In spring 2019, the San Diego Diplomacy Council will be partnering with Cuba Cultural Travel to offer a citizen diplomacy trip to Cuba from March 1-8. The itinerary includes visits with professors, former diplomats, young journalists, farmers, artists, historians and alumni of U.S. exchange programs across the country in the cities of Havana, Artemisa, Cienfuegos and Trinidad. Citizen diplomacy is the concept that the individual has the right, even the responsibility, to help shape U.S. foreign relations, “one handshake at a time.” Embrace your citizen diplomat self and join this delegation as they tour around the island and learn about Cuba’s past, present and future from Cubans themselves. To learn more, the San Diego Diplomacy Council will hold an information session at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24 at Havana 1920, at 548 Fifth Ave.
“We’ve chosen Cuba as our organization’s inaugural outbound trip because of the longstanding intricate and delicate nature of the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba,” said San Diego Diplomacy Council executive director Fabienne Perlov. “We believe that there is magic that happens when people of two different countries meet for the first time. We are in the business of exchanges because we believe that public diplomacy, and more specifically citizen diplomacy, has a vital role in promoting peace, prosperity and stability around the world.”
The mission of the San Diego Diplomacy Council is to build global relationships and expand mutual understanding by arranging professional, educational and cultural exchanges. They connect community and business leaders in the San Diego region with their counterparts around the world to address common challenges including citizen safety, economic opportunity, social justice and environmental sustainability. Cuba Cultural Travel began operating tours to Cuba more than 15 years ago with a team of two and has since grown in reputation, knowledge, and staff. Since CCT began bringing groups of Americans to Cuba in 1999, their focus has remained the same, Bringing People Together. They pride themselves in creating itineraries highlighted by the arts and cultural experiences as well as the best accommodations and restaurants. Over the years, Cuba Cultural Travel has cultivated numerous relationships with some of the best artists, musicians, and scholars Cuba has to offer. Cuba Cultural Travel is authorized by the United States Treasury Department to operate people to people tours in Cuba. These specialized tours were an effort by the Obama administration to foster understanding between the people of America and Cuba. The itineraries are designed in a way that will encourage interaction and shared experiences.
To RSVP or learn more please contact Natalie Maroun at [email protected] or 619-291-8105.