3rd Bloomington Conference

U.S.-CUBA SISTER CITIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, 5/9/01
Bloomington, Indiana, 8-10 June 2001

Here is some further information about hotel rates and airport shuttle service. It's time to make your reservations! Final plans for an interesting and useful program are shaping up. This includes excellent speakers; workshops on forming Sister Cities, legislative advocacy, service learning; special visitors from Cuba; good food and music; a special ceremony of hermanamiento; and a midwestern town and Indiana University that will make you feel welcome.

Bloomington is situated some 45 miles southwest of the state capital, Indianapolis, and Indianapolis International Airport for airline connections.

AIRPORT SHUTTLE SERVICE: (1) Bloomington Shuttle runs every two hours from the Indianapolis airport Transportation Center. Fare: $20 one way; $35 round trip. Reservations preferred.. 812-332-6004. (2) Classic Touch Limousine. $43 one way; $68 round trip. Reservations required. 812-339-7269.

The deadline for special rates at the Courtyard by Marriott was 8 May, Rooms may still be available. Marriott's number: 812-335-8000.

Indiana Memorial Union, on the Indiana University campus: from $86:
812-855-2536

Grant Street Bed & Breakfast, 310 N. Grant St. (near the IMU): from $99:
812-334-2353.

The US-Cuba Sister Cities Association is having its (3rd US) national conference June 8-10, 2001 in Bloomington, Indiana. USCSCA now has membership in almost every state in the union and is the only organization in the United States able to facilitate individual, organizational, institutional and other exchanges on a local, municipal, city, and state level with counterparts in Cuba.

From three, there are now nine officially recognized sister cities with Cuba, and dozens more in the making. There is also, a historic first, sister 'state-to-province' relationship.

This conference is an opportunity for you to meet with people nationwide who are harnessing their goodwill towards Cuba and their frustration with an unacceptable US policy into direct action by co-creating mutually rewarding relationships with the Cuban people.

If you are already involved in developing a relationship or want to begin one, USCSCA can help you be more effective in achieving your goals. Beginning a sister city group within your community links diverse interests under one common cause which leaves each with their autonomy intact, while maximizing limited resources. It is the best way to create long term and sustainable relationships with our friends in Cuba.

At this conference you will also have a change to interact with many of the Cubans who participated in our Havana conference, representing various provinces who are working to help us with our sister city work in Cuba.

This conference is designed to help everybody move from whatever stage they are, to the next phase considering their unique challenges and circumstances. This is also our time together to set our national priorities and work to make USCSCA best serve its diverse membership.

Elected officials will be offering workshops on how to overcome any inhibitions your city or state officials may have to becoming your avid sponsors. Sister cities will be sharing experiences and discoveries; anyone with an interest in this topic is urged to participate.

PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTENT TO PARTICIPATE ASAP!
USCSCA 2001 National Conference Info:

CubAmistad, the Bloomington-Santa Clara Sister City Project, is pleased and honored to host the third annual conference of the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association, in Bloomington, Indiana, 8-10 June 2001.

The US-Cuba Sister Cities Association is the official liaison for all sister city relationships with Cuba. With membership in nearly every state, including Alaska and Hawaii, it has become the vehicle and the voice of the American people serving as 'citizen diplomats' eager to put the cold war behind them and normalize relations between our neighbor nations.

Working within their home communities, people everywhere are finding ways of building creative and constructive relationships with the people of Cuba by engaging in long-term, mutually beneficial and sustainable relationships.

We invite you to become involved in this exciting movement, pioneering a new people-to-people policy with Cuba. This conference will offer and share essential information for folks in all phases of exchanges; from a sister hair salon to a sister-state!

Bloomington is the home of the main campus of Indiana University, where some 37,000 students are enrolled. The city is situated about 45 miles southwest of the state capital, Indianapolis.

The public is invited to attend if they share an interest in our mission: "To foster sister city relationships and understanding through mutually beneficial exchanges, between individuals, community groups, organizations, and institutions in the United States with counterparts in Cuba."

Most of the meetings will be held at the Bloomington City Hall, which is near the conference hotel, Courtyard by Marriott. Conference registration is On Friday, 8 June, from mid-afternoon until early evening, registration will occur in the Marriott Courtyard Hotel at 310 S. College Street. Attendees may also register on Saturday morning at City Hall. The registration fee of $30 will cover the cost of the reception, dinner on Saturday and refreshment breaks. After you have made your housing arrangements, please print and fill out the registration form and return it to us via US Postal Service, even if you don't wish to pay the registration fee ($30.00) in advance. This will help us in getting some sense of attendance so that we can prepare conference materials and arrange the catered meal. You will need to download Acrobat Reader to view the registration form.

The opening reception on Friday evening will be held in the atrium of the Bloomington City Hall on Morton Street. Transportation from the Marriott to City Hall will be provided for those who need it. Others may enjoy a pleasant walk there.

Day-long meetings starting at 9 a.m. will take place on Saturday in the City Hall. Dinner will be served about 7p.m. Meetings will continue on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., after which the USCSCA Board will meet about 2 p.m.

The main airline connection is through Indianapolis International Airport, some 45 miles northeast of Bloomington. Ground shuttle service is available at the transportation center there. For those driving, Bloomington is located on Indiana Highway 37, with connection to I-70 to the East and west, I-65 to the South and northwest, I-69 to the Northeast, and I-74 to the Southeast.

Rooms have been reserved at the Courtyard by Marriott. Rates are $89 for a room. This rate is guaranteed until 8 May, so you should reserve a room as early as possible, identifying yourself as a member of the USCSCA. Marriott phone: 812-335-8000.

Grant Street Inn Bed and Breakfast, 310 N. Grant Street (near IMU).
812-334-2353.

You may contact Cynthia Roberts-Hall for further information at cynhall@bloomington.in.us

For more information about CUBAmistad, contact Jack Hopkins at hopkins@indiana.edu.

President
US-CUBA Sister Cities Association, Inc.

National Office:
320 Lowenhill Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15216

Initial Announcement: 3rd annual conference of the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association, Bloomington, Indiana, 8-10 June 2001

CubAmistad. the Bloomington-Santa Clara Sister City Project, is pleased and honored to host the third annual conference of the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association, to meet in Bloomington, Indiana, 8-10 June 2001.

Housing. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Courtyard by Marriott at 310 S. College Avenue. You should reserve a room as soon as possible, identifying yourself as a member of USCSCA. Marriott phone: 812-335-8000.

Meeting site: Most of the meetings will be held at the Bloomington City Hall, which is convenient to the Marriott..

Indiana Memorial Union, on the campus. 812-855-2436
Grant Street Inn Bed & Breakfast, 310 N. Grant St. (near the IMU).
812-334-2353

Cubans denied visa for Bloomington conference, 6/3

Message from the US-CUBA Sister Cities Association:

In our simple attempts to foster a bilateral dialogue and better facilitate
cooperation and coordination among our own communities and their existing
Cuban counterparts, many of the cities who have official sister city
relationships, invited the Cubans within the provinces who administer their
sister city relationships (as well as the over 32 other nations with whom
Cuba has such normal fraternal ties) to Bloomington, to share and participate
in open public forums on improving people-to-people relationships.

Since ordinary Americans are prohibited to travel to Cuba, due to US
government restrictions, it seemed that many everyday people might benefit
from being able to speak with Cubans directly, here in the US, and hear their
ideas and experiences about how we might build and strengthen
people-to-people ties between our communities.

Each individual Cuban invited, received letters in support of their
invitations from Mayors, City Council persons, Congressional representatives,
clergy, educators, and other community leaders.

One of the invited, Juana Ortiz from Matanzas Province, was just in
Pittsburgh in March, as a guest of the city, to accept the keys to the city
and to celebrate the first state-to-province relationship (Pennsylvania &
Matanzas) in the United States.

Her visa was denied as were a dozen others whose work is to promote
international relations within their cities and provinces.

The US government has again impeded and censored any public opportunity for
people to meet and explore with Cubans, the complexity of modern Cuba. They
have again stopped any dialogue from developing.

Although we do not, as of yet have any 'official' reason for the uniform visa
denials, (since the US government seems to make totally arbitrary decisions
for lack of a clear and defined policy) we believe it has to do with the
following comment.

That a statement made over 16 years ago even passes in a rapidly changing
world, as 'policy' further shows how out of control and out of step US policy
is, in relation to the will of the American people to normalize relations
with Cuba.

"A State Department officials said the denial stems from a 1985 presidential
proclamation.

``It is our U.S. policy to deny visits to high Cuban government
officials for visits to the United States that are not related to the United
Nations, other international organizations or to the semi-annual migration
talks.''

Our work in Bloomington to build more viable people-to-people relationships
that TRULY represent the (good) will of the American people, becomes ever
more imperative.

Our desire is to simply put the past behind us move into the 21st century. To
have a policy genuinely reflective of modern reality, not some hyperbole
invented by a minority of people and packaged to keep a corrupt policy (and
politicians) in place.

Over four generations of Cubans and Americans have been poisoned to
irrationality, over this policy. We goal is to de-politicalize the issue of
Cuba, so that we can see Cuba as just another nation with its own history and
culture, and get some perspective and honest information from Cubans
themselves, on how we can mutually find points of unity on which we can seek
to improve the lives of all.

We will not demonize the Cuban government, nor support a policy that aims to
deny the Cuban people their democratic right to determine their own destiny
without US interventionism.

Nor can we continue to honor laws that conflict and violate our fundamental
humanity, to keep us from building bilateral community relations with our
Cuban neighbors.

We are already moving mountains, and we will move these molehills; if we are
refused freedom of association and access to information in open public
forums here in our own back yards, then we shall find other ways and forums
to continue our mission as citizens diplomats. See you in Bloomington!

Lisa Valenti, President
US-CUBA Sister Cities Association, Inc.

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3rd annual conference of the
U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association
Bloomington, Indiana
8-10 June 2001

Initial Announcement: 3rd annual conference of the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association, Bloomington, Indiana, 8-10 June 2001

Cubans denied visa for Bloomington conference, 6/3

	US-Cuba Sister Cities Association
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3rd annual conference of the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association Bloomington, Indiana 8-10 June 2001

Initial Announcement: 3rd annual conference of the U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association, Bloomington, Indiana, 8-10 June 2001

Cubans denied visa for Bloomington conference, 6/3

3rd annual conference of the
U.S.-Cuba Sister Cities Association
Bloomington, Indiana
8-10 June 2001