The Third International Convention on Environment and Development
Sustainable Development:
Fact or Dream, Ten Years After the Rio Summit
June 17-24, 2001
March 2001
Dear Colleague,
We are inviting you to participate in a special U.S. delegation being organized to attend: The Third International Convention on Environment and Development. Sustainable Development: Fact or Dream, Ten Years After the Rio Summit. Being held in Havana, Cuba on June 17-24, 2001.
Major topics to be addressed include:
- Environmental Education
- Environmental Management for Sustainable Development
- Environmental Law and Policy
- Economy and Environment
- Biological Diversity and Protected Areas
- Energy and Sustainable Development
- Environmental Health Issues
You can obtain more detailed information on the agenda for this conference by accessing the conference web site.
Why Attend This Conference:
- Many of you are receiving this letter because you have participated, or expressed interest in participating, in a delegation focused on organic agriculture, natural and traditional medicine or renewable energy in Cuba. This environmental/sustainable development conference will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the context in which Cuba's food, medicine and energy programs are developed.
- Cuba has been selected for special recognition by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) this year because of the extraordinary progress it has made during the last decade in creating model programs in sustainable development.
- The conference is a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of Cuba's environmental policies and programs; the significance of the Cuban model to other countries of the developing world (which we think is quite considerable); and how professionals from the developed world can work together with their Cuban counterparts to promote sustainability world wide.
Read Articles on Sustainable Development in Cuba
How To Get There
In an effort to facilitate your participation in this conference, we are organizing a special U.S. delegation that will meet in Cancun, Mexico on Sunday, June 17 for the flight to Havana. The one-week program will include the conference itself; additional meetings with Cuban specialists involved in projects in organic agriculture, natural and traditional medicine, and renewable energy; and a visit to one of Cuba's four internationally recognized Bio Reserves. The program will conclude on Sunday afternoon, June 24.
Travel arrangements will be made by Global Exchange Reality Tours, a licensed Cuba travel service provider with twelve years experience organizing educational Cuba tours. As professionals and/or participants on an educational trip, you will be fully licensed to participate in this delegation.
The cost of the delegation will be $1300. This includes round-trip airfare from Cancun to Havana; three meals per day; accommodation at an ocean front, four star hotel; full program with translators and tour guides; all in-country transportation; and attention to delegates' individual professional requests.
The conference fee of $250 will be paid by participants in cash upon arrival at the conference. Participants will also cover the cost of their roundtrip airfare to Cancun.
Who We Are
We have been involved in sustainable development projects in Cuba for many years, each in our respective fields. 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.
We are including here all of our email addresses in case you wish to contact one of us individually regarding your participation in the conference.
Future Projects
In addition to the conference delegation, we invite you to become involved in future interchange with our Cuban ecological counterparts. We are working on a pilot project for a U.S.-based organization which will interact more extensively with Cuba's large community of specialists who are developing Cuban policies, strategies and projects in sustainable development. The possibility exists for long term U.S.-Cuba exchanges of great depth and breadth. We welcome you to join us in this effort.
Sincerely,
Martin Bourque
Ecology Center, Berkeley, CA
martinazo@ecologycenter.org
Dr. Michele Frank, M.D.
mfrank@infomed.sld.cu
Laurie Stone
Engineer, Solar Energy International
lstone@sopris.net
Pam Montanaro or Caryn Mandelbaum
Cuba Program Coordinators, Global Exchange
pam@globalexchange.org caryn@globalexchange.org
U.S. Mailing Address:
Cuba Environmental Conference/Pam
c/o Global Exchange
2017 Mission Street, Suite #303
San Francisco, CA 94708
Phone 415-255-7296, ext 231
To learn more about the conference and this exciting project, please "copy" the form below; then compose an email to caryn@globalexchange.org and "paste" the form in the message. Then type an "X" beside one or both of the categories on the copied form, along with your name and contact information and "send" it to Caryn. Thank you.
___ Yes I am interested in participating in the delegation. 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, Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________
Telephone Number(s): ______________________ Email Address: ______________________
