GFDD Will Showcase Publications at 6th Annual Dominican Book Fair

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) is pleased to be partnering once again with the Dominican Commissioner for Culture in New York to celebrate the 6th Annual Dominican Book Fair. The Fair will be celebrated September 28-30, 2012 at Boricua College in the Bronx.

The annual event celebrates the literary contributions of Dominican authors, both in the Dominican Republic and in the United States.

The event will provide
an important opportunity for GFDD to showcase some of its latest publications in the book series Research and Ideas: “El Metro and the Impacts of the Transportation System Integration in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,” by Carl Allen, and “Distance Education Challenges” by Heitor Gurgulino de Souza. The Foundation will also present the literary works of 2011 GFDD-FUNGLODE Award winners in the categories of poetry (Pedro Mir Award) and short story
(Juan Bosch Award).

“El Metro and the Impacts of the Transportation System Integration in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,” by Carl Allen, GFDD/FUNGLODE Fellow and graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School Master’s Program in Public Policy and Urban Planning, is an evaluation of the potential impact of the transportation system on poverty alleviation, congestion, pollution reduction and social and economic
development. The outcome of his research is an extensive report on the effects of the metro and feeder bus routes on the nation’s urban development, which includes recommendations for maximizing societal benefits.

As a GFDD/FUNGLODE Fellow, Allen spent the summer of 2009 and January 2010 carrying out research under the guidance of his National Academic Advisor, Mr. Leonel Carrasco, Sub-Director of the Office of Transportation Planning (Oficina Para el
Reordenamiento del Transporte — OPRET). His research methodology consists of the examination of first and secondary sources, including OPRET data and documents and review of Dominican media sources.

Allen also interviewed key stakeholders including Dr. Leonel Fernández, President of the Dominican Republic and Honorary President of GFDD and FUNGLODE, and representatives from OPRET; the Commission on Natural Science and Environment of the Academia of Sciences (Comision de
Ciencias Naturales y Medio Ambiente, Academia de Ciencias); the Metropolitan Office of Bus Service (Oficina Metropolitana de Servicios de Autobuses — OMSA); the Presidential Commission on the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development (Comisión Presidencial sobre los Objetivos del Milenio y Desarrollo Sostenible — COPDES); and the School of Architecture at the Univeridad Iberoamericana (UNIBE).

Allen’s conclusions are also based on surveys
administered to riders, students and local business owners.

“Distance Education Challenges” by Heitor Gurgulino de Souza, Secretary General of the International Association of Universities and President of Virtual Educa Brazil, calls attention to the expansion of distance education programs, and the important role of distance education in the future of growth of higher education worldwide. Gurgulino de Souza
identifies innovative technologies that will transform higher education in the coming years, and emphasizes the critical value of teacher training and quality assurance in distance education development. The analysis also refers to the important findings published in the recent report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which recognizes the essential link between pay scales for educators and quality of higher education.

Moreover, the
author cites groundbreaking initiatives being spearheaded in the area of distance education innovation around the globe, by institutions such as: Virtual Educa; the Universidade Aberta do Brasil; the National Science Foundation in the US; Next Generation Learning Challenges in the US, funded by the the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Abu Dhabi University; the Bunyad Foundation in Pakistan endorsed by UNESCO; the African Virtual
University, funded by the World Bank, with headquarters in Kenya and operations in more than thirty countries in Africa; and the TED-Ed Brain Trust in the US.

GFDD’s Research and Ideas Series promotes knowledge sharing and best practices. The series includes research papers, articles, speeches and keynote addresses on critical issues impacting the contemporary world, offering national, regional and global points of
view.

The selected works present scrupulous analysis, introduce innovative ideas and transmit inspiration. The series seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the world, empowering us to act in a more informed, efficient and harmonious way.

The book series, available in print and electronic format, highlight an ample selection of topics including education, health, urban development and history, among other timely topics.

GFDD
will also present the work of the following 2011 GFDD-FUNGLODE Award winners:
Poetry — "Hechas y sospechas" ("Acts and suspicions") by César Augusto Zapata
Short Story — El muñeco de trap (Rag doll) by Nan Chevalier
Short Story– Downtown by Kianny Antigua
Short
Story — Porfirio y la serpiente (Porfirio and the serpent) by Danilo Rodríguez

The GFDD/FUNGLODE Awards seek to promote and celebrate excellence in written expression, documentary film and photography. The annual competition was created with the purpose of stimulating creativity among Dominicans in the
Dominican Republic and overseas. The award categories are divided in two groups, audiovisual (photography and documentary film) and literary (short story, non-fiction, novel, poetry and journalism). The initiative recognizes and promotes the talents and achievements of Dominicans.

The 2011 edition of the GFDD/FUNGLODE Awards received 281 entries: 146 in the category of short story; 42 in the category of poetry; 11 in the category of essay; 51 in the category of
photography; 4 in the category of documentary film; and 27 in the category of journalism.

About 6th Annual Dominican Book Fair
The 2012 edition of the Fair will commemorate the work of award winning Dominican writers Dinorah Coronado, known for her literary achievements in the genres of theater, novel, short story, poetry and children’s stories, and César Sánchez Beras, recognized for his accomplishments in the
areas of poetry and children’s stories.

The event will take place at Boricua College, located on 3755 Broadway, on the corner of 157th.

Related links:
http://www.funglode.org/premiosfunglode/portada.htm
www.gfddfellowsprogram.org
www.boricuacollege.edu