The nonprofit student organization Raíces de Esperanza sponsored its third Princeton and Harvard Cuba Conference this past weekend, with more than 150 students representing 44 universities across the country participating.
Joanna Gonzalez, the spokeswoman for the group, said the goal of the conference was to "empower youths to feel for their counterparts in Cuba."
The conference, titled "Juventud Despierta," or "Youth Awaken," was designed to "appeal to cultural identity as a catalyst for greater individual identification with the pursuit of a pluralistic and democratic Cuban society," according to conference organizers.
Alana Greer, a junior from Boston College who helped organize the event, said the importance of the conference for young Cuban Americans is to realize the differences between their lives and the lives of youths in Cuba.
"This could be us," Greer said. "We have such different lives. We want to forge a new identity for the next generation of Cuban Americans."
The conference featured speakers, including singer Gloria Estefan, panel discussions, a musical performance by the SPAM Allstars, conference calls with youths in Cuba and a screening of Andy Garcia's new film, "The Lost City."
The program also included several small group workshops intended to generate ideas about keeping Cuban issues at the forefront of U.S. political thought.
"We are hoping to identify an open group of youths and young professionals who have a chance to connect with the community in Cuba," said Nicole Grimal, a Florida International University student and one of the student organizers of the conference. "We want to help determine a role for a democratic Cuba and instill hope in Cuba."
Gonzalez said that the workshops resulted in several student-generated resolutions. Raíces de Esperanza will work to complete the proposed resolutions after the conference.
Many of the resolutions presented at the closing ceremony involved different methods of raising money across the country to bring wider awareness of Cuban issues.
Organizers said they were pleased with how well their goals were being discussed and implemented.
"It seems to be a good success," volunteer Peter Varela '08 said. "It is a good thing that we can address the issue of Cuba from different schools."
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