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Convivencia Center
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Mission
The mission of the Convivencia Center for Studies is defined in its
website:
The Convivencia Center for Studies is a pluralistic, inclusive, independent,
non-partisan, non-profit space of Cuban
civil society, which tries to inspire,
create and divulge ideas and solutions through its studies on strategic
prospection and ethical and civic training initiatives.
The name of the organization roughly translates to "sharing life": “Convivir is to
project together, to
share dreams and opportunities... Convivir is to come out
of oneself and to leave gloom behind. To live for others is the new name for hope.”[8]
The Convivencia Center is the heir and a continuation of the former
Center for Civic and Religious Formation (1993-2007), which was
organized on behest of the Catholic Diocese of Pinar del Río. After the diocese
decided to close the original center in 2007, a group of its members began to meet
at the house of one of the members and decided to start a new independent project that gave
rise to the present Convivencia Center under the leadership of Dagoberto Valdés.
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Photo: © Convivencia |
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Study Center
The primary function of the Center is
educational, through its
on-line magazine,
specialized written studies, and seminars. Among its specialization
topics are economics, education, agriculture,
culture, communications and ethics. The Center also attempts to put into
practice the principles and techniques that it teaches by sponsoring
several microprojects, as described in the next sections.
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SBM Records
SBM Records is a
recording studio and supporting resources
that attempt to facilitate the development of civil society in the
cultural domain, promoting and maintaining the musical heritage of the country
and its provinces, with the following specific objectives:
1. Provide quality professional facilities to
promote
individual artists and groups that do not have the opportunities or resources
to do this on their own.
2. Train
and provide practice facilities for artists
and technicians in the skills required for the creation and reproductions of
records and videos.
3. Promote the availability of jobs in this domain regionally,
nationally and even internationally
records and videos.
4. Create and maintain video clips, recorded concerts and
documentaries that showcase the cultural heritage.
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Photo: © Convivencia
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"La Isleña" Project
"La Isleña" Project seeks to develop civil society in the rural domain with the following efforts:
1. Develop an appreciation of working the land
as a source of
livelihood and personal dignity, and to
raise the quality of life of rural communities through social empowering.
2. Introduce new technologies
that increase productivities and humanize the labor effort. 3. Improve the organization and
management of farms so as to develop responsibility, teamwork, and the role of women.
4. Increase the level of environmental sustainability through education.
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Photo: © Convivencia
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"Huellas Guimart"
"Huellas Guimart" seeks to develop civil society in the domain of tourism and ecology. It consists of a personalized service
for renting hospitality rooms in the very scenic mountainous region of Soroa, with the following orientations:
1. Provide a genuine and guided immmersion experience in a beautiful
region of the Cuban countryside, distinct from the conventional tourism.
2. Promote responsible jobs
and initiatives with an humanizing attitude
of hospitality and contact between clients and providers.
3. Promote the care the appreciation of nature and of ecological problems.
"Huellas Guimart" started as a microproject of Convivencia,
but it is now an independent business that provides an example of an
"incubation" process.
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Photo: © Convivencia
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