PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 2001--On December 5, 2001 over 600 undergraduate students will arrive in Havana, Cuba on board the S.S. Universe Explorer, the maritime campus for the Semester at Sea global studies program. The vessel is the only vessel carrying U.S. students to be licensed to call on Cuba. Havana is the last port of call for these students who are enrolled in the Fall 2001 term of Semester at Sea, an international studies program academically sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh and administered by the Institute for Shipboard Education.

Before these students return to their final destination in Miami, FL, they will spend four days of cross-cultural exchange and educational travel within Cuba. Despite adjustments that had to be made to the fall itinerary, the program is fortunate to include Cuba for the fifth time in the past two years as an integral part of the academic program. Semester at Sea students have written letters of invitation to Cuban President Fidel Castro to meet with them as he did in the fall of 2000, to discuss the past and future relationship between the U.S. and Cuba, as well as the importance of peace and mutual understanding between the two countries. Such cross-cultural exchanges have often occurred during visits to many other countries including Vietnam, China and South Africa, where students have previously met with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The 645 Semester at Sea students, who represent 260 different colleges and universities, left Vancouver, Canada on August 31, 2001 and will have visited, Japan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, the Seychelles, Mauritius, South Africa and Brazil before arriving in Havana. They will depart Cuba on December 7 and will return to Miami, FL concluding the program on December 9.

Courses offered are accredited by the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and can be fully transferable to the student's home institution. Students choose from approximately 75 lower and upper division courses in a variety of disciplines and classes meet daily while the ship is at sea. The faculty are visiting professors from institutions across the U.S. and abroad. All of the faculty have extensive resident international experience which serves to integrate course content with countries on the itinerary. Over 34,000 students have participated since the program began in 1964. For more information contact http://www.semesteratsea.com.

CONTACT:

Institute for Shipboard Education, Pittsburgh

Julian Asenjo
800/854-0195 or 412/648-7490 
fax: 412/648-2298 
email: jasenjo@sas.ise.pitt.edu

Our Institute is coordinating trips to Matanzas from LA Cal State University and a network of 19 universities. Next trips will be in September and December 2001 and January 2002. 

In addition we been hosting artists from Matanzas during the last 3 years; next Saturday we have our 2nd master class by percussionist Fernando Brooks of Ban Rra Rra, and the great photographer Abigail (from Matanzas) will visit LA next month to exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art.

Our Institute is working in agreement with National UNEAC and under a US Treasure Department license. 

Hope you are having a great gathering today with the Matanzas delegation and 
look forward to coordinate future events with your program.

Peace,

Jorge Luis Rodriguez 
www.AFROCUBA.org
AfroCuban Research Institute
P.O.Box 26688, LA, CA 90026

Dear Jorge,

We of course welcome and desire colloboration of all of our efforts to further exchanges of all sorts in Matanzas. It is our hope, in the future, to become a joint venture, partners, with Matanzas in developing an African Diaspora Center just outside the city, where people can study the profound 
contributions made by the Diaspora to all the liberation struggles and cultural diversity within this hemisphere.

But further, I would invite you to consider using your work as the seed to begin a similar project in the Santiago de Cuba province as part of our efforts to seed sister cities through out this country that will embody the will of the people of this country to end a shameful unilateral embargo and 
begin to allow natural and unimpeded people-to-people relationships. We have a few people in the LA area who would like to work to develop sustainable relationships with a Cuban community, and perhaps your work could become one of the first institutional exchanges that could make such a thing happen. Please let me know if this idea has any appeal to you. Of course, I don't view this as a linear either/or, I am hoping we can do it all.

Respectfully & 
Sincerely,

Lisa Valanti
President
US-CUBA Sister Cities Association, Inc.

Lisa Valanti
President
Pittsburgh-Matanzas Sister City Project

Pittsburgh-Matanzas Sister City Project

A historic moment taking shape ... will you participate?

For the first time in US history, a comprehensive delegation inclusive of elected local government officials is coming from Matanzas, Cuba at the invitation of the Pittsburgh-Matanzas Sister City Project with the full support and cooperation of the city of Pittsburgh.

This is truly an event of historic proportions, as our countries are more estranged than ever, and the role of "citizen diplomats" is ever more imperative. The Bush administration has promised to retain, even tighten the embargo, and further restrict travel.

Only public pressure and commitment to a policy of mutually constructive engagement can keep us from going backwards and staying stuck in the tarpit of isolationism.

We need your help to make this event successful, as we are a volunteer organization.We would like to offer you the opportunity to help host our guests, in what may be their only opportunity to experience, first hand, the American people instead of a US policy.

We would like to invite you to host a member of this delegation in your home for dinner, or to take someone to work with you, so that they can experience ordinary life in the US verses all the stereotypes they see on US television shows and movies.

We would also like everyone who supports and end to the US embargo of Cuba and the normalization of relations, to come to City Council Chambers, 10:00 AM on Tuesday, March 27th, when our city will recognize the first official delegation from Cuba in our city. The whole world is watching!

We would also like you to join us Thursday night, March 29th TBA, at the Rosebud in the strip district for a cultural event and farewell party.

Other cities have been refused this opportunity, but people nationwide are going to follow our example. Every step we take, every gesture of friendship, deconstructs a continuing policy that is doing harm to both our peoples.

Please contact us immediately if you can help our efforts, and to be more involved in setting the itinerary for this group. They arrive on Friday, March 23rd and must leave very early Friday, March 30th -- so there is not much time to show off our wonderful city.

The list of participants is below, for your information. Time is of the essence. Thank you for your support.

Here is the list with a brief information about each of the 12 people who are going to visit, Pittsburgh, our North American Sister City.

1. Mercedes Araña Sicilia. Agronomist Engineer, Vice President of the People’s Power Provincial Assembly. (What would be a Deputy governor of the province)

2. Juanita Ortiz Ricardo. Head of the International Relationship Department at the People’s Power Provincial Assembly. President of the Matanzas - Pittsburgh Sister Cities Project

3. Armando Elías Vazquez. Functionary of the International Relations Department at the People’s Power Provincial Assembly. (speaks English)

4. Pedro Triana Fernandez. Vice Rector of the Theological Seminary of Matanzas and Director of the Center of Studies of the Cuban Churches Council. (speaks English)

5. Idalmi Martinez Ugarte. Director of Culture at Jovellanos Municipality.

6. Dr.Guillermo de la Portilla Gonzalez. Director of "Ismael Triana Torres" AIDS Hospital.

7. Loyda Hernandez Zequeira. Specialist in treating children with learning and behavior problems. Sub Director of Provincial Education.

8. Gildo Montenegro Moran. Director of "Karl Marx" Pre University School.

9. Harold Garcia Castro. Agronomist Engineer at "Camilo Cienfuegos" University of Matanzas. Adviser of the International Relations Department of this University.

10. Agustin Drake Aldama. Artist. (Sculptor). Vice President of the Cuban Writers and Artists Union in Matanzas.

11. Rafael Rivero Jeréz. Director of the Chamber of Commerce in Matanzas.

12. Marisol Gil Gil. Provincial Delegate of CITMA. (Science, Technology and Environment).

Looking forward to your participation in any way to make sure our friends feel as welcome as they always make our people feel when we travel to Cuba.

Sincerely,

Lisa Valanti

President
Pittsburgh-Matanzas Sister City Project