The Sorensen Center for International Peace and Justice at CUNY School of Law established a comparative law program as part of the Center's mission to expand international opportunities for law students and advance scholarship and intellectual exchange with communities around the world. The 2019 Delegation traveled to Havana, Cuba for a one week, 1-credit, on-site course during a critical period in the country's history. Weeks before the delegation arrived in Havana, the Cuban National Assembly had approved a revised draft of a new Constitution. The delegation, consisting of 27 CUNY Law students, professors, and lawyers, engaged with Cuban law professors, lawyers, and community leaders to discuss a range of legal issues.
The delegation participated in seminars with professors at the University of Havana where they learned about Cuban-U.S. relations, Cuba’s political history, constitutional law, economics, and more. With the constitutional referendum scheduled for just a few weeks after the delegation’s return to the U.S., each of these issues was studied through the lens of the new Constitution.
For many members of the delegation this was their first international legal learning experience. This unique, cross-cultural program provided them with a deeper understanding of Cuba’s cultural and legal perspectives in relation to the U.S. and the international community.
In a seminar with Dr. Natacha Tejeda Mesa, delegates learned about the real-life impact of the right to a free public education. She explained how this right made it possible for people like her - black people, women, and people of modest economic means - to access education through graduate school.
Delegates had opportunities to engage with social and political organizations in Havana and Matanzas. Meetings between members of various Cuban communities and the delegates allowed for an exchange of ideas and practices between the groups and provided the community with opportunities to engage with young, lawyers-in-training from the U.S.
At a meeting with the leaders of Centro Nacional de Educación Sexual (National Center for Sex Education), commonly known as CENESEX, delegates explored the pivotal role the organization plays in health and sexuality education efforts in Cuba. CENESEX is the only organization in the country that provides education, research, and services around sexuality, including diversity, rights, and health. CENESEX is vital to addressing the issues of healthcare rights, LGBT rights, and health/sexuality education.
During a visit to Federación de Mujeres Cubanas (FMC - Federation of Cuban Women), delegates discussed gender equality in Cuba. FMC is an NGO that's mission seeks to advance gender equality and incorporate women into society and employment in Cuba. By speaking with FMC leaders, delegates learned about how the organization uses the dissemination of information as a means of tackling a global issue in their local communities.
Sorensen Center for International Peace and Justice
The Sorensen Center fosters the legacy of Ted Sorensen, long-time close advisor and speechwriter to President John F. Kennedy, by nurturing students committed to practicing public interest law. The Center trains social justice lawyers to work from the local to the global levels, protecting rights of those affected by instability, conflict, and repression.
Our “Critical Voices: From Local to Global” speaker series, Comparative Law Program, legal trainings, and globally renowned Scholars-in-Residence educate, inspire, and motivate students to become transformative leaders.
