Cuba, home to 11 million people, is located in the Caribbean. Cuba and its small surrounding islands are known for their beautiful scenery, appreciation for science, and great diversity of natural resources. Cuba's greatest richness is in its people, who are a magical mix of native people, Spanish, African and Chinese--which is reflected in the country's culture and character. Today, Cuba has rural and urban Green Map projects throughout all its provinces.
In 1999, Mapa Verde Cuba (Green Map Cuba) was initiated simultaneously in the cities of Holguin and Havana by city environmental educators. At the end of 2000, the Mapa Verde Cuba national network took shape.
The Mapa Verde Cuba network gives structure to the island's various participating teams and has helped create exchanges, document different experiences, and provide videos, manuals and training. Their primary function is to run Mapa Verde workshops, linking mapmakers, students, and community leaders from all over the island.
Children, young people, adults and elder participants range in age from 5 to 85. Projects are based at elementary and secondary schools, universities, neighborhood and popular councils, community revitalization workshops, elders' groups and ecology centers. Each Mapmaker team has its own coordinating group and system. Over 1,000 students from across the island have taken part.
Mapa Verde projects help young people revitalize, reclaim and restore their community assets. The experience helps reinforce community and environmental values through sustainable development as participants develop skills and gain a sense of lasting ownership.
Mapa Verde projects are very much participatory. The methodology and mapping process maintain a sense of cultural diversity and promote a movement focused on solving environmental issues. Its use of poetry, songs, rap, theater and dance with environmental themes celebrates the different people and talents involved in the project.
The participation of people from different generations and professions provides great richness. The groups take field trips, create contests and share their experiences as they interact with people from other parts of the island and the global Green Map network.
Some thematic Green Map examples: - Project Muraleando Elders' Map: In the municipality "10th of October", a poor district of Lawton, community elders have charted hazardous places for pedestrians, places where elders live alone and need help, parks for exercise and other places of interest to seniors. - Cultural Personalities Map: In the popular council of Prince, municipality "Plaza of the Revolution", this map highlights local people doing cultural work or art who share their work with the community. - Biodiversity Maps: several maps have charted places with special natural resources and protected lands, showing forests and rivers. These have been created in Mil Cumbres (Pinar del Rio) and Topes de Collantes (Sancti Spiritus). - Disabled Access: In Manzanillo, province Granma, this map charts places with good access and places that present risks for disabled people.
Planeta Azul (Blue Planet), environmental development good practices contest (Revista Futuros - Futuros Magazine) Project acknowledgment by the Science and Tecnology Office of the Education Department.
Planeta Azul, Concurso de buenas practicas de desarrollo sostenible de la Revista Futuros. Aval de la Dirección de Ciencia y Técnica del Ministerios de Educación.
Radio and tv press both national and international have covered this exemplary project.
Community - Country-wide network. - Green Maps have been included in different professional studies. - Green Maps have been heard by the local policy-makers.
Education - Partnerships between universities and schools with the community. - Intergenerational learning activities. - Value upbringing (sense of belonging, self-esteem, inclusion, etc.) - Capacity development.
Environmental management - Reforestation - Playground reconstruction. - Improvements on public spaces and parks. - Restoration of cultural spaces. - Creation of spaces for cultural performances. - Elimination of waste dumps. - Pocket sized maps for senior citizens. - Community gardens with medicinal plants. -
2 Cuban Mapa Verde Video Documentaries have been produced by Centro Félix Varela and filmed by Ana Margarita Moreno: "A Mapear un Sueño" (To Map a Dream), introduces the Green Map methodology and techniques. "Gotica a Gotica" (Drop by Drop), highlights community action with stories of mapping experiences and transformations. You can get them at Green Map System's Store. This network created for first time, Green Map Murals, initiative adapted in Pereira, Colombia by k-12 schools. The Mapa Verde Cuba Manual, in its second updated edition, is for teachers and rural and urban Mapmakers. It includes Green Map methodology, history and background, along with educational activities for groups, site criteria and design ideas for informative, engaging Green Maps. This regional hub has also developed a Local Icon Poster, a website and an annual newsletter (Carta al Mapeador - Letter to the Mapmaker)
The network supports the different groups all over the country. We have made and distributed educational materials, including books and videos, to design maps.
We have offered consultancy services to other Mapmakers in Latin America and we have had several international visitors that have explored our different initiatives and impacts around mapmaking.
- We need a transportation vehicle to follow up the local groups. - We want to have computers, internet and email access. - We want to publish our workshop and community maps. - We want to make video clips about good practices.
Centro Félix Varela, the local organization leading this effort has been supported by international agencias such as Oxfam Novib, Cosude and APN. Special thanks to Margarita Moreno and Revista Futuros (www.revistafuturos.info)
