By Barry Sheppard
Despite sabotage from Washington, some 1500 people registered for a successful conference sponsored by the University of California at Berkeley on March 19-21. Cubans prominent in their fields were invited to participate in panels together with US scholars and others.
An interesting aspect was the participation of groups of Cuban-Americans who are opposed to the blockade, including one group that came up from Los Angeles.
A brochure outlined the purpose of the meeting: "In an effort to reduce the tension and increase the understanding between the two countries, representatives of several schools, research institutes, and departments with academic and professional interests at the UC Berkeley met in April 1997 at the Centre for Latin American Studies (CLAS). They decided to initiate a conference 'to provide a unique opportunity for a wide range of people to learn about Cuba' and, above all, to conduct a dialogue between Cubans and Americans in an academic atmosphere where they can 'freely discuss, debate, evaluate and be self-critical."
Nine days before the conference was to begin, the State Department denied visas to 11 of the Cubans scheduled to speak, about half. "They're seen as political, high ranking members of the Cuban government and cannot travel here under a ban signed by then-President Reagan in 1985", according to an anonymous State Department spokesperson.
Then, the FBI delayed three prominent Cuban musicians, causing them to miss performing at a Cuban All-Star concert that kicked off the conference. The FBI's excuse was that, since these musicians had been in the US before, they had to be "checked" to see if they had engaged in any criminal activity when they were last here.
The three musicians were Pancho Quinto, a Cuban folk percussionist, acclaimed jazz pianist Hilario Duran and drummer Jimmie Bramley. The FBI's action sent conference organisers scrambling to find US musicians to replace the Cubans.
The Cuban speakers barred from entering this time were: a Presbyterian theologian who is a deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power (NAPP); a former Olympic world record holder in track, a deputy to the NAPP; the director of the Institute of Philosophy; the national secretary of the Health Workers Union, a deputy to the NAPP; a member of the national secretariat, Federation of University Students; the director of Radio Havana's English Language section; the director of the National Institute for Research on Tropical Root Vegetables, a deputy to the NAPP; the chief of the North American Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the president of the National Association of Teachers; the president of CUBANACON, the leading Cuban enterprise in resorts and tourism; and a researcher in the National Economic Research Institute of Cuba.
At a crowded press conference the day the gathering was to start, Professor Ling-chi Wang, chairman of the UC Berkeley Department of Ethnic Studies, said scholars at the university were outraged that the US government would use the conference for political purposes.
"Because of what has happened, we've added academic freedom and the legitimacy of possibly the last vestige of our Cold War foreign policy with respect to Cuba to the forum", he said.
In spite of these obstacles, only one scheduled session had to be cancelled. Other speakers from the Cuba Interest Section in New York filled in, and those Cuban speakers who were not barred did double duty. As well, some of the barred speakers were able to send videos of their scheduled speeches.
Plenary sessions were held on five topics: "Framework for a US-Cuba Dialogue"; "Race, Racism and Society"; "US-Cuba Relations"; "The Sociology of Sport"; and "Democracy, Elections and People's Power".
Other topics covered in workshops were: "Public health and the health care system: AIDS and other challenges"; "Strategies for economic development"; "Urban planning, development, and environmental policy"; "Religion, the state, and the visit of pope John Paul II"; "The up and down side of tourism and trade"; "Biotechnology: the promise of a modern industry"; "Agriculture: fundamental reform in production and social organisation"; "As we depict each other: the media's portrayal of the US and Cuba"; "Youth: prospects for the future"; Film making: the artist views society"; "Literature and poetry: the words of the people"; "Alternative energy and economic necessity"; and "Trade unions: the question of independence".
The session that had to be cancelled was on "Education and democracy".
After the conference, the Cuban guests met with different organisations, churches and unions in the Bay Area.