Making Space: Places for Youth Expression in Cuba

The program objective of �Making Space: Places for Youth Expression in Cuba� is to focus activities on Cuba�s youth (ages 12 to 24) to increase opportunities for youth-to-youth interaction in Cuba, allowing the country�s young citizens to experience freedom of association and freedom of expression in social spaces organized outside state authority.

Program activities should encourage participation from marginalized and vulnerable populations, which would include Afro-Cubans, rural and inner-city youth, disabled youth, orphans, and at-risk youth (from broken families and single-parent households). Applicants should also integrate gender considerations into their activity design and implementation to allow and inspire both boys and girls and young women and men to participate in and benefit from the program. In the independent social spaces created through �Making Space,� Cuban youth will be able to share common interests, participate in group activities, and ultimately develop the leadership and social skills necessary to function effectively in a democratic society. Cuban youth may also increase their understanding of the critical and inter-related roles that civil society, an independent media, and the rule of law (including human rights and fundamental freedoms) play in a democratic society.

Illustrative Activities
Applicants are encouraged to design activities that will be implemented on the island and that will promote youth-to-youth interaction, providing Cuban youth with innovative, rewarding experiences that will allow them to gather socially in independent social spaces and to express themselves freely. Activities should be designed to stimulate the exchange of ideas and to encourage group decision-making, mentoring, and healthy competition. This will build the capacity of Cuba�s youth to develop the social and leadership skills needed to become effective leaders in their communities. Applications that include a majority of on-island activities are strongly preferred.

Applicants also are encouraged to include relevant and effective training activities and to propose different program approaches to reach both genders and different age groups. Younger Cubans, ages 12 to 15, will have different interests than those ages 16 to 18, while 19 to 24 year olds may be interested in activities related to CSGs and to the principles and practices of democratic societies. USAID prefers that the youngest participants engage in culturally-oriented activities. Group activities for any age group, but in particular for Cuban youth ages 12 to 18, could be organized around a wide range of themes, including art, music, science, martial arts, debating clubs, blogging, theater, sports, youth justice, computer skills, etc. Similarly, young females and males may have disparate interests, lifestyles, social outlets, opportunities and limitations, which applicants are encouraged to consider and reflect in their activity design.

Applicants are encouraged to be realistic when designing program activities taking into account the challenging implementation environment when working in Cuba. USAID would prefer to see project activities that are practical and achievable and, therefore, more likely to succeed. For example, USAID welcomes proposals that clearly explain: how an applicant will find and utilize independent (non-government-controlled) physical spaces where youth groups can meet; how the applicant will communicate with identified youth; and how it will inspire them to participate in youth activities.

Activities also should enable older Cuban youth (19 to 24 years old) to better understand the critical role independent civil society groups play in democratic countries. Applicants are encouraged to provide opportunities for these Cuban citizens to participate as active members in CSGs or to form their own groups. Applicants also are encouraged to work with existing independent CSGs on the island. Ideally, CSG activities will provide program participants with practical experience in decision-making processes and will give them an opportunity to design and implement group activities. Also, training in the application of democratic processes (including the fundamental role of CSGs) is strongly encouraged. Through this award, Cuban youth also would benefit from learning the day-to-day operations (organizational skills) of a CSG: how to effectively advocate on issues of common concern; how to conduct public outreach; how address ethical issues and understand codes of conduct, etc.

An important aspect of this award includes developing the leadership skills and social skills of program participants. For example, programs should strive to increase participants� abilities to manage and lead groups, to work effectively as teams, and to communicate orally and in writing. Applicants should explain how they intend to impart these skills and provide the relevant information to the program participants.

Proposals also should consider experiential learning, group activities, and capacity building to increase Cuban youth�s understanding of the fundamental rights and freedoms enjoyed by democratic societies. USAID understands that touching directly upon such topics may be difficult given the current working environment in Cuba and encourages creative (and achievable) approaches to satisfy this objective. Whenever possible, proposals should differentiate from other youth activities on the island and avoid overlap with other implementing organizations. Applicants should explain how they will identify beneficiaries for participation in the program and in which provinces they expect to work. Applicants should also provide an explanation of program activities and describe how these activities meet the program objectives and how they will be implemented on the island.

Material assistance is an acceptable use of program funds, but applicants must provide a list of the needed material assistance in their applications. Program funds may be expended to support the purchase of informational materials, capacity building and training materials, as well as appropriate communications technology, business and office equipment, travel, per diem and training and program expenses.

Program Results
As previously stated, the program objective of �Making Space: Places for Youth Expression in Cuba� is to increase opportunities for youth-to-youth interaction in Cuba allowing the country�s young citizens to experience freedom of association and freedom of expression conducted in independent social spaces. By the end of the program, ideally, increasing numbers of Cuban youth, especially from marginalized populations, will be participating in a wide range of age-specific group activities and demonstrating improved leadership and social skills along with an increased understanding of the protected rights and fundamental freedoms critical to democratic societies.

Expected Outcomes
� Increased participation among Cuban youth (of both genders) in a range of non-political, civic, and cultural activities conducted in independent social spaces;
� Improved leadership and social skills of targeted youth;
� Increased understanding and knowledge of democratic values and fundamental rights and freedoms; and
� Improved understanding of the role of CSGs in a democracy.