What We Do
Our ongoing projects aim to promote meaningful exchanges that are mutually empowering to youth on and off the island. These projects engage all sectors of Cuban youth to facilitate greater communication, understanding and empowerment of young people on both sides of the Florida Straits. By encouraging young people in and outside of Cuba to share experiences, resources and information, we are helping build bridges and networks of collaboration that make our shared hopes and dreams for Cuba’s future a reality. To get involved, please contact us at
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Cell Phones For Cuba
Cell Phones for Cuba aims to provide young people in Cuba with refurbished cellular phones. Cell Phones for Cuba will focus on boosting the connectivity of young people on the island and promoting greater means for communication. This project has been featured on CNN, CNN en Español, BBC, NPR and the Wall Street Journal. To donate your phones or help us launch a collection drive on your campus or community, please contact us at
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Ex(Change) Guide
We believe in the power of meaningful people-to-people exchanges. The Ex(CHANGE) Guide outlines different ways young people outside of Cuba can connect with young people on the island both through virtual and direct means – in a socially responsible and legal way. Check out our guide (soon-to-be on Wiki-Guides).
National Youth Leadership Conference
The national youth leadership conference is a yearly gathering and symposium of diverse Cuban, Cuban-American and Cuba-loving young leaders. It builds on Raíces’ seven-year tradition of trademark academic and cultural forums offering a three-day series of panels, workshops, and meetings that will draw on young thought leaders to present and coordinate their scholarly and socially entrepreneurial works on Cuba. Previous conferences have been held at Harvard, Georgetown, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Duke, the University of Miami, and Cornell University. Past keynotes and speakers have included Grammy Award winner Gloria Estefan, Academy Award nominee Andy Garcia, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, former Uruguayan President Luis Alberto Lacalle, Pulitzer Prize winner Oscar Hijuelos and Univision Networks President Cesar Conde, and acclaimed Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez. For more information on our last youth leadership conference, please check out www.CornellCubaConference.org
Previous national youth leadership conferences:
Cornell University, 2010: “eRevolution: Camino a una nueva era”
- Held at Cornell University
- Keynote: Yoani Sánchez, acclaimed Cuban blogger and one of Times 100 Most Influential People
- Focused on the impact technology is having and will continue to have in Cuba
2009 University of Miami Cuba Conference: “GenerAcción – A Generation in Action”
- Held at University of Miami
- Keynote: Academy Award nominee Andy Garcia
- Launched Cells for Cuba project and published the Ex(Change) Guide
- Hands on service and solidarity projects consisting of packaging humanitarian aid, writing letters and video taping messages for youth in Cuba and producing a giant mural
2008 Duke Cuba Conference:“Inter(Cambio)”
- Held at Duke University
- Built on 2007 theme and incorporated the organic Cuban “Cambio” movement
- Branded its theme “inter-cambio” and promoted a vision of Cuban and American youth engaging one another in vibrant and energetic dialogue
- Cuban and American youth have the same hopes, dreams, and worries, and have a fundamental desire to share them with one another. This conference laid out a framework by which Cuban and American youth can begin to bridge these similarities.
2007 Campus Tour and UPENN Cuba Conference: “Evolution”
- UPENN CAUSA hosted the last stop of “Evolution” Conference in 2007 following Raíces road trip up the east coast with stops at UF, Duke, UVA, NYU, and finally UPENN
- Promoted a campaign of cultural diversity and posited that humanity’s inherent need for freedom of expression is a product of history, identity, culture and self-expression
- Theme partly integrated into the Duke Conference of 2008.
2006 Princeton-Harvard Cuba Conference: “Juventud Despierta”
- Held at Princeton University
- Keynote: Grammy Award winner Gloria Estefan
- One of the first Raíces affiliated university groups chartered after Georgetown conference
- CASA and CAUSA chapters cropping up all over the country
- Large peaceful youth demonstrations taking place in Europe and Latin America
2005 Georgetown-Harvard Cuba Conference: “Cuba en el Siglo XXI”
- Held at Georgetown University
- Keynotes: Former president of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar and former president of Uruguay, Luis Alberto Lacalle
- Established official 501(c)3 tax-exempt, non-profit status as fund to support the Raíces student and alumni network
2003 Harvard-Georgetown Cuba Conference: “Raíces de Esperanza”
- First ever national Cuba youth conference
- Held at Harvard University
- Inaugurated group title “Raíces de Esperanza”
- Planted the seeds from which future conferences would grow
