Saturday, March 18, 2017

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: HAVANA WORKSHOP

July 1:
We have now confirmed with our Cuban contact the following:


Luis Morejon of Total Caribbean Experience (cubazul Tour and Travel) will meet those who have so indicated at the airport. If you do not find him, go to the CUBATUR OFFICE AT THE AIRPORT AND ASK FOR THE TRANSFER. (Total Caribbean)

The  price is 30.00 CUC  for one or two persons. You can pay him later, not the driver.

Tour on the 5th:
Luis will be at the university to check on who wants tours. The tour bus will pick up people at the Colina Hotel which is in front of the university.
________________________

The U of Habana tour being offered by our hosts (UH) will begin at 4. Meet in front of the Enrique Varona building. 
________________________
The Cultural night: pickup will be at the University of Havana (Enrique Varona). The performance begins at 6. Be at the university by 5.30 at the latest.
______________________________

Pay for the dinner and the cultural evening at registration (see the program for times). You can pay in cucs (equivalent) but dollars are preferred. $40 for dinner; $25  for the cultural evening.
____________________________



 June 30


Dear All:

We apologize for our silence over the past few days regarding transportation from the airport to the city. Frustratingly, there has been a communications blackout of some sort and we have been unable to reach our contact in Cuba who had promised to handle transportation matters for a reasonable rate. If we hear nothing further in the next couple of days, I will arrange what I can when I arrive on July 3. However, we advise doing the following:

If, on your arrival, you do not see anyone holding up a sign with your name or “Taller UH” on it, assume that there is no dedicated transportation available for you and do the following:

Find the transfer services outside the Customs exit (the local transportation companies are Cubatur, Transtur, and Transgaviiota) and there is also a taxi dispatcher service. These services are always available. Settle on the rate before leaving.


The standard taxi rate from Jose Marti Airport
To Vedado 25 - 30 CUC
To Playa/Miramar 25- 30 CUC
To Old Havana 25 -35 CUC

Tour Bus Transfer services are also available to Hotels in Vedado, Playa, Old Havana: Cost 10 - 15 CUC one way.

We will be in touch again as things develop. I know that you appreciate that it is not exactly easy arranging certain matters in Cuba from afar.
____________________________________________

On the brighter side, the Office of International Events at the University of Havana has sent the following notice:

On Wednesday 5/7 we could give you all the participants to the workshop an  historic panoramic tour  of Havana University, this is  compliments of our UH. Please let me know the hour to organize this  panoramic tour for the University Campus.

We have agreed that this 50 minute tour can be done at 4pm on the 5th. As most of you know, UH is a historic center and in fact is one of the places usually put on organized tours. This is a great opportunity to get an overview of the oldest university in Cuba. We hope that everyone will do this tour before we all go have some refreshment at the opening reception. (4pm should not conflict with any earlier tour you are taking).

One final thing: some of you have asked about the wisdom of changing money at the airport: You need money to take a taxi and people usually change money at the airport. In case there are long lines below, know that there are two CADECA ( changing kiosk) upstairs in the departure area as well. Of course don’t change all your money at the airport as you might get a better rate in the city. (This is not just in Cuba; I’ve had differential rates at airports and cities in Brazil and India recently).


jbw



June 30:
Please accept out apologies - we know you are waiting to hear about transportation from the airport. We have been experiencing a communications blackout with our travel contact in Cuba. A note will be sent  to update you today. Thank you for your patience.

June 26: 
Abstracts are being sent as a pdf to all participants. If you don't receive it, let us know.

Here's another useful link: https://cu.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/traveling-to-cuba/


 June 21:


Hello; Hola todos:

We are trying to arrange transportation from the airport so that you don’t have to be too hassled. If you let Diana know when your flights are and if you need transportation to your hotel or casa particular, we will tell our contact.
Trataremos arreglar transporte desde el aeropuerto para evitar problemas. Si proveen pronto a Diana Cassells la fecha y la hora de sus vuelos y dicen si quieren transporte a sus hoteles o casas particulares, vamos a pasar la informacion a nuestro contacto. OK?
Best,
jbw 


 UPDATE June 18
Cultural Evening: Come with us to a special performance by the National Folkloric Company of Cuba! Friday July 7! Pre-pay 25cuc at registration! But let us know NOW whether you will attend. Write to Jacqueline or to Consuelo NOW.

Founded in 1962 to delve into and recover certain manifestations of traditional popular Cuban culture, the Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba—National Folkloric Company of Cuba—outcome has been a repertoire of over 70 productions dedicated to Afro-Cuban dance and music, especially those that represent the Yoruba, Congo and Abakuá deities, rumba and comparsas, música campesina (typical Cuban country music) and popular dances, among others.

 Tours: We have arranged two tours on July 5 and the same two on July 9. One tour is a half day tour of Colonial Havana (check out the history and architecture of Havana for 20cuc). The second is the Ruta Hemingway which is very popular (25 cuc). We need at least 7 people for each tour. Let us know NOW whether you will be able to make it. Pay at registration. 

We still have room for the dinner and even the lunch. Dinner will be at the La Torre restaurant which has one of the best views in the city! Again, let us know NOW!
____________________________________________________________________
UPDATE June 14.

Papers: 
At this time please send your papers to Mariana Aparicio (see email below) if you can complete them in time. If you cannot, then at least send some type of summary to your chair and discussant.

 Re Chair and Discussant: An updated program will be made available this week on the web. It will include links to the email addresses of chairs and discussants. IF YOU WISH TO SEND YOUR PAPER TO OTHERS ON YOUR PANEL, PLEASE INFORM MARIANA AND SHE WILL CIRCULATE IT ON YOUR BEHALF. Some participants do not wish their email addresses (especially non-institutional) to be widely disseminated and we are respecting that by instituting a common procedure for all.
Some of you have asked about the paper format: Please use whatever format you are comfortable with. The length can be anything up to 25 pages (discussants cannot read more than that in a timely fashion). The key is to be able to present the most cogent points within about 12 minutes. As is normal, the chair is responsible for organizing the length of the presentations (they can be more if there are fewer presenters etc) and the format of the entire panel. 

We hope by now that you have secured lodging. We ourselves have been going through Airbandb lately and identifying many lovely bed and breakfasts which allow you to experience the real Cuba while also helping the people. We encourage you to stay at one of these. 

Once again, Americans, you will easily get your visa through the airline. You belong to two of the 12 categories that are allowed to visit Cuba: attendance at professional meetings and educational activities.

Do remember to send your details to Diana Cassells.

Thank you for responding to the dinner and luncheon invitations. There is still room so  go ahead and indicate whether you wish to come or not. Please ensure that you walk with $40 cash or the equivalent CUC for the dinner. We will collect it during first-day registration to pre pay the restaurant. 

Many of you have asked about tours. We are still working on those. Apart from the usual walking tour of Havana, we want you to have a tour of the University of Havana itself! We will update that shortly.

We know that for many it is not the easiest thing to get to Cuba. We appreciate very much your enthusiasm and persistence!

Best,
jbw
_______________________________________________________________________

 



Update May 30

The workshop  program has been updated. See http://gscis.blogspot.com/2017/05/updated-cuba-workshop-program.html 
Your old link will no longer work. Note that we will be adding institutional affiliations shortly. Note that we are short of discussants. If you wish to volunteer, please let us know ASAP.

ATTENTION, NOTE 1:
PLEASE TRY TO BE THERE ON JULY 5th  (evening) for the welcome reception.

ATTENTION, NOTE 2:
All Graduate Students and Young Scholars (not yet tenured):
On July 6 during the lunch hour we are sponsoring a networking session for you. We want to hear what your experiences are in your research and employment in your various countries. You can also network with selected senior scholars. We expect to be able to provide a very light lunch (hamburgers) will be provided free of charge. At this time we would like to know who is interested. Write ASAP to jbraveboy-wagner@gc.cuny.edu or  consuelo_davila@yahoo.com We need to firm up the numbers!

 ATTENTION, NOTE 3:
On July 8, we are organizing a final dinner at a nearby lovely Cuban restaurant.  The menu will be sent to you by mail. A keynote speaker from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected. At this time, we want to know who is interested in attending. This dinner will cost $40 - well worth it for both us and our hosts.Once you have indicated your interest, we will send you information regarding payment. Send ASAP to
jbraveboy-wagner@gc.cuny.edu or  consuelo_davila@yahoo.com
 WE CAN ONLY ACCOMMODATE 40-45 PERSONS FOR THIS DINNER.


ATTENTION NOTE 4:
Paper presenters!! You need to send your papers in to us at least two weeks before the meeting. Send to Dr. Aparicio,  aparicio.mariana@gmail.com!! In addition, you will need to send copies to your Chair and Discussant.  (If you do not, then we will do so for you, on request.) Note: we will provide your email addresses to the members of your panel. If you do NOT wish us to do do, you should let us know. The default position is to send the addresses. 

ATTENTION, NOTE 5
At this time, you should review the abstracts and titles of your presentations. Note that we changed some titles slightly in the program in order to ensure that the panels are coherently organized. If there are any changes to your abstract, do let us know ASAP since the abstracts will be available online.

ATTENTION, NOTE 6
Travel grant applicants: We have given out a few grants already, but will keep all applications on file in case any monies become available. You will appreciate, we know,  the fact that our Cuban hosts have limited resources and we must cover costs, even if we are being very frugal. Note to all: Travel grants are given in the form of reimbursements only. For information, see the ISA websitehttp://www.isanet.org/Programs/Grants/Travel-Grants


Finally: We will send you information on airport transportation and tours before the meeting.

All Colleagues: If you aren't coming to Cuba any longer, PLEASE let us know ASAP so that we can plan properly. This is a small, intimate workshop so just one late drop-out can cause much trouble.

_____________________________________________________________________
Update May 14th
Here is our final information regarding visas:



Cuba Travel Visa and Tourist Card Information
Most participants attending the ISA workshop will be able travel to Cuba using the Cuban Tourist (Visa) Card.
What is The Cuban Tourist Card?
Tourist Cards grant a maximum stay of 30 days (90 days in case of Canadian citizens) and can be extended once for the same period.  All Tourist Cards are the same, except if you are flying direct to Cuba from the US. 
This card is available from the following locations:
·         Cuban Embassies Worldwide
·         Travel Agencies that sell airline tickets and tours to Cuba
·         Airlines that operate direct flights to Cuba.


Who needs a Visa or a Tourist card?

A.      Persons travelling on a passport issued by the following countries DO NOT need visa or tourist card for entry into Cuba.
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bosnia, China, Dominica, Grenada, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Mongolia, Namibia, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Serbia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
B.      Persons travelling on a passport issued by the following countries DO NEED a visa for entry into Cuba.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka
C.      Persons travelling on the following passports DO NEED a tourist card for entry into Cuba.
Everyone not on the above two lists (A and B), including the United States and Canada.
How to get a Cuban Tourist Card
As noted above there are three main ways to acquire the Cuban Tourist Card. These instructions are primarily for those whose flights ( or last leg of trip) originate in the US.
·         If flying from the US direct to Cuba, your airline will help arrange your Cuban Tourist Card.  This card is pink, instead of the typical green Tourist Card. You will not be able to board the flight to Cuba with the green one. The cost is $50 for the pink tourist card (instead of $25 for the green one), but each airline has different fees for acquiring it. Here is a breakdown of known costs and where to acquire the tourist card for each airline:
Southwest: $50, purchased online and delivered at the gate
JetBlue: $50, purchase at gate
Delta: $50, purchase at gate or through mail
United: $75 ($50 visa + $25 processing fee), purchase at gate.
American: $85 ($50 visa + $35 processing fee), purchase online and sent via mail. AA will send instructions.
Frontier: $110 ($50 visa + $35 processing fee + $25 mailing fee), purchase online and sent via mail. Frontier will send instructions.
·         If flying from Canada direct to Cuba your airline will provide the Tourist Card in-flight.  The price is included in your flight.
·         If flying from Mexico direct to Cuba you can pay $20 USD (or the equivalent in MXN) at your airline's check-in counter. You will need it to board your final leg to Cuba, usually from Mexico City or Cancun, where you'll buy the Cuban Tourist Card.
·         If flying from Panama direct to Cuba  and are using Copa you will  be able to purchase the card at check-in, even if you are flying from another city in Latin America Lima or San Jose to Panama City and then to Cuba. If you cannot purchase the Cuban Tourist Card at check-in, you’ll be able to buy it at the boarding gate. Either way, it will cost about $20 USD.
Purchasing the Visa Card online from a Travel Company.
The following websites provide Tourist Cards for all countries, all for reasonable prices: visacuba.com, cubavisas.com, cubavisa.uk, cubacenter.com. The ISA does not endorse any of these companies.
Finally: If you are a US citizen flying through another country besides the US, the typical green tourist card will suffice.



 UPDATE MAY 19
In response to demand, registration is now open until June 1st. Hurry up and register! There will be no more extensions (really!)

 IMPORTANT: All presenters should make their papers available by sending them, preferably by June 15 to
 aparicio.mariana@gmail.com
Mariana will  send the papers out to the Chair and discussant of each panel. We will also begin considering the papers for possible later publication as they come in.

Travel grants: We've informed some of you about grants already. A few more MAY be offered soon after we confirm our expenses.

Non-presenters: Non-presenters should write to me directly in order to receive personal letters from our hosts in Havana. Since ISA does not provide us with email addresses under their strict privacy policy, it is the only way for us to know your email address, even if you have registered. Non-presenters are presumed to be interested in attending the workshop, not coming to Cuba for tourism purposes.



Update May 11
Official letters bearing the Havana logo have been sent out. If you have not yet received your letter, please have patience and wait a few days before writing to us.

ATTENTION: Our Cuban partners are requesting the following information from all participants in order to facilitate your timely acquisition of visas and entry into Cuba:




complete names, institutional positions, number of passport, date of issue and date of expiry of the passports, and date of birth and nationality of all foreign participants. Please send this information to Diana Cassells immediately.


Please note that Cuba has embassies in most countries of the world. While Americans can get their visas at the airport, persons from other countries should call their Cuban embassies for information.

Travel grants: Pleas accept our apologies for the delay but due to ISA regulations, we have been unable to offer these grants yet. We will do so shortly. Anyone who is waiting for a grant and has not registered, will be allowed to do so after receiving the grant notification..

Attention: Registration extended to May 10 while we are awaiting some more information from our Cuban partners on certain matters!! Hurry up and register. No more extensions possible! Registration for attending non presenters continues to be June 1.

NEW: Chat Room so you can find out more about hotels and everything about the conference. Just accept the invitation to join the group. Diana is our US logistics manager:



We encourage you to stay at one of Cuba's casitas particulares (B and Bs). They are relatively cheap and very charming!

CHAT ROOM
diana.cassells@gmail.com invited you to join the Global South Workshop - Havana 2017 group.

Message from diana.cassells@gmail.com

Welcome to the GSCISA Havana Workshop Information Clearinghouse. The is a space where workshop attendees can discuss matters relating to travel, accommodations and general workshop issues. Please feel free to start a conversation on workshop related matters.

About this group

A group to discuss the logistics of the ISA Global South Caucus Workshop, Havana, Cuba, July 6 - 8, 2017.

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Accept this invitation

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Start a new group. Visit the help center.

____________________________________________


This is a mirror of the original Call for Papers website: 

UPDATE April 25, 2017.
New: See Preliminary Program at:http://gscis.blogspot.com/2017/04/preliminary-program-cuba-workshop-july.html
Cuban participants to be added later.

Please note the following at this time:

1. Thank you for your travel grant proposals. We are reviewing them and decisions will be communicated shortly.

2. We are aware that many of you need or want letters in order to obtain your visas. Our Cuban counterparts are currently working on providing a letter to ALL participants. If you are NOT U.S., AND are concerned about the visa process, please send me (JBW) a note which I will forward to our Cuban counterparts. Latin Americans are less affected by visa issues but you may wish to contact Consuelo Davila and Thiago Moreira de Souza Rodrigues (emails below) if you have any concerns.

Earlier, we advised Americans to get their visas from the airlines at the airport. You will need to fill out an appropriate form indicating that you are covered by the educational category that is exempt from sanctions. Here is a sample of the visa you will then receive.

Other information we have drawn from the web:

A valid passport is required for travelers intending to visit Cuba. The passport must be valid for at least six month beyond the date of your expected departure from Cuba. Travelers wishing to enter Cuba are required to apply for a Cuban visa (Tourist Card) before being allowed entry. This visa is provided by airlines or tour operators or can be obtained from the Cuban embassy of your country.
Visitors are prohibited from undertaking business activities when travelling on a tourist visa.
Types of visa in Cuba:
Tourists: Tourist card
Business persons: Business visa
Students: Student visa
You can check your local Cuban mission for detailed information: Cuban Diplomatic missions

Canadian tourists who were born in Canada may stay in Cuba for up to six months, but must check in with immigration authorities or with a tourism office in Cuba prior to the 90th day of their stay to apply for an extension. Other nationals (US, European, etc.) can stay up to 30 days and their stay can be extended with an additional 30 days at the Cuban immigration office.
If you are flying with Cubana airlines, you can buy the tourist card at the airport at the airline check-in counter.
NOTE: WE HAVE ASKED OUR CUBAN COUNTERPARTS TO CHECK TO BE SURE THAT THE PROCEDURES WE ARE ADVERTISING ARE CORRECT, INCLUDING THE USE OF A TOURIST VISA FOR PERSONS ATTENDING WORKSHOPS. IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES, WE WILL LET YOU KNOW PROMPTLY.
3. NOTE: Yellow fever vaccinations are required for persons coming from affected areas (Brazilians, please note).


4. . Lodging: We have provided you with some lodging tips in our previous bulletin (below) but we know that many of you are still not sure how to proceed. Once again, persons in the US can contact Jennifer Squires (pampity@aol.com) for help. If you have your own agent or have your own idea about where to stay, by all means do so. Below we have also provided you with the location of the university so you can determine where to stay and not have to travel too far..

At this time, we will add the following:

Our Cuban contact has added the following person to the contact list: .


For booking hotels participants can get in contact with Yanet Chiang, email: ventas@cubache.com , who works with Cubanacan travel agency. 



Here is a luxury hotel for those who would like something upscale https://www.kempinski.com/en/havana/gran-hotel-kempinski-la-habana/[kempinski.com]. This is about 10 minutes by car, and half hour by foot. This one opened in February.
 
 We will continue to provide information as it comes in. Meanwhile we are opening up a google chat room for you to communicate to one another about lodging. This will be up by next week.(May 1)


5. Registration closes on May 1.

6. After May 1, when we are sure who is coming, we will send you an invitation to several events, most importantly a dinner on the last evening. You will need to pre-pay for this dinner. Details later.


7. IMPORTANT: At this time we need to know how many persons will need translation services for their presentations. The language of the workshop is English and translation services are costly. So please bear this in mind. However, we recognize that some presenters will want to present in Spanish (only Spanish translations will be available). Please let us know ASAP. Email JBW.


Thank you so much for your patience as we handle the details of this workshop. While we all are accustomed to hosting events in the developed world, the fact is that it is a little more difficult to work in the global south -- very rewarding nonetheless. So again thanks to everyone who is willing to come to Cuba.






 ______________________________Old Havana (wikipedia image)



This is a mirror of the Call for Papers website:
Call for Proposals

The University of Havana, Cuba
and
The Global South Caucus of the International Studies Association

International Workshop
6-8 July 2017 (Thursday to Saturday)
(Note: Acceptance letters give the dates as 6-10, for visa purposes)

At the University of Havana, Cuba

In cooperation with the Coordinadora  (Coordinadora Regional de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales (CRIES), Argentina
The Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
                                                               And
The Instituto de Estudos Estratégicos (INEST), at The Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF),
                                                          Niterói, Brazil.


Title: Exploring the Local in International Relations

The Global South Caucus of the International Studies Association (GSCIS) is dedicated to expanding the theoretical and practical horizons of the discipline of International Relations (IR), which has been largely shaped by Western and global northern experiences. It is now fairly well recognized that the study of IR has tended to devalue the ideas and experiences of global south countries and peoples. To change this, in the interest of developing a truly global IR, the GSCIS has been championing, as a first step, the exploration, discussion, debate, and formulation of local and regional narratives and practices of the south – Africa, Asia, and Latin America/Caribbean. This workshop follows up on larger conferences we have held in Menton (2012) and Singapore (2015) as well as panels we have sponsored at the International Studies Association’s annual convention since 2012, and a workshop co-sponsored with the Philippine International Studies Organization’s workshop in March 2017.
The Havana workshop, occurring in a country which has for decades promulgated alternative approaches both domestically and internationally, will both explore southern perspectives as well as assess the relationship between these and “mainstream” IR. Within these parameters, the workshop is open to all who wish to explore theoretical, methodological, empirical, and practical/policy-oriented research in IR.
,
Call for Proposals

Papers are solicited in the following areas (see also Panels below):
  1. Local contributions to theory and methodology in IR and foreign policy analysis (FPA) in Asia (including Developing Eurasia), Africa, the Middle East and Latin America/Caribbean, Proposals can draw on historical experiences, culture and values, traditions and ideas, ethnographic preferences, or any related area. Comparative studies are especially welcomed.
  2. Local contributions to the practice of IR in Asia (including Developing Eurasia), Africa, Middle East and Latin America/Caribbean. Contributions on the role and significance of policy research, governmental approaches, the role of development, diplomacy and diplomatic styles, nongovernmental and transborder/transnational practices, among others, are welcomed.
  3. Dialogues between Western and non-Western interpretations of IR and FPA. 
  4. IR/FPA pedagogy: comparisons and contrasts of curricula around the world; sharing of experiences in teaching in a variety of environments.
  5. Publishing and research experiences: cross-regional showcasing of local/regional funding opportunities, as well as outlets for research and publishing; gaps in publishing in the south; experiences with mainstream funders/publishers.

Structure of Submissions
Paper submissions should:
1) indicate under which of the categories listed in the “Call” above you would like your submission to be considered;
2) contain an abstract of no more than 100 words, clearly typed with a cover letter indicating institutional affiliation/contact information. Please provide as well five key words/concepts which can be used to highlight the contents of the proposed contribution.
Participants who submit papers may be asked to serve as panel chair, coordinating the presentation in terms of order and time and summarizing the highlights of the session for delivery to the conference committee.

Panels: Although the workshop will be organized by categories listed in the “Call” above, and the organizers will put papers together based on those, we anticipate that there may be room for a few complete pre-formed panels. If you would like to submit a complete panel, you should include an abstract and five key words/concepts which highlight the contents of the proposal. Proposals should include a brief description of any special arrangements needed (beyond the usual presentations followed by interaction with the audience). Proposals should also include information (names, affiliations, and e-mail addresses) of all participants. Note that acceptances will be sent to the chair for dissemination to panel members.
Submissions should be emailed to the following based on the geographical location of the proposer (NOT the geographical subject of the proposal):

USA, Canada, Europe:
J. Braveboy-Wagner (CUNY-New York), jbraveboy-wagner@gc.cuny.edu

Asia (including Developing Eurasia) 
and Middle East: 
Imad.Mansour (Qatar University), imad.mansour@mail.mcgill.ca or Jason Strakes, OSCE Academy:
j.strakes@osce-academy.net

Africa: 
Dêlidji Eric Degila (ENA-Benin), ericdegila@yahoo.com

Latin America: Consuelo Davila (UNAM-Mexico), consuelo_davila@yahoo.com 
                                                          or
 Thiago Moreira De Souza Rodrigues (INEST, Brazil), trodrigues@id.uff.br

Timelines
Deadline for proposals                     February 15, 2017
Notification of acceptance               March 15, 2017
Deadline for full paper upload  –        June 15, 2017

UPDATE: Notifications were sent the week of March 13th. If you have not received a notice, please write to us.


Registration (UPDATE)Pre-registration for the conference has opened
 on the ISA site.Let us know if you are experiencing any problems. 


All accepted participants must pre-register and pay registration fees by April 15, May 1,2017. Credit card payments are not permitted in Cuba and we cannot accept cash payments onsite. All payments must be made via the ISA website. All persons wishing to attend the workshop as observers must also register. The deadline for these persons is May 15. Please note that tourist travel to Cuba is still not permitted for U.S. citizens (for more, see travel information on the GSCIS blog).



The last day to withdraw is June 1, 2017.

The normal ISA policy regarding cancellations/withdrawals applies to this conference. While we recognize that some individuals will experience unexpected circumstances necessitating their withdrawal, we ask that you remain sensitive to the effect of withdrawals on other panelists. GSCIS policy also applies in this regard: that is, that the caucus program which will be available online and in print will include only those who actually participated.



Workshop Registration Fees (NOTE: UPDATED to reflect lower fee structure!)

  • For members of the Global South Caucus: $60 per person.
    (ISA non-Global South Caucus members are encouraged to PLEASE join the Global South Caucus and receive updates about its activities. Membership costs only $5 and will go toward activities such as this one! )
    • For members of the ISA-non-members of the caucus: $70
    • Non-ISA, non-Cuban members: $80. Non-ISA members are encouraged to contribute an extra $5 to the caucus.
  • • Cubans living in Cuba or temporarily outside Cuba: Waived
    • On site registration will be available for Cubans only. Foreign participants, whether presenting papers or attending without presenting, MUST pre-register since no credit cards are accepted in Cuba. 

Payments must be made upon (pre)registration. 
UPDATED April 2.


Papers

Once you have registered and taken care of your travel arrangements (more details on blog), don’t forget to (write and) upload your paper (we will set up an upload site soon at ISA) by June 15th. Please circulate your paper to chairs and discussants by that date. Email addresses will be available via the site.



Publications

For those who have asked about this, know that we have several publishers who are interested in publishing the results of this conference. We are not particularly interested in a “Conference Papers” publication (although we have received solicitations about that) but will be selecting papers for several other publication ventures.  



Travel grants

Depending on our budgetary projections, we may be able to subsidize selected costs for some who are registered and participating actively in the conference. Interested parties must follow guidelines noted on the ISA travel grant website with respect to keeping track of expenses. Reimbursements will be made AFTER the workshop. If you are interested in a travel grant, please send an email to Cassells, Diana diana.cassells@gmail.com, cc’d to our treasurer Matthew Bishop (m.bishop@sheffield.ac.uk) , with the following information:

.1. Paper Title as originally sent to the organizers or listed in the preliminary program;

2. Brief bio (no more than a few lines please);

3) A brief statement explaining why you need help.

Funding criteria will include relevance of topic and geographical diversity, as well as need.

Your email should be sent by April 15th.  Decisions will be communicated by May 1st.  Please note that our budget is very limited. ISA HQ does not subsidize local conferences so we need to find money in the caucus budget. Thus any assistance will be modest.
See ISA’s travel grant website for details about "tracking expenses."


Travel grants:
  • Once accepted, participants can fill out a financial aid form. Depending on our budget, we may be able to give a small subsidy to some participants, particularly attendees from certain areas of the south. Any assistance will be disseminated after, not before or during, the conference. Further information will be provided after March 15. 

Coming to Cuba UPDATE

Our representative in Havana, appointed by our co-sponsor University of Havana, is Damarys Valdes. If you do no have a travel agent or cannot make your own arramgents for some reason, you may wish to contact Damarys at: Damarys <damarys@rect.uh.cu>

If you  are in the United States and need help, you may wish to contact caucus member Jennifer Squires at pampity@aol.com. She has travel agent credentials. For those coming from other Europe and Canada, travel agents there have a long history of dealing with Cuba. As for airlines, all have online inforamtion on Cuba flights at this time. 

Damarys has sent us the following information on prices for hotels. As you can see prices range from reasonable to very high. (For information on the CUC, see https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147270-c109329/Cuba:Caribbean:Money.Exchange.html)
 

Hotel Colina ***
Hab DBL = 41.00 CUC
Hab SGL = 46.00 CUC

Vedado – Saint Johns ***
Hab DBL = 49.00 CUC
Hab SGL = 69.00 CUC


Habana Libre *****
Hab DBL = 119.00 CUC
Hab SGL = 199.00 CUC

Nacional *****
Hab DBL = 166.00 CUC
Hab SGL = 281.00 CUC

Participants are responsible for their own air travel arrangements but helpful information will be sent out soon. Airport Transfers: Conferees arriving at Jose Marti International Airport may use transfer services of any of the local transportation companies - Cubatur, Transtur and Transgaviota. The fee schedule and package options will be provided soon.

Visas etc: 
Please note that legal and visa requirements to enter Cuba vary. You should ensure that legal and other necessary documents are in order. Check with Cuban diplomatic or consular representatives/services in your country. The generally accepted and emerging protocol is that visitors to academic conferences/meetings use the “Tourist Visa Card” for travel to Habana, Cuba. These cards are usually available from the airlines or travel agencies when such entities are used. For visitors traveling from the USA, the airline will provide an affidavit for the attendee to complete. The suggested category for a meeting such as this is “Professional Research and Meetings.” The workshop organizers, ISA, and the University of Havana are NOT RESPONSIBLE for your travel, legal, and visa arrangements beyond supplying you with acceptance letters.
All visitors to Cuba are required to have non-U.S. medical insurance, which can normally be purchased at the airport upon arrival in Cuba.
U.S. Travelers: Before you do anything else, please consult the website  https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/cuba.html 
Tourist travel to Cuba is still prohibited for US citizens!

Re: Location of the workshop.
The workshop will take place at the Enrique Varona Building on the main campus of the University of Havana. This building is in the heart of the Vedado district, a location with a number of cultural and research institutes and government ministries in close proximity. It is minutes from the Prado and Plaza de la Revolution as well and about 15 minutes from Old Havana. There are also several hospitals and medical complexes in the vicinity.

Events
A cultural event is likely to be part of the workshop program.
Information on tours will be provided later.


Thank you.

Workshop Organizing Committee (Update)
Chairs: J. Braveboy-Wagner (City University of New York) and Antonio Romero (University of Havana).


Damarys Valdés,International Academic Service and Event Direction Havana University
 Elsada Cassells (CUNY), US Liaison Local Arrangements.

Ex-officio: Arlene Tickner, Chair, current GSCIS replacing Nanette Svenson.