Meeting of Wednesday, April 1, 2009 — 7 PM
Sequoya Branch - Madison Public Library
Tokay at Midvale Boulevards

I. Welcome and Introductions

II. Wisconsin Medical Project Update:  Container sent & 2nd group this year leaving for Camaguey on April 3.

III. Camaguey Artists Visit to Madison in November.

IV. Senate Bill 428 to allow travel for All Americans.  Please contact Sen. Herb Kohl and urge his support.

V. Update on Fundraising efforts.*

VI.  Website and Listserv Report:
Newly-designed…

This article from the Grays Lake Review covers the experiences of  Susan and Tom Papagiannis on the January 31 trip to Camagüey.  It’s worth quoting at length.

Working in the medical field, Susan and Tom Papagiannis, of Grayslake, say they understand how vital it is to have the proper technology and equipment to treat patients, but outside of the United States, there are many struggling countries whose medical professionals are making due…

An article from CNN observes that Cuba’s adaptive strategies during the Special Period could serve as a useful model for the West as it contemplates reductions in oil supplies. During the Special Period, Cuba fundamentally reorganized its food production and distribution switching to organic methods and urban agriculture.  This, the article notes, could serve as a blue-print to cope with problems of post-peak oil.

… as an increasing number of people believe…

Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday has the article.   Amnesty International says the exclusion of Cuba from the Fifth Summit of the Americas is unhelpful to its stated goals.  By excluding Cuba, they will diminish attempts to find regional solutions to regional problems.

Heads of State and Government of all countries in the Americas, except for Cuba, will gather for the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 to 19.…

El País has a piece on the joint effort of US and Cuban artists to put on an exhibit in Cuba– something that hasn’t been done in twenty years.   The works will be shown in one of the main galleries in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in La Habana.

el propósito, claro, es demostrar a la brava que nada hay más importante que el arte y que la política debe…

According to the Grenada newspaper, Caribbean360.com, the growth of tourism in Cuba in the first two months of this year has led to renewed hopes for the industry.

The tourism industry expanded by 5.2 per cent in January and February compared with the same period last year, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero announced. This is good news for Cuba, which is recovering from the devastation caused by three major hurricanes in 2008,…

The Festival will take place in Camaguey City, Cuba from November 27th to December 1st, 2009.Our Festival allows a chance to present the recient video-art works, the same of young or already consolidated artists. All artists, local or foreign, can participate with no age or sex distinction whatsoever.

If you are interested and you are an indpendent artist, art gallery or art institution representative, a curator, an art critics or anyone close to these areas, it will be a pleasure to count on your participation. We encourage you to prepare a proposal for this Festival Second Edition.

5/3/09 - 5/17/09 Camagüey; From Portal Cultural Principe

It’s an event dedicated to the art of dramatic composition and representation in children’s theater.  It will present a true street theater interacting with the urban populace and it will offer workshops on the diverse subject matter in this genre

This festival is being held to stimulate and revitalize the production of children’s theater and to promote and disseminate written works.

Importantly, this will bring…