FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Raizal People?

Answering the following questions will provide premises to show "who are the Raizal People" and to demonstrate their legitimate right to sovereignty over their ancestral territory (the Caribbean Archipelago of San Andres, Old Providence and Santa Catalina), and their right to self-determination and self-government.

They are sons and daughters of 'freedom', made sons and daughters of 'slavery' and 'colonialism', still pursuing self-determination.

Why true development seems to be so difficult in the Archipelago?

In the first 200 years of the Raizal People's history, you should be aware of all that they "take away" from the true story, and notice that the history of colonialism was long, that the Raizal People come from slavery and colonialism, and still remain colonized today, without respect to their right to self-determination and sovereignty. For the last 100 years (1912-2022), the real colonialist policies of Colombia over the Raizal People territory started to show its intentions: domination, exploitation, displacement, and un-development, timely become evident. The next great difficulty, apart from colonialism, is the result of causing an unsustainable overpopulated territory.  San Andres, Old Providence, and Santa Catalina are all small oceanic islands; an oceanic island is the most isolated land on earth, surrounded on all sides by a vast amount of seawater. The impact of so many people concentrated in such a small space is immediate. The native population, as well as residents, floating population (from massive tourism), and the 'investors' machinery, put heavy demands on the ecosystem. 

What is the purpose of the RDC-C?

The RDC (Raizal Development Center) pursues charitable, interest, utility or common welfare purposes, and the improvement of the quality of life, in economic, social, cultural, civic, political aspects, of integral development, scientific, technological, environmental, sports, recreational, educational, and training for the indigenous Raizal People of the Archipelago of San Andres, Old Providence, and Santa Catalina, who reside within their own territory or outside of it; this is for their right to development, and right to self-determination.

What is the RFPC?

RFPC stays for Raizal Food Production Center - one of RDC main programs. It is a community social entrepreneurship that came up from the necessity to deal with the extremely high cost of living, and high level of importation of food to the islands. The type of massive tourism that was imposed on the ancestral territory of the indigenous people, along with the long colonialist regime, underdeveloped the archipelago.

What is the RSDS?

RDSD stays for Raizal Self-determination and Development School - another one of the most strategic programs of RDC. The school is focused on first overcoming the mental colonization of the Raizals, which is considered to be hindering them from properly recognizing, understanding, and implementing their inalienable right to sovereignty, and their right to self-determination (both prerequisites for the implementation of the right to development).

What become of the Christian University of the Archipelago?

Rev. Dr. George M. May, the founder and first president of the Christian University of San Andres and Old Providence (CU), is a native of San Andres island. In 1951, he was admitted to Wayland Baptist College (USA). Dr. May had a vision of providing a university education to native islanders from the Archipelago of San Andres. Upon his retirement from South Park Baptist Church, Houston, Texas in 1992, he returned to San Andres to work with the local people to establish the first institution of higher education for Afro-Caribbeans. The University was formed in 1999. In 2004, Dr. May became ill and had to resign from his position as president of the CU. After a short time, the campus was abandoned. The Colombian State saw the CU as a threat to their national security. Currently, it became the headquarter of the RDC-C (Raizal Development Center Corporation), hosting many projects for the welfare of the People, while the RDC advances toward the full restoration of the CU original plan.

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Km 14 No. 2-29 South End
Christian University of San Andres and Providence
San Andres Island (Colombia)
(+57) 315-292-5855
contact@raizaldevelopmentcenter.org

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