Full Court Peace raises just under $4K for Belfast kids... shooting free throws

Full Court Peace, an organization that brings together young Irish Catholics and protestants in heavily divided Belfast, had an incredible idea for an innovative fund raising campaign not too long ago.

FCP co-founder and friend of Raíces de Esperanza Mike Evans would shoot 100 free throws, and donors would pledge to give the amoung of their choosing for every shot he made.

How many did he make? Well... let's just say I skipped though most of this video beause watching the ball go through was starting to get boring.



In all, Mike and FCP raised just under $4,000 with this campaign. Which made me think two things:

1. Mike and everyone at FCP who made this such a success deserve some congratulations.
2. Raíces' own Felice Gorordo needs to get to work on his shot after his CNN Live interview on Friday.
   

15 years later, people still remember "El Maleconazo"

The watershed event known as "El Maleconazo" today marks it's 15th anniversary.

15 years ago today, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in the section of Old Havana where the ocean wall of El Malecón runs along the sidewalk.

It was the first time a civic uprising of this sort had ever been seen in Castro's Havana. Police forces responded immediately and arrested an estimated 700 civilians.

The following is a news clip showing shown the day of the uprising.

Many peaceful demonstrations will be happening today to
commemorate this day. If you would like to participate, see the
times and locations (in Miami) below.

The Assembly of Resistance (part of the Yo No Coopero Campaign):

• 8 p.m. at the Monumento a la Brigada 2506 (8 St. and 13 Ave.) in Little Havana

  8 p.m. at La Carreta Restaurant (Bird Road and 87 Ave.) in Westcher

  8 p.m. at the Westland Mall parking lot (49 St. and 16 Ave.) in Hialeah

Cuban-American community is backdrop for novel about lesbian teen

An interesting bit about a new book.

From School Library Journal:

Cruelly outed by a teacher, Laura Amores is kicked out of her home in Mayra Lazara Dole’s Down to the Bone (HarperTeen, 2008). In Miami’s Catholic Cuban-American culture, “tortilleras” are morally depraved. Laura moves in with best friend Soli, and surrounds herself with new friends including Tazer, a transgendered Cuban lesbian. After much vacillation, Laura officially comes out to herself and others, defying her mother’s manipulations and rejection. The Miami Cuban community offers an evocative backdrop to the story and Dole fills Down to the Bone with sassy characters and fresh dialogue. Themes of social class friction, racial diversity, relations within the LGBTQ community, and the use of sexual slurs are topics that sociology and communications classes can explore.

Click here for more on this and other books about LGBTQ issues for young adults.

Reflections on Cuba and our young generation

The following are responses to questions asked as part of the application for the 2009 UM Cuba Conference. The text is posted here with permission from the author.

The author and conference alum, Camilo López, is currently a student at the University of Florida.

Question 1: Why is Cuba important to you? *
Para mí, Cuba es mi casa, mi ciudad, país, y paraíso. Como todo cubano, siento un gran respeto y admiración por mi país, el lugar en donde me crié y crecí para ser lo que soy hoy. El lugar en donde dí mis primeros pasos y aprendé a hablar el castellano. Ahí es donde aprendí sobre arte música y sobre todo el baile. Donde yacen los restos de mis ancestros y donde aún vive mi familia. Having left Cuba four years ago it has been difficult to forget my country. I often find myself longing for that island while playing my guitar or listening to los Orishas. While I'm with my friends playing dominoes, racquetball or windsurfing, I recall these hobbies that I learned and grew to love in my country. Cuba holds a special place in my life and it is a major ingredient in my frijoles negros con puerco.
Question 2: How do you think the conference's theme of "Generation in Action" can be applied to Cuba? Try to be as concrete and specific as possible. *
Esta conferencia puede ayudar a muchos cubanos que viven en el exilio a matener un lazo con su país natal, lo cual les sirve para involucrarse en el tema cubano. A la misma vez estrecha las relaciones entre las nuevas generaciones que viven por todos los Estados Unidos. Pero no solo es de valor significativo para los que estamos exiliados, sino para aquellos que aun viven en una libertad ficticia. Así, todos podemos contribuir a la causa cubana y al país como tal. "Generation in Action" simply means that it is the time for our generation to take action in driving forth the notion of a free Cuba where people will have the opportunity to pursue their goals in life. We the young thinkers of our countries take a stand in helping those that are in need and provide means for information. Therefore, our generation is the one that needs to rise up and fight for those who cannot and contribute to aid our country, Cuba.

Cuban medical professionals in the U.S.

From the New York Times:

Doctors in Cuba Start Over in the U.S.

By MIRTA OJITO

Published: August 3, 2009 Click here for the whole story.

While the rest of the country is suffering from a shortage of primary care physicians, Miami is awash with Cuban doctors who have defected in recent years. By some estimates, 6,000 medical professionals, many of them physicians, have left Cuba in the last six years.

Click here for the whole story.

Raíces de Esperanza on CNN Live

CNN Live Anchor Nicole Lapin has a column called "Young People Who Rock". It features individuals under the age of 30 who are doing remarkable things.

CNN's Nicole Lapin

The lastest person featured is a fellow "Root", our friend, colleague, and one of our founders, Felice Gorordo. Her interview with Felice will air online on Friday, Aug. 7 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Click here for Lapin's blog post and a link you can use to watch the interview on Friday. You can also use the comments section of Lapin's blog to suggest questions for Felice.

What's "The Comedian" up to?

According to the New Times, Bill Murray, Robert Duval and James Caan were in Havana for "professional research."

From the Miami New Times:

What Is Bill Murray Doing in Cuba?