The International Community and Democracy Assistance in Cuba: Finding Common Ground

The International Community and Democracy Assistance in Cuba: Finding
Common Ground

June 19, 2006

Related Programs:

Cuban Democracy Project (CDP)
http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=66&program=54

Freedom House and FRIDE have recently released the proceedings of the
conference "Common goals, different strategies? Options for a
transatlantic agenda on Cuba", held on November 8 2006 in Brussels with
support from USAID. The event sought to identify common ground for a
transatlantic strategy of democracy promotion towards Cuba, and brought
together policy-makers, activists, and academics from the European Union
and the United States, such as Cuba Transition Coordinator Caleb
McCarry, USAID representative David Mutchler, the Head of the European
Commission's Latin America Desk, Tom&agraves Duplà del Moral, and
several Members of the European Parliament. There was general consensus
that a new and more coordinated approach is required from both actors to
advance more effectively towards their common goal; and that, clearly, a
transition process in Cuba cannot be the result of an external
imposition but should emerge from inside the island. By means of a
written message to this event, Cuban democracy advocate Oswaldo Payà stated:

"If economic isolation is negative, it is also negative to turn Cuba
into a destination for leisure and investment, creating an atmosphere
that excludes the Cubans themselves. Do not ask the Cuban opposition to
define itself according to one or another line conceived from the
outside; you [on the outside] should define yourselves in favor of the
Cuban people, which means supporting the agenda of peaceful change,
democracy, reconciliation and respect for human rights. The correct
thing, more than making an agenda for Cuba, is to help the Cuban people
find their own voice in their own land so that they can define their
agenda for themselves."

For the English version of the conference proceedings, please click here.
http://freedomhouse.org/documents/Conference%20Proceedings-FINAL%20ENGLISH.pdf

For the Spanish version of the conference proceedings, please click here.
http://freedomhouse.org/documents/Conference%20Proceedings-FINAL%20SPANISH.pdf

On May 8, 2006, Freedom House-Europe held a conference in Budapest on
the role of international civil society and political parties in the
democratization of Cuba, under the title "What Can the International
Community Do for Democracy in Cuba?" The first such conference held in
Hungary, it was a major success and was attended by students, scholars,
NGO staffers, government officials and the media. In the first session,
representatives of the newly formed Hungarian Cuba Committee (a
coalition representing the youth wings of the four major political
parties in Hungary) covered the topic "Opportunities for Hungarian
political parties to promote human rights and democracy in Cuba." The
second session focused on international advocacy for a democratic
transition in Cuba, and featured: Mark Fodor of Amnesty
International-Hungary, Ricardo Carreras of Solidaridad Espa&ntildeola
con Cuba (Spain), Tomas Bilbao of the Cuba Study Group (USA), Carlos
Gonz&agravelez of People in Need (Czech Republic) and Eliska Slavikova,
of People in Peril (Slovakia).

http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=115&item=52