Politics and Civil Society in Cuba

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Preface

The dynamics of contemporary Cuba—the politics, culture, economy, and

the people—were the focus of the three-day international symposium, Cuba

Futures: Past and Present (organized by the Bildner Center at The Graduate

Center, CUNY). As one of the largest and most dynamic conferences on

Cuba to date, the Cuba Futures symposium drew the attention of specialists

from all parts of the world. Nearly 600 individuals attended the 57 panels

and plenary sessions over the course of three days.

Over 240 panelists from the US, Cuba, Britain, Spain, Germany, France,

Canada, and other countries combined perspectives from various fields

including social sciences, economics, arts and humanities. They provided in-

depth treatment of a wide range of topics, including US-Cuba relations,

healthcare, the history and legacy of the Cuban revolution, the increasingly

complex Cuban diasporas, cinema, music, literature, and cultural institutions,

the visual and performing arts, religion, the role of intellectuals, urban

spaces, civil society, democracy, the impact of the Internet and technology,

social development, non-governmental organizations, Afro-Cuban cultural

movements, gender and sexuality, tourism, and race and ethnicity. The con-

ference also discussed Cuba's links to the rest of the world.

The conference was organized by Bildner Center director Mauricio A.

Font and the Cuba Futures organizing committee, consisting of a growing

number of Cuba specialists at the City University of New York, with support

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