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IRI has worked in Cuba since 1994 and focuses on increasing access to information and fostering the understanding of technology and innovative thinking for social groups, students and entrepreneurial-minded citizens. By broadening civil society to encompass non-traditional groups, including marginalized communities, IRI is strengthening citizens’ skills to find common ground and solve problems through consensus building. Establishing links between Cubans around common interests and identities builds trust and a stronger sense of community, which will assist citizen participation in a democratic process.
Increasing Access to Information
The absence of a free press combined with the lack of an Internet infrastructure and censorship severely decreases the amount and quality of information available to Cuban citizens. The high cost of telecommunications and Internet access limits the ability of Cubans to communicate with each other and the outside world. Where possible, IRI expands and extends the avenues through which Cubans may receive information and communicate.
Connecting Cubans
While the amount and quality of information that is available to Cubans remains limited, so does their ability to personally communicate and connect with each other. The Institute works to dissolve the climate of distrust between community members and forge connections through common interests, collaborative projects and group activities. IRI works to broaden civic consciousness of Cubans through projects that demonstrate the interconnectedness and shared feelings of citizens.
Additionally, IRI’s long-term public opinion research program dating back to 2007, provides a methodologically sound and credible measure of Cuban public sentiment. Using this information, IRI utilizes innovative public opinion research strategies to provide the data in a useful manner to social groups on the island. This enables groups to develop issue-based platforms and greater levels of constituent representation and responsiveness, thereby enhancing their credibility and capacity as civil society organizations.
Skill and Capacity Building
IRI provides Cubans with the tools to develop their own talents and ambitions and to engage in the civic processes that affect their lives and well-being. By working with formalized networks of individuals, IRI supports incorporating strategies and best practices from successful civil society organizations in Cuba, as well as other countries. Through regular communication, IRI responds directly to their most current needs and provides citizens with the skills and resources needed to make their voices heard.
IRI programs emphasize the community as a whole, with an emphasis on women, youth and Afro-Cuban members. The programs are based in the idea that for a civil society to succeed there must be participation from marginalized sectors of society and there must be a belief in the processes of community participation and representation. By building the skills and capacity of marginalized groups, IRI programs encourage a more active and invested population that is prepared for a democratic future.
