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The Duke
Cuba Conference

April 10 - 13 / Duke University / Durham, NC



Duke students please reserve space here



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 Friday, March 7th.

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.

The Evolution Tour & Conference at the University of Pennsylvania (2007): In April 2007, Raices members engaged in a week long road trip event up the East Coast during which members made multi-media presentations to nearly 500 student leaders while touring 5 different university campuses. The "Evo-Tour" culminated in a three-day closing event at UPenn featuring academic panels, forums, conference calls with Cuba, as well as live art and musical performances. Speakers included Cuban human rights activist Laura Pollan, Cuban dissident economist Oscar Espinosa Chepe, New York Times journalist Mirta Ojito, author Roman de la Campa, and Daniel P. Erikson of the Inter-American Dialogue. Also featured were musical performances by Javier Garcia and Cuban hip-hop artists from the documentary film East of Havana.

Juventud Despierta at Princeton University (2006): In April 2006, student leaders at Princeton and Harvard CAUSA collaborated with Raices de Esperanza to organize the Princeton Harvard Cuba Conference. The conference name "Juventud Despierta!" became an international rallying cry for young people to awaken to their role in promoting a free Cuba through academic and cultural initiatives. This time drawing over 150 participants, students from over 44 schools and young professionals alike. Speakers included Grammy Award Winner Gloria Estefan and former Cuban Rebel Army Commander Huber Matos.

Cuba en el Siglo XXI at Georgetown University (2005): In April 2005, Georgetown CASA and Harvard CAUSA come together to organize a follow up conference entitled "Cuba en el Siglo XXI". The conference brought together participants from 33 schools and over 130 participants. Scholarly panels and discussions reviewed lessons-learned from political-economic models of transitions to democracies, analyzed the role of youth movements in fostering a climate for change under former totalitarian regimes, and explored effective means for employing an international solidarity movement in support of the Cuban internal pro-democratic opposition. Speakers included former Prime Minister of Spain Jose Maria Aznar and former President of Uruguay Luis Albero Lacalle.

Raices de Esperanza at Harvard University (2003): In February of 2003, during a period when apathy seemed to sweep the Diaspora's younger generations, Georgetown CASA and Harvard CAUSA came together to coordinate a conference effort that reached some 23 universities and 90 participants. This experience offered its participants an academic forum composed of scholarly panels that successfully facilitated a dialogue on the future of Cuba's political, economic and social systems, and actively engaged its participants in an assembly format to establish a plan of action for future projects. Speakers included Cuban civil society leaders Oswaldo Paya Sardinas and Vladimiro Roca.