Education Has Affected Democracy in the Dominican Republic during the Last 50 Years

Concept or Main Idea

In this lesson, students from 9th to 12th grade will learn how important democracy can be when they know their rights. They will also learn about their responsibilities, like going to school and respecting symbols of the country. Moreover, they will provide different ways of achieving democracy in a country and discover how much Dominican society has suffered to reach this level of independence.

Infusion / subject Area:

Government and World History

Instructional Objective:

Students will:

 Comment on the opinions expressed in a newspaper article.

 Focus on becoming better citizens in the future

 Give importance to education in order to have a better understanding of Democracy

Learning / Activities Sequence

a) Set inducting / lesson initiative behavior:

The teacher will ask and discuss the following questions:

1. What is the relationship between democracy and education?

2. Why is important to know your rights offered to you under democracy?

3. How much has our democracy improved during the last fifteen years?

b) Learning Activities: The students will form groups of five and each will receive a newspaper article about democracy in Dominican Republic. Then they will comment on the author’s opinions and answer the following questions:

1. Why was Trujillo called “the boss” in the Dominican Republic?

2. Where was Trujillo going when he was assassinated?

3. Who was Antonio de la Masa? Furthermore, students will interview their parents and/or grandparents about how democracy has evolved, in the Dominican Republic, during the past 50 years.

c) Closure: 1. Have students summarize and verbalize what they have learned about democracy in the Dominican Republic and the importance of it.

Evaluation:

Students will answer the following short answer questions like:

1- Do you believe that the Dominican Republic live in democracy? If yes say why?

2- How is our democracy reflected in these times?

Materials and Resources: a) Pictures b) Internet c) Reading handouts

References Fernández Molina, Generoso (2000). Antes, Durante y Después del 30 de Mayo de 1961. Dominican Republic: Cocolo Editorial. Kryzanek, Michael J; Wiarda, Howard J. (1988). The Politics of External Influence in the Dominican Republic. USA: Copublished with Hoover Institution Press, Stanford University, Stanfrord, California. Bosh, Juan (1999). Dictadura con Respaldo Popular, fifth edition. Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana: Editora Alfa y Omega. Diederich,Bernard(2003).Una Camara testigo de la Historia.Dominican Republic: Corripio. Sites 1- Dominicana online(2005) los doce años de Balaguer http://www.dominicanaonline.org/Portal/espanol/cpo_balaguer.asp

2- Dr1.com/fórums/goverment/ 78673- Dominican republic.

3- http://www.globalwood.org

4- http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal

Antes y despues de 30 de mayo E tanto que hilvano los hilos del recuerdo con documetos y datos inecditos relacionado con el sucesoacaecido el 30 de mayo de 1961 que culmino con la eliminacion del caudillo ,relatare vivencias que por su contenido historico,si se quiere , deben ser recordadas unas , y conocidas millon de pesos para la construccion de una via publica en la region fronteriza , tal vez con el proposito de suavizar la candente situacion existente por la muerte de su hermano Octavio ; al regreso de palacio y medinte una llamada telefonica , nos entrevistamos y me inform o del citado contrato y lo que erepresentaba el mismo [ara disimular cualquier tipo de sospecha que pudiera surgir y entorpecerlos planes consebidos ; en ese tenor , y amparado en nuestros invaribles vinculos afectivos y hasta familiares , si se toma en cuenta el trato final que me dispensaba dona Ernestina Vasquez de la Masa , alias pucha , ditinguida dama la sociedad mocana , madre de Antonio , me autoprocame con meritos suficientes para senalarle a Antonio los riesgos que corrian los familiares ajenos a este movimiento redentor , que no culminar Coronado por el exito , a cuya adventencia respondio “,recuerda que yo jure ante el cadaver de mi hermano “Tavo” que vengaria su muerte “

Consumado el tiranicidio , y hacia las 8 de la noche , aproximadamente , del dia 3 de junio del ano 1961 , recibi la visita del doctor Marcelino Velez Santana – quien habia sido llamado para curar a Pedrolivio cedeno ,unos de los conjurados ,herido en la accion - con quien de la Masa , desde su refugio , me remitia una misiva que debi retener , porestar dirigida a a mi persona , en la cual se leia el texto siguiente : “Indio ,-para tales fines nos llamabamos asi –con el portador , doctor Marcelino Velez Santana ,te envoi 50 pesos con el fin de qude medico a su madre , en la ciudad de la Romana donde , para ese entonces , residian.

These pictures show how education in some towns of the Dominican Republic in the sixties was.

These cartoons show how education was viewed ten years ago in the Dominican Republic.

Here are some statistics about education in the Dominican Republic in recent years.

This is a startling scene of Dominican women crying because of the death of dictator Trujillo.