NEW YORK, April 29, 2009. – BRA Dominicana, the field service NGO of the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) and the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) at the Indiana University signed a letter of partnership establishing a collaboration to facilitate activities of mutual benefit that are consistent with the mission of the BRA; with the service, teaching, and research activities of HPER; and with the needs of vulnerable communities in the Dominican Republic where BRA conducts its work.

Several meetings between BRA Dominicana and HPER resulted in the mutual identification of five primary areas of collaboration: 1) technical support, 2) development of human resources, 3) strengthening of capacity, 4) academic exchanges, and 5) research projects. “HPER will also support the BRA in border health-related projects between the Dominican Republic and Haiti,” said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO. Dr. Robert M. Goodman, Dean of the HPER added that HPER and the BRA will explore the development of joint research and program-related proposals to seek funding to support the work of the HPER-BRA partnership.