In December, President Obama announced a series of actions aimed at easing travel and trade restrictions between the United States and Cuba. With these changes, Global Volunteers is prepared to begin a new relationship with our community partners in Ciego de Ávila. Highlights of the changes being made in U.S.-Cuba relations include: Once relations are re-established, […]
I checked Cuba off my “bucket list” in 2013 when Global Volunteers (an organization I’ve been passionate about since 1989) asked me to lead a People-to-People program in Cuba. I was so there. I loved the people, the history, the sights, the music, the food, and the mojitos. My biggest take-away was, “what does my government have against […]
Cuba has a magnetic pull for me….I just returned from my 6th (or maybe 7th) trip to Cuba. Our Cuban friends say: “We’ve never met a stranger, “ and that is exactly how you feel the moment you arrive in the country. They greet us with hugs and smiles and immediately make us feel “at home.” The […]
Christmas in Cuba is very much a family-oriented holiday and gifts are not as important as spending time together. Roasted suckling pig is the traditional dish served for Christmas lunch. Parrandas – parties in the street with fireworks, floats, and dancing – are a common part of Christmas celebrations in Cuba. Christmas in Cuba – and everything […]
Broadcast on NPR April 13, 2014 Summary: Since Fidel Castro ceded authority to his brother Raul in 2006, life in Cuba has slowly been changing. Young Cubans are more comfortable talking about their government, and cellphones have begun to open up the island more, connecting it in a small way to the outside world. Julia […]
“To be cultured is the only way to be free.” José Martí For a small country, Cuba has a very large soul. It’s all owing to a culture which is rich, vibrant and immensely varied. At the island’s heart are the Cubans, brought here by the trade winds from all corners of the earth to forge […]