February 24, 2008
The Duke Cuba Conference
April 10 - 13 / Duke University / Durham, NC
Are you a driven college student, recent graduate, or high-school student with a passion and desire to explore more about Cuba and its realities?
The Duke Cuba Conference - inter(CAMBIO): Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow - is Raices de Esperanza's fifth anniversary youth conference and will be hosted by Duke University's Cuban American Student Association (CASA). This three-day event will unite prominent figures that are active in the study of Cuban-American affairs, young professionals, and students from universities and high schools across the nation. By fusing the academic with the cultural the Conference will be a unique and transformative experience that fosters interaction and exchange between special guests and participants, challenging and engaging those that seek to immerse themselves in an atmosphere of learning and excitement.
inter(CAMBIO): Yesterday , Today, and Tomorrow will offer all who attend the opportunity to network with those that are on the forefront of initiatives supporting positive change in Cuba. Participants will also partake in Raices de Esperanza's latest developmental program dedicated to strengthening the bridge between youth inside and outside of Cuba. All are invited to apply.
Travel, Food, & Lodging Accomodations: Please do not let any expenses deter you from applying. Travel costs will be shared between Raices and Conference applicants, the amount of which will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Please specify your lodging needs in the relevant section of the Conference application. On-campus dormitory housing will be provided by Duke student sponsors for the duration of the Conference weekend at no expense. Participants requiring hotel accomodations may do so at their own expense. Meals will be provided at the majority of events - please refer to the Conference agenda for more details. Transportation between Duke's campus and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport will be provided to participants.
The deadline to apply will be Monday, March 3rd. Contact: for more information or additional inquiries, please write to DukeCubaConference@gmail.com.
Raices de Esperanza (Roots of Hope) is a dynamic and evolving service organization inspired by captivating young leaders who want to convert talk to action, write a new history, and let the world hear their calls for change. We are young leaders growing together, sharing resources, and creating an empowering network that services those in need. Our actions and initiatives invite the courageous, creative, and committed to challenge themselves and raise up high the banner of hope, love, and friendship so the world can see. We aim to define the role of youth in promoting a free Cuba by educating ourselves, embracing debate, and reaching out to our counterparts on the island.
Since its founding in 2003, Raices has sponsored academic forums at Harvard, Georgetown, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. Drawing on a network of more than 44 university groups and over 1,000 alumni, Raices' conferences encourage students and young professionals to explore Cuba's complex past, present, and future by interacting with distinguished academics, scholars, activists, and world leaders.
Raices de Esperanza is a 100% volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan organization that does not receive any federal funding.
Posted by Ziva at February 24, 2008 08:58 PM
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Comments
Ziva:
This sounds fishy to me, what is this all about
Larry
Posted by: Larry Daley ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 24, 2008 09:34 PM
Larry, Raices is an independent campus based service organization for Cuban-American college students. From their website: Raices de Esperanza (Roots of Hope) is a dynamic and evolving service organization inspired by captivating young leaders who want to convert talk to action, write a new history, and let the world hear their calls for change. We are young leaders growing together, sharing resources, and creating an empowering network that services those in need. Our actions and initiatives invite the courageous, creative, and committed to challenge themselves and raise up high the banner of hope, love, and friendship so the world can see. We aim to define the role of youth in promoting a free Cuba by educating ourselves, embracing debate, and reaching out to our counterparts on the island.
Posted by: Ziva at February 24, 2008 10:05 PM
im 17 and i am interested in this but I dont know if it seems trustworthy. I dont know if it would be worth asking my parents to pay a whole bunch of money for me to go all the way to north carolina to have some socialists shove their crap down my throat. but who knows it could be an awesome experience. it also dosen't help that i found out about this a week before the deadline. :( advise anyone???
Posted by: Andyrc at February 24, 2008 10:40 PM
Andyrc, I would recommend that you email them at the email address listed in my post and express your concerns. They are not a socialist group, if you read through their website that is obvious.
Posted by: Ziva at February 25, 2008 12:03 AM
Sorry Ziva,
For years, anything coming out of Duke University was definitely not good for Cuba. They’ve been trying for years to change the mind set of Cuban-Americans with no success. They know the parents are hardliners so they target 2nd and 3rd generations. I doubt they’ve had an “epiphany.”
For years I remember Ninoska Perez Castellón speak of an old classmate of hers who had married into the Duke family (Anthony Drexel Duke): Maria de Lourdes (Luly) Duke. Maria de Lourdes came from Cuba as a child and has lived in Miami. For years she (and Duke University) have been trying to “close the gap” between Cuba and the U.S. She has been for these past years a very controversial figure and in my humble opinion a bitch.
She is the founder of “Fundacion Amistad” which has sent doctors, teachers, scientists, librarians and artists to Cuba to give conferences, and also bring their counterparts to the U.S.
She is also in the board of directors of the Cuba Policy Foundation, Americans for Humanitarian Trade with Cuba, Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children. Mrs. Duke also serves on the Advisory Board for MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba), and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations Cuba Task Force, and the International Rescue Committee Cuba Task Force.
NOTE: Ambassador Sally Grooms Cowal President and day-to-day leader of the Cuba Policy Foundation, housed Elian Gonzalez and his father Juan Miguel while they lived in Washington, D.C. during the legal battle over Elian's return to Cuba.
Oh! “What a Tangle Web We Weave.”
http://www.ciponline.org/cuba/cubainthenews/newsarticles/nd072202jones.htm
http://www.fundacionamistad.org/abouta.html
http://www.cubafoundation.org/
Posted by: Firefly at February 25, 2008 07:29 AM
This is not sponsored by the University, but by Raices, an independent organization servicing Cuban-American students.
Posted by: Ziva at February 25, 2008 08:51 AM
People,
Please stop with the fear, the liberal educational institution and the socialism propaganda. At the very least go to their webpage and find out that they are a group of college students with chapters in various universities that work and strive towards freedom in Cuba hence the name of "raices de esperanza" or roots of hope.
Now that I got out of the way, I applied. I asked for financial assitance and will let all of you know if I make it to this. If I do, hopefully I can live blog from the conference.
I chose the Movements of Democracy inside the island as my first choice.
Posted by: La Ventanita at February 25, 2008 09:17 AM
Good luck to all of you planning to attend. I live in NC and will pass along info to the Cuban community here. Fast growing community. Several new refugee college age kids are always hanging around my house...drinking my beer and eating my food! LOL
Posted by: rrrod at February 26, 2008 05:08 AM
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