BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:Cuban Ecology in times of Crisis and Blockade METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260608T190000 DTEND:20260709T210000 DTSTAMP:20260608T190000 UID:2026/cuban-ecology-in-times-of@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260603T163747 LOCATION:NU-2C33 NU-Building, Theater 3 De Boelelaan 1111 SUMMARY:Cuban Ecology in times of Crisis and Blockade X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Cuba is under attack. S ince the 60s the Caribbean island has been under economic blockade of the US, has survived many efforts to topple the government and attac ks on the island, its inhabitants and its leaders.

Despite the history and conditions of the island, its people and leadership stan d firm in their belief of collective action, equality and popular mob ilisation to combat climate change. Currently, Cuba is one of the few Caribbean countries succeeding in achieving renewable energy, hurric ane prevention, forest planting and combatting rising sea levels. Now , under the Trump administration and the consequent oil embargo, Cuba is fighting for life. In this event, we want to explore why Cuba is successfully implementing a 100-year plan through the “Tarea Vida� � (life task) program, despite being under constant attack. First we will have a presentation by Julie Steendam on her book “100 years t o stop the Sea” which she co-authored with Isabelle Vanbrabant, aft er which we will present an expert panel on Cuba, ecology and politic al economy. The Cuba Solidarity Network will also be present to tell more about solidarity initiatives in the Netherlands.

E xpert panel:

Julie Steendam (1 992) studied Moral Sciences and Conflict and Development. She
coor dinated Belgian and European campaigns for the right to health and wo rked for the
Belgian umbrella organization of environmental moveme nts. In 2022, she co-authored the
book 100 Years to Stop the Sea w ith Isabelle Vanbrabant, which explores Cuba’s approach
to clima te change. Steendam currently works in the Belgian Federal Parliament and serves
as a city council member for the PVDA party in Ghent.< /li>
Mathieu Blondeel is an Assistant Professor in the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)
of VU Amsterdam. His work is situated at the intersection of global energy and climat e
politics. His research primarily focuses on the geopolitics ofSiewert is a member of the international bureau of the NCPN, the Ne w Communist party of
the Netherlands. Cuba solidarity is a big par t of the international work of the party and plays
a big rol in th e organization of solidarity in the Netherlands

Sie wert Olthof is a member of the internationa l bureau of the NCPN, the New Communist party of
the Netherlands. Cuba solidarity is a big part of the international work of the party and plays
a big rol in the organization of solidarity in the Nethe rlands

Levin Dalpiaz is a MSc student in I nternational Development Studies at Wageningen
University, working on the affective dimensions of urban agroecology in Havana for histhesis. A geographer by training with recent fieldwork in Cuba and a network with Cuban
institutions, he studies Cuba as a critical c ase against industrialized agriculture.

DESCRIPTION: Despite the history and conditions of the island, its peo ple and leadership stand firm in their belief of collective action, e quality and popular mobilisation to combat climate change. Currently, Cuba is one of the few Caribbean countries succeeding in achieving r enewable energy, hurricane prevention, forest planting and combatting rising sea levels. Now, under the Trump administration and the conse quent oil embargo, Cuba is fighting for life. In this event, we want to explore why Cuba is successfully implementing a 100-year plan thro ugh the “Tarea Vida” (life task) program, despite being under con stant attack. First we will have a presentation by Julie Steendam on her book “100 years to stop the Sea” which she co-authored with I sabelle Vanbrabant, after which we will present an expert panel on Cu ba, ecology and political economy. The Cuba Solidarity Network will a lso be present to tell more about solidarity initiatives in the Nethe rlands. Expert panel:

Julie Steend am (1992) studied Moral Sciences and Conflict and Developmen t. She
coordinated Belgian and European campaigns for the right to health and worked for the
Belgian umbrella organization of enviro nmental movements. In 2022, she co-authored the
book 100 Years to Stop the Sea with Isabelle Vanbrabant, which explores Cuba’s approa ch
to climate change. Steendam currently works in the Belgian Fede ral Parliament and serves
as a city council member for the PVDA pa rty in Ghent.

Mathieu Blondeel is an Assis tant Professor in the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM)
of VU Amsterdam. His work is situated at the intersection of global ene rgy and climate
politics. His research primarily focuses on the ge opolitics of
Siewert is a member of the international bureau of th e NCPN, the New Communist party of
the Netherlands. Cuba solidarit y is a big part of the international work of the party and plays
a big rol in the organization of solidarity in the Netherlands
< li>Siewert Olthof is a member of th e international bureau of the NCPN, the New Communist party of
the Netherlands. Cuba solidarity is a big part of the international work of the party and plays
a big rol in the organization of solidarit y in the Netherlands
Levin Dalpiaz is a MS c student in International Development Studies at Wageningen
Unive rsity, working on the affective dimensions of urban agroecology in Ha vana for his
thesis. A geographer by training with recent fieldwor k in Cuba and a network with Cuban
institutions, he studies Cuba a s a critical case against industrialized agriculture.
Cuba is under attack. Since the 60s the Caribbean island has been under ec onomic blockade of the US, has survived many efforts to topple the go vernment and attacks on the island, its inhabitants and its leaders. END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR