Joining the group is easy. Simply download our PDF Membership Form (attached below, Adobe Acrobat is required), fill out the form, and attend the next meeting of the group. Membership forms are also provided at each meeting of the group.
What Can You Do?
Collect badly needed school and medical supplies for Cuba
Let your government know you oppose the U.S. blockade
Participate in fund-raising
Come to one of our meetings and learn more about Cuba
Join Ottawa-Cuba Connections!
Our Work and Activities
As a group, we endeavour to:
facilitate social, cultural and educational exchanges between Canadians and Cubans
raise material assistance for the people of Cuba
inform Canadians about Cuba
work to improve trade and development assistance relations between Canada and Cuba and to end the U.S. blockade.
We cooperate with groups and individuals across Canada, in Cuba, and around the world who share our goals.
Our activities in the past few years have included:
Material aid to Cuba
Participating in five Pastors for Peace Caravans
Collecting toys for hospitals and day cares
donating new and second-hand computers
sending medicines and powdered milk
hurricane relief
Cultural Events
Talk (with music) by Cuban jazz drummer Gilberto Valdés.
Ottawa film premier of: "Hello Hemingway," "Strawberries and Chocolate," and "Fidel"
Concerts and dances with Cuban musicians
Book launch of Paul Carr’s My Malecon
Book launch ofThe Dissidents by Rosa Miriam Elizalde
Educational exchanges
Carleton University/University of Havana Student Exchange
Carleton University Cuba Solidarity Day
Speaker series
Basilio Gutierrez, Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples
Alicia Gonzalez and Alicia Campos, Federation of Cuban Women
Arnold August, Author of Democracy in Cuba and the 1997-8 Elections
Susan Babbitt, Queen's University: "Che Guevara and the Philosophical Foundations of the Cuban Revolution"
Dr. Aleida Guevara March (Che’s daughter)
Irma Gonzáles, daughter of René Gonzáles of the Cuban Five
Enrique Oltuski, Cuban Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Merchant Marines
H. E. Ambassador Teresita Vicente
H. E. Ambassador Ernesto Senti
H. E. Ambassador Carlos Fernandez de Cossio
Manuel Montero, Cuban Trade Union Central
Luis Herrera, Cuban Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Elena Alvarez, Cuban National Institute for Economic Research
Political activities
Free the Five Cuban Heroes Campaign
Anti-blockade campaign
The Ernesto Che Guevara Brigade
Pastors for Peace Caravan
Cuba for Haiti campaign
and many others.
"One aspect of the visit that was a pleasant surprise for me was the level of democracy that does exist in Cuba. I was, perhaps, expecting a more controlled system of government; however, it became clear that it is a grass-roots democracy." Kingston Mayor, Harvey Rosen, on visiting Cuba for the Kingston/Cienfuegos twinning ceremonies.
