Movimiento Sociocultural de Trabajo Humanitario y Ambiental (MOSCTHA)

The Sociocultural Movement for Humanitarian and Environmental Work (MOSCTHA) is an organization with more than 40 years of experience in developing programs and projects related to human rights, legal assistance, health, education, and community development, with an emphasis on the Haitian immigrant population and other vulnerable populations. Our institutional dynamics are based on an understanding of the reality and context of the Spanish island, which allows us to clearly identify the priority needs of the population.

MOSCTHA has experience collaborating with United Nations agencies (IOM, UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, UNFPA) in the Dominican Republic on issues of migration, health, food assistance, and others. MOSCTHA has even collaborated with UNHCR for more than 13 years, since before the issuance of ruling TC-0168-13, on issues related to civil registration that precede denationalization and statelessness. Our intervention has included actions in defense of the right to nationality, to a name, to timely birth registration, and to non-discrimination. The case that gave rise to Constitutional Court Ruling 168-13 was initially presented by MOSCTHA’s team of lawyers.

Actions such as legal support, strategic litigation, submission of alternative reports to international organizations, presentation of cases before the inter-American system (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights –IACHR–), and participation in thematic hearings before the IACHR are some of the achievements that have helped to show irrefutable evidence of the situation faced by our target population, a minority that has been left behind due to their legal situation (statelessness). On the other hand, MOSCTHA was the driving force behind the empowerment of vulnerable people at the community level, creating one of the first networks of legal advocates, composed of two of the most vulnerable populations: migrants and their descendants. This strategy yielded very positive results at the time and needs to be replicated.

Additionally, MOSCTHA continues to follow up on cases of affected individuals. It has presented several cases before the inter-American system (Inter-American Commission on Human Rights –IACHR-). It has also participated in thematic hearings before the IACHR and presented alternative reports to various United Nations treaty bodies, addressing various aspects of the problem that this call seeks to address. Similarly, MOSCTHA develops interventions to strengthen and promote social protection programs, legal assistance, clinical and community health interventions, and psychosocial care, as well as other interventions related to empowerment, livelihoods, and community development as a way to improve access and opportunities for vulnerable populations; and promotes the creation and strengthening of community networks to contribute to the inclusion and participation of communities in the processes of finding solutions and ensuring the sustainability of actions.