A Look at NGO Work in Cuba
The following summaries describe some of the organizations that Executive Director John McAuliff, and Bela August Walker, then Program Associate for the US-Cuba Reconciliation Initiative, met during their January trip to Cuba. The information was gathered from the meetings in Cuba, as well as taken from various descriptive materials received there, both from the organizations themselves and produced by the Centro de Estudios Europeos.
Federación de Mujeres Cubanas
Founded in 1960, the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) is a mass organization, with a membership consisting of 82% of all Cuban women over the age of fourteen, or over 3.6 million. In 1996, they received consultative status in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. FMC works to promote the participation of women in all realms and levels of society, and to raise the standard of living for Cuban women and their families. Functioning out of 14 provincial offices with 76,000 grassroots organizations, FMC is active in all parts of Cuban life, from increasing representation of women in the National Assembly to promoting breast-feeding and sex education. Their neighborhood Casas de Orientación a la Mujer y la Familia, or Orientation House for Women and Family provide a variety of services, including AIDS education, psychiatric assistance, domestic violence services, self-esteem workshops, as well as various training programs designed to facilitate economic independence for women, classes which range from hairdressing and French to computing and marketing. FMC also has an investigation center, that conducts academic studies of the position of women in Cuban society. FMC continues to look for additional support from international NGOs, for program assistance. They have worked primarily with European organizations and UN departments.
Contact Information: Tamera Columbié Matos, International Cooperation, Federación de Mujeres Cubanas, Calle Paseo #260, Vedado; telephone: 53.7.66.2245, 55.3540; fax: 53.7.33.3019; fmccu@ceniai.inf.cu.
Centro Memorial Martin Luther King
The Martin Luther King Memorial Center (CMMLK) was founded in 1987 as a macro-ecumenical organization of Christian origin to promote socio-theological reflection, popular education, service to the community and the promotion of international solidarity. The Center organizes around the areas of social justice, peace, solidarity, and natural rights. Their community service projects center on housing, the elderly, popular communication and community development. The program of popular education seminars, workshops, and classes emphasize community organizing and development. In the religious community, the Center’s activities strengthen cooperation within Cuban and with the greater international community, and encourage a greater commitment to the social responsibility of the bible. CMMLK has worked with international organizations since its founding,, advancing relations with other centers, religious groups and NGOs from Latin America and the rest of the world, encouraging cooperation for development and ecumenical aid for the people and churches of Cuba. The Center also promotes international solidarity, collaborating with IFCO/Pastors for Peace against the US embargo, and hosting solidarity delegations from the US.
Contact Information: Daisy Rojas, Centro Memorial Martin Luther King, Ave. 53 No. 9609 e/ 96 y 98 Marianao, Cuidad de Havana, Código Postal 11400; telephone: 53.7.20.3940, 20.9741; fax: 53.7.27.2959, rinternac@mlking.sld.cu.
Centro Félix Varela
The Félix Varela Center (CFV) was founded in 1990 to educate about the necessity of responsible ethics for a model of sustainable development and promote the development of a society with participatory politics, inclusive economy, cultural solidarity, and sustainable technology. They also have consultative status in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. CFV organizes workshops, courses, competitions, and seminars, around issues of human rights, development rights, conflict resolution, health, sustainable development and the environment, as well as producing publications and videos. Its researchers work with collaborators and other volunteers from fields such as journalism, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and medicine. Some previous publications included The Ecology of Comerce, Bioethics from a Cuban Prespective, and the videos, Looking for Happiness and Gay Cuba. They have also hosted delegations of foreign students and professionals. CFV is financed by their own fundraising efforts and support from international NGOs, primarily OXFAM, Arquitectos sin Fronteras and ACSUR (Spain).
Contact Information: Marlén Moleón Borodowsky, General Director, Centro Félix Varela, Calle 5 #720, esq. a 10, El Vedado, Cuidad de Habana; telephone: 53.7.33.7731; fax: 53.7.33.3328; cfv@ceniai.inf.cu.
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