Socially Responsible Enterprise and Local Development in Cuba Project (SRELDC)

In the summer of 2008 with support from the Christopher Reynolds Foundation, Eric Leenson launched a preliminary initiative that would lead to the creation of the project “Socially Responsible Enterprise and Local Development in Cuba.” A principal objective of the endeavor is to understand and assist Cuba’s efforts to preserve the social achievements of the Revolution while creating a prosperous and sustainable economy.

Over time, with crucial support from Dr. Julia Sagebien, the Avina Foundation, and Havánada, a Canadian-based social enterprise with a robust presence in Cuba, the initiative has expanded into an international Consortium of participants. This group is comprised primarily of organizations and individuals from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, and Spain.

During the same period the Consortium has developed strong relations with a variety of institutions in Cuba including universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Without such partnerships, successful programs would not be feasible.

In the United States, SRELDC works in affiliation with the Green Cities Fund, a 501c3 organization focused on international development issues.

For more information, contact Eric Leenson at eleenson@soleconomics.com.

Reports:

• 2013 Annual Report [PDF]
• 2014 Annual Report (In Progress)

Articles:

• “Corporate Social Responsibility in Cuba”, Estudios del Desarrollo Social: Cuba y América Latina Vol. 4, núm. 2 (Mayo/Agosto, 2016). Also available in [Spanish]
• Cuban Remix, by Stanford Social Innovation Review contributors Julia Sagebien and Eric Leenson (Winter, 2015);
• “Working Group on Social and Solidarity Economy for Local Development SSE→LD”, a presentation made during the National Seminar titled “Emerging Cooperativism as a Dynamizing Factor of Local and Territorial Development in Cuba”, UCLV, Habanilla, Villa Clara, December 8-10, 2015.
• “Social and Solidary Economy and the Transformation of the Cuban Economic Model”, Catalejo Blog, Revista Temas, February 2014. Also available in  [Spanish].