Meet & hear Cuban specialist in international relations, Henry Heredia, who has managed academic exchanges since 2011 for the Cuban Institute for Cultural Research and previously was the international relations coordinator for the Cuban Writers and Artists Assn. (UNEAC). He will join us on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 7pm at our monthly Coalition meeting, at Central UMC, 639 N. 25th St., MKE 53203. (if you want to hear or meet him, but cannot make this time, call us at 414 273-1040, ext. 12  or email us at cubawifriends@mindspring.com)

Henry Heredia holds a degree in Education from the Pedagogical University in Havana and has also studied at the Higher Institute of International Relations Raul Roa (ISRI). Henry has over fifteen years of experience with the environmental and community group Project Espiral, of which he is a founding member. Since 2011 he has managed academic exchange for the Cuban Institute for Cultural Research Juan Marinello and previously Henry was an International Relations Coordinator for the Cuban Writers and Artists Association (UNEAC). Henry speaks English fluently and has lectured at numerous prestigious institutions in the U.S since 2013. Henry looks forward to meeting with students, faculty and members of various organizations.  Presentations are strongly interdisciplinary and are of value to diverse audiences. Those interested in areas such as Latin American Studies, International Relations, Political Science, History, Ethnography, Anthropology, Sociology and Education would benefit from these events.

Symposium topics include but are not limited to:

1. Experiences in Community Work in Cuba: Henry would talk about his experiences as a member of Community Project Espiral since year 2000, a grass-root organization that works for the social, cultural and environmental development of Cuban society.

2. Cuban Culture and Cultural Shocks: Henry would talk to students and faculty signing for Study Abroad Programs to Cuba about culture, idiosyncrasy and traditions of Cuban people.

3. The US and Cuba: Changing Perceptions: This talk is about the results of Henry’s researches on the image of Cuba that Americans have before and after their first visit to the island, and the impact of those visits on the image of the US that Cubans have.

4. Understanding Regla de Osha or Santeria: Henry addresses anthropologist, ethnologist and other social scientists with a profound approach to the basic elements of this Cuban religion of African origins.

5. Gender and Sexuality in Cuba: This talk is about the achievements and challenges in the fight for gender equality in Cuban society today from the perspective of an activist rather than a scholar.

6. Cuban System of Education: A descriptive overview of the system of education in Cuba and the current challenges to keep the quality standards that have made it famous worldwide.