HAVANA, CUBA

Conference: June 2-6, 2003
Global Exchange Delegation: May 30-June 8, 2003
Global Exchange/Planetwalk-Cuba: May 30-June 12, 2003

Themes and Highlights of the Conference include:

… Sustainable development and commerce
… The 21st Century: from an ecosystemic focus to local practices
… Environmental policy: law and strategies
… International experiences in environmental protection
… Commerce and technology transfer
… Environmental health and environmental justice
… Regional cooperation on environmental issues
… Financing sustainable development
… Celebration activities for UN World Environment Day, June 5
… 3rd International Expo-Fair
… 4th Ibero-American Environmental Education Congress
… 1st US-Cuba Environmental Initiative

BACKGROUND

Cuba is fast becoming an important environmental model in international development. The island has been recognized internationally in the areas of organic agriculture, renewable energy development, alternative transportation, reforestation, ozone protection, climate change research and environmental education. Inspired by receiving an A+ rating for its work at the Río Earth Summit in 1992, Cuba has organized large, and growing, international conferences on environment and development since that time.

In June 2001, Global Exchange organized a 50-person delegation of top US environmentalists to attend Cuba’s very successful 3rd conference on this theme. During meetings at that time the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment (CITMA) proposed to coordinate with Global Exchange on a large bi-lateral US-Cuba component to the June 2003 conference. Subsequently, internationally recognized UNEP Special Ambassador Dr. John Francis has gotten UN and Cuban clearance to extend his Planetwalk Project, which focuses attention on environmental and peace issues, across Cuba. Global Exchange and Planetwalk-Cuba are now organizing partners in the current proposal.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GLOBAL EXCHANGE DELEGATION

Global Exchange and its partners are organizing a 200-person delegation of US environmentalists to attend and participate in Cuba’s 4th International Conference on Environment and Development in Havana, Cuba in June 2003. Leading professionals from various environmental fields and environmental justice groups will participate in the conference through the presentation of scientific and policy papers, poster displays, active participation in specific US-Cuba sessions during the conference, and through productive networking with their Cuban colleagues during the entire delegation tour.

Counterpart student delegations from Cuba and the US will be active participants in the conference and in special environmental youth meetings. Environmental education, and general awareness about Cuba will take place at all stages of recruiting and at the pre and post conference activities.

Delegates will also visit sites of cultural and environmental interest in and around Havana, and choose one of three excursions to protected areas in western Cuba (Ciénega de Zapata wetlands, Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve or the Matanzas coastal protected area).

Planet Walk-Cuba: Interested and pre-registered participants will continue after the conference on a symbolic 3-day environmental walk to inaugurate Planet Walk-Cuba with UNEP Special Ambassador, Dr. John Francis. A satellite hook-up will connect Cuban and American young people in a dialogue on environment and sustainable development (www.planetwalk.org).

Follow-up to the conference includes an environmental business and professional delegation to Washington D.C. to urge an end to the US Embargo of Cuba, and for an increase in environmental and other cooperation between the American and the Cuban people.

WHO WE ARE

Global Exchange (www.globalexchange.org) has supported sustainable development projects in Cuba for many years. We have organized delegations to previous Natural Medicine and other environmental conferences. We have been continually impressed, as have participants on the many previous delegations, with Cuba’s unique and ever broadening approach to meeting its food, medicine, and energy needs in an integrated and sustainable way.

Eco Cuba Exchange is a program within Global Exchange that advocates for better US-Cuba relations through focused cooperation on issues of sustainable development. Eco Cuba Exchange seeks to develop relationships, shared learning and friendly ties among scientists, professionals, students and organizations in the US and in Cuba who have a common interest in environmental protection and in sustainable human and resource development. This is seen as but one of many strategies to not only normalize relations between our two countries, but also to promote cooperation in solving problems common to all of humanity and to the planet.

Planetwalk, founded in 1982, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to raising environmental consciousness and promoting earth stewardship. Dr. John Francis, Planetwalk founder and UN Special Ambassador, will embark on an historic walk from Havana to Santiago de Cuba beginning directly after the conference and the Global Exchange program. Planetwalk-Cuba seeks to transcend political and cultural boundaries through a unique hands-on environmental education program linking US and Cuban students via advanced satellite technology during the walk.

For more information contact the Coordinator.

Nombre de la organización: Global Exchange, Eco Cuba Exchange
Persona a contactar: Rachel Bruhnke  Coordinator
E-mail: rachel@globalexchange.org
Teléfono: (415) 575-5531
Fax: (415) 255-7498
Ciudad: San Francisco
País: USA
Web: http://www.globalexchange.org