Cuba

Although Cuba’s unemployment rate is only 2.5%, scarcity of food supplies partly due to the U.S. trade embargo leads many to a lack of necessary items. Droughts in recent years also contributed to an overall tight food supply. However, restrictions on imports have prompted Cuba to adopt some of the most sustainable policies in the world; in 2003, the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture was using less than 50% of the diesel fuel it used in 1989, less than 10% of the chemical fertilizers and less than 7% of the synthetic insecticides. Also in 2003, The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognized Cuba as an active partner in the Food Security Program and one of the few countries in the world being very serious in pursuing the fight against poverty at all levels in both urban and rural areas. Cuba’s infant mortality rate is lower than that of the U.S., and the life expectancy of 55-75 years is impressive. Castro’s improvements in medical care have allowed even the poor access to doctors. 98% of people have sustainable access to improved sanitation. The extent of poverty in Cuba is constantly being debated, with political opinions coloring the accounts of each visitor.

Notorious for its suppression of freedoms of speech and press, Cuba has yet to find the balance between an egalitarian socialist society and a capitalist democracy. Although suppression of basic rights might have been a ‘necessary evil’ at the onset of the Revolution in order to preserve its goals, Cuba has matured enough that its people can be trusted with political freedom. Currently, anti-revolutionaries can be arrested on the flimsiest of charges, and punishment for dissent is codified in Cuba’s laws. Official permission is necessary for those who wish to visit family members within Cuba, and travel is highly restricted. Parents who must leave the country on business often cannot take their children with them, ensuring their return to Cuba. Recent events, such as a large dissident rally carefully guarded, but not dispersed, by the police, showed some improvement, but the 2003 crackdown on dissidents abated the hope of many human rights activists. Information is limited because the government denies legal status to local human rights groups.

Due to Cuba’s vast improvements in medical care, disease is not one of the most pressing issues in Cuba. The HIV rate is less than 1%, and in 2003 less than 200 people died of AIDS in the country. Most infectious diseases and epidemics that plague developing countries are no longer a problem in Cuba, and Castro’s family doctor plan and rations of basic nutrients help keep the general population generally healthy. The leading causes of death are, as in developed countries, cancer and heart disease. Tightening of the U.S. embargo blocks Cuba from purchasing many useful drugs, and this has led to deterioration in Cuba’s health care sector. In response, Cuba allows its doctors to get advanced certification in natural and alternative medicine and has identified 60 indigenous herbs with proven medicinal value. In the last decade it has opened natural medicine clinics in every major city specializing in herbal treatments, acupuncture, homeopathy and mind-body medicine. Cuba’s infant mortality rate has been cut by nearly 90% since 1959, and there is over 20 times the number of doctors on the island, with their numbers jumping from 3000 in 1959 to roughly 56,000 at the present—Cuba provides almost twice the number of doctors per 1,000 people than the U.S.

As of 2000, the issues facing Cuba’s environment were deforestation and the loss of its wildlife. The government’s implementation of a reforestation program, as well as creation of several government agencies dedicated to the protection of the environment, have helped reverse the loss of forest and are working to protect the endangered species of the island. The pollution of water is also an issue, but currently 95% of Cuba’s urban residents and 77% of rural residents have access to pure potable water.

Almost all children in Cuba attend school. The literacy rate is 99.8%, and the ratio of teachers to students in primary school is 1:11. Roughly 19% of government revenue goes to funding education. All institutions of higher learning are public and free, although each student has to complete 30 days of agricultural work each year. The government’s success in eradicating illiteracy and its commitment to education are one of the indisputable successes of the Revolution.

Global Action Project - provides training in media arts and technology for low-income youth. By combining best practices in youth development with media education, G.A.P. empowers youth to become active, informed citizens. Through the production of thought-provoking media of the highest quality on local and international issues, G.A.P. fosters young people's potential for leadership, artistic expression their exploration of social issues, global awareness and participation in their communities.

Mano-y-Mano Cuba: Providing humanitarian medical assistance, fighting the spread of neo-liberalism, capitalism, racism and sexism; delivering medical supplies,medical equipment,medicine and medical personnel to Cuba; assisting the Cuban People to sustain the Cuban Revolution, by helping to rebuild Cuba's medical infrastructure that was destroyed by 40 years of embargo by the United States.

Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba - is committed to the health of the global community and fostering cooperation that leads to better, more equitable and sustainable health outcomes in all nations. A non-governmental organization, MEDICC was founded in 1997 as a bridge between U.S. and Cuban clinicians, faculty, students and researchers. Our aim is to promote sharing of medical practice, education, policies and research that contribute to improving health care quality and accessibility in the USA, Cuba and throughout the world.

USA/Cuba InfoMed - The goals of USA/Cuba InfoMed are to: Increase awareness of health achievements in Cuba and the impact of the U.S. embargo on the health of the Cuban people; increase communication between health
professionals of our two countries; increase solidarity with Cuba's public health efforts in the form of material contributions technical assistance and joint projects; build opposition to the U.S. embargo of Cuba.

Arizona Refugees Community Center - We coordinate projects and services to assist all refugees to become fully integrated and self-sufficient in their new communities. The refugee community we serve is very diverse and includes people from Vietnam, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somali, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Cuba.

Earthwatch: Crocodiles of Cuba - You will work with Roberto Soberýn, Manuel Alonzo (both of the Cuban National Enterprise for the Protection of Flora and Fauna), and Dr. John Thorbjarnarson (Wildlife Conservation Society) to improve the future prospects for American crocodiles. Traveling by small boat through the rich wetland habitat, you will help determine the nesting ecology, population biology, and behavior of crocodiles here to guide management decisions.

Note: Due to recent changes in US-Cuba policy instituted by the current administration limiting licenses for travel to Cuba, many volunteer programs are currently in the process of restructuring their programs and thus unavailable.