FW: Invite to Cuba: 4th Int'l Convention on Environment andDevelopment: Global Exchange U.S. Delegation

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• Subject: [cg] FW: Invite to Cuba: 4th Int'l Convention on Environment andDevelopment: Global Exchange U.S. Delegation
• From: "Sally McCabe" S*@Pennhort.org
• Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 16:58:24 -0500
• Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
• Thread-index: AcJ+7T8ozf2iXlDHQ1e6MG3wAKIHrgCPAKqg
• Thread-topic: Invite to Cuba: 4th Int'l Convention on Environment andDevelopment: Global Exchange U.S. Delegation

IV INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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.

CALL FOR ABSRACTS

Delegates interested in presenting at the conference should submit an abstract no more than 300 words in length to the scientific commission before March 15, 2003. The language of the convention will be Spanish with simultaneous translation into English of the principal sessions. Send abstracts to: Ing. Araceli Mateo de Acosta Fernández, Convention Organizational Secretary, mateo@citma.cu and tomfrank@infomed.sld.cu Dr. Frank is the Program Coordinator for Global Exchange in Cuba.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Global Exchange tour will be 10 days. There is a 14-day option for those wishing to participate with UNEP Special Ambassador Dr. John Francis. Dr. Francis is organizing an historic walk across Cuba, a new and groundbreaking component of his Planetwalk project. Pre-registered delegates will be invited to participate for three days after the conference in the inauguration of the environmental walk across Cuba with Dr. Francis.

The cost of the 10-day trip will be $1,500 for dormitory accommodations and $1,900 for 3-star hotel accommodations. The cost of the 14-day option to participate in Planetwalk-Cuba, will be an additional $325 or $500, respectively. Note: Cost may change slightly due to any US-Cuba flight change prices. The dates of the trip are May 30-June 8 (or May 30-June 12 for Planetwalk-Cuba participants), 2003.

Cost includes: R/T air from Miami (option from LAX add $350); visa and licensing; 2 meals per day; transportation within Cuba; accommodations in Cuba; written materials; program activities and attention to individual professional interests.

Conference fee of $250 is not included in the above price, and will be paid in cash, directly to conference organizers upon accreditation in Cuba. The conference fee for students is $180, and $50 for companions of delegates.

You can print out an application form directly from this page:
http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/forms.html

This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly urge people of color to apply. For this trip, a limited number of partial scholarships are available for low-income applicants. Inquire also, about our exciting "recruiter scholarship" opportunities.

Sincerely,


Rachel Bruhnke, Coordinator
Eco Cuba Exchange
Global Exchange
rachel@globalexchange.org

U.S. Mailing Address:
Global Exchange
Eco Cuba Exchange-Rachel
2017 Mission Street, Suite #303
San Francisco, CA  94708
Phone (415) 575-5531
Fax (415) 255-7498

To inquire about or apply for participation in this conference, please "reply" by typing an "X" beside one or both of the categories on the form, along with your name and contact information. Reply to above address or to:
rachel@globalexchange.org
___________________________________________________________________________


___ Yes I am interested in participating in the 2003 International Conference on Environment and Development in Havana, Cuba.  Please send me additional information and the application form.

___ Yes I am interested in learning about future opportunities to engage in interchange with Cuban environmental specialists in the areas of health, agriculture, energy as well as general environmental projects.  Please add me to your mailing list.

Full Name:    
Profession/ Organization:
Street Address:    
City. State, and Zip Code:
Telephone Number(s):
Email Address:


Is it Legal to Travel to Cuba?

Global Exchange is a licensed Cuba Travel Service Provider. In addition, specific educational travel licenses are obtained from the U.S. Treasury Department for each Reality Tour. For more information:
http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/cubaTravelQuestion.html

More about Global Exchange: http://www.globalexchange.org

Articles on Sustainable Development in Cuba:
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/cuba/sustainable/index.html

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