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El IEC |
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Objetivos The Institute of Cuban Studies [IEC] was the pioneer and, for more than 30 years, has promoted a dialogue among Cuban intellectuals of different points of view, on the analysis and the search for possible solutions to the fundamental problems of the Island and its Diaspora. The IEC has undertaken said objectives while autonomous from the governments of Cuba and of the host countries of Cuban exiles, committed to ideological pluralism and dialogue, with the ultimate goal of reaching a national consensus. In 1969 the IEC was established in the U. S. by a prominent group of Cuban exiles with multidisciplinary academic backgrounds, diverse professions, as well as from social and religious institutions, who wished to create a forum for a free, informative and objective exchange of ideas about Cuba. For more than three decades, the IEC has kept itself open and capable of incorporating new and important trends of thought and it has also added to its ranks successive generations of Cuban exiles residing in the Americas and Europe, and in a timely fashion also Cubans residing in the homeland. Such unusual openness and flexibility explains why the IEC was the first institution to organize foray beginning in 1979, in Cuba, the U. S., Venezuela, Mexico and Spain, which made possible a rich and responsible exchange of viewpoints between officials and scholars from Cuba with scholars. researchers and professionals from the Cuban Diaspora. Being part of the IEC offered its membership, since the decade of the seventies, the chance to forge and develop a new field in Cuban Studies, to publish some books, essays and newsletters on this field of interest, as well as, to organize panels in meetings and professional international gatherings such as Latin American Studies Association (LASA) and Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) The initial IEC focus was the social sciences but gradually its horizons widened and it embraced other disciplines within the humanities. In recent years much attention has been given to the growing heterogeneity, in and out of Cuba, regarding age, gender, race, sexual lifestyles and religions. Seminars have been organized to analyze these issues. The Cuban crisis of the nineties has launched the IEC in a five-year program seeking a broad understanding amongst all Cubans. In this context, it was agreed to choose the theme of racial relations in Cuba and its Diaspora as one of the priority topics in our work. Thus, the XXX Anniversary Seminar (1999) entitled Racial Relations during the "Special Period in Cuba and its Diaspora." For more than 30 years and towards the XXI century we shall continue to think and rethink Cuba inspired both in José Martí and Antonio Maceo. From the former is our institutional slogan "Cuba nos une en extranjero suelo," (Cuba unites us on foreign soil), and from the latter is the one for our XXX Anniversary, "No me preocupan los aplausos, ni le temo a la censura." (I'm not concerned about applause, nor do I fear censorship). Another source of inspiration for us are the ideas and the living example of Fr. Félix Varela y Morales "who taught us how to think…" Our IEC 2002 [Cuba 1902-2002: Lights and Shadows in 100 years of the Republic] has just been successfully held -with more than one hundred people attending- last January 10-12 in the "Fr. Félix Varela Hall," at Our Lady of Charity Shrine in Miami, Florida. The Institute is already working towards the editing and publishing of the papers of this seminar, probably with the cooperation of the Fondo de Cultura Económica in Mexico. The IEC, furthermore plans to distribute a few hundred copies of this book inside Cuba. In the XXI century, our Cuban studies project shall proceed with its commitment to think and analyze Cuba and Cubans within a pluralist perspective while attempting to help all Cubans to better serve he future of their country. |