Cuba J-Term Practica with Global Exchange, 2017
In January of 2017, I had the privilege of traveling to Cuba with a small group of fellow MIIS students and our esteemed professor, Dr. Jan Knippers Black. We traveled to the Caribbean island on a “people-to-people” exchange to witness firsthand the mending of relations between Cuba and the United States. Throughout our trip, we: talked to representatives of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples about international solidarity; visited Casa de Africa to learn about the history and experience of Afro-Cubans and witnessed a live demonstration of Afro-Cuban religious music and dance; talked with Cuban economist, Jorge Mario Sanchez UH, about recent economic changes in Cuba with an emphasis on new areas open to self-employment and foreign investment; visited with MIIS alumni Connor Gorry at her nonprofit, CUBA LIBRO, and discussed about life in Cuba and managing a small business; visited Alamar Urban Garden and learned about one of Cuba’s most interesting industries, organic farming; met with Miguel Coyula, a Cuban architect/urban planner and learned about the history and development of Havana; as well as many other enlightening activities, such as taking a tour through a primary school and taking part in a meeting with a Committee for the Defense of the Revolution. These inspiring experiences made me recognize the resilience of the Cubans and allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the costs and benefits of integrating belatedly into a now globalized economy.
Rooftop view of Havana
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