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About Us
The Caribbean
Development Organization launched its program in Haiti on February 3rd,
2007.
The Caribbean Development
Organization held its first general meeting in Haiti in the town of Luly,
zone Arcahaie. Over 30 participants from 23 pre-selected community
organizations attended the meeting. Organizations with past
histories of successful work in poverty reduction activities were
invited to participate. All participants received lunch and were
reimbursed for their travel expenses.
The purpose of the general
meeting was to inform organizations of the opportunities available to
collaborate with the Caribbean Development Organization in poverty
reduction projects. All organizations were given documents in
Haitian Creole describing the goals and planned activities of the
Caribbean Development Organization. The meeting was directed by
staff member Christian Desrossiers.
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Our Mission
We are a non-profit
organization dedicated to social and economic development in the
Caribbean region.
Our mission is to
create sustainable opportunities for growth in the Caribbean region.
We pursue this mission by collaborating with individuals and
organizations at the community level to develop projects that support
the advancement of education, sustainable business and economic
development, environmental protection, and scientific research. By
uniting the resources of developed countries with the commitment and
contributions of our beneficiaries in less developed countries,
Caribbean communities can be educated and empowered in order to develop
solutions to local problems. Through such activities, we aim to
improve the living standards of residents of the Caribbean, and increase
cultural awareness and understanding between the United States and
Caribbean nations.
Saint-Medard, Haiti
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Directors
The Caribbean
Development Organization was recently founded in 2005. The vision of its
founding members is to promote social and economic improvement of the
people and stakeholders in developing countries and Caribbean nations in
particular. Our founders and current Directors include the
following:
Mandy Karnauskas
Claudio Delgado
Joan Karnauskas
President Vice
President/ Secretary
Treasurer
The three directors
represent a family which is fully engaged in our young organization’s
mission and vision. The relationships among the founding directors
assure an initial level of consistency in organizational purpose and
stability in its management. From this organizational founding
nucleus, the Caribbean Development Organization and number of directors
will grow as our network of projects, volunteers and donations expand.
Santiago, Dominican Republic
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Advisory
Committee
Kenneth Hoffman -- Accountant
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Our Values
Sustainability
The Caribbean
Development Organization ensures that project funds make maximum impact
on stakeholders by becoming involved only in those projects that can
provide long-term benefit to communities. Our organization creates
self-sustaining solutions to local problems, rather than dependence on
outside support to relieve poverty.
Integrity
The Caribbean
Development Organization ensures that all individuals associated with
the organization and its activities understand their duty to complete
all activities with social, fiscal, and environmental responsibility.
Community
Individual
communities play an important role in reducing poverty and increasing
standards of living. By involving community members in all aspects
of development, individuals can be empowered to solve their own problems
independently, instead of creating a cycle of dependence on foreign
donors.
Awareness
Creating awareness is
a crucial component of problem-solving at the community level. By
educating individuals on the underlying causes of local problems, they
are better prepared to work towards sustainable solutions to these
problems. Likewise, by encouraging cross-cultural communication
and awareness, individuals living in the developed world can better
understand the causes of poverty and become more responsible global
citizens.
Diversity
Every culture has its
own unique values and strengths. The Caribbean Development
Organization operates under the belief that cultural diversity is to be
appreciated. Poverty reduction can best be accomplished by working
within the frame of values and beliefs inherent in each culture, and
only introducing new technologies or methods when they are compatible
with these values and beliefs. Additionally, we believe the
strength in our organization comes from our collaborators, who come from
diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Transparency
The Caribbean
Development Organization strives to be transparent in all aspects of its
operations by setting out clear guidelines and procedures, which are
made available to the public in all languages spoken in the countries
where we work. We ensure our organization’s mission and operations
are understood by all individuals who collaborate with us, from our
donors to individuals in Caribbean countries.
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