International Teachers Conference on Pedagogy

MEETING FOR THE
UNITY OF EDUCATORS
PEDAGOGÍA 2003
February 3 - 7, 2003

International Conference Center
Havana, Cuba

EduToursToCuba.com invites teachers from Canada and the USA to participate in this biennial Congress. Over 6000 educators from around the world participated in the 2001 edition. This Conference is fast becoming one of the most important conference for pedagogues and educators in the world.

We have departures from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. For US citizens traveling with a license, departures from Miami are also possible, on request. For those USA resident wishing to travel with a license, but do not have one, EduToursToCuba.com can facilitate this. The American traveler can then leave either from the USA or from Canada.

Official languages - English and Spanish

SPONSOR

Ministry of Education of the Republic of Cuba

CO-SPONSORS 

UNESCO
UNICEF
OEI
ANDRÉS BELLO AGREEMENT
CAE (Confederation of American Educators)
AELAC (Association of Educators of Latin America and the Caribbean)
AIAT (Association of the Iberian- American Television)

The following is the appeal of the organizing committee based in Havana:

Dear colleague:

The new century has begun in a context of dramatic economic and political conditions for all the peoples of the world, and especially for Latin America and the Caribbean. This situation gives education a major role as the main support to stimulate the socio-economic development all nations wish to reach.

The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Cuba, as well as other prestigious international bodies, are pleased to inform you about the new notice of the Pedagogy Congress whose traditional slogan is “Meeting for the Unity of Educators”.

Pedagogy 2003 will be held from February 3rd to 7th, 2003 at the International Conference Center in Havana. This new meeting urges us to obtain a greater attendance of educators and experts of the region. We can fulfill this objective all together as we guarantee its popularization.

The event will be an exceptional opportunity for reflection and debate of various topics related to education. It will also be an appropriate framework to facilitate a wide interchange of knowledge and experiences that allow to value strategies and alternatives with a more integrating and cooperative educational perspective.

Due to the importance of this dialogue among educators, the main actors who have in their hands the formation of new generations, we expect to have you among the participants. We are sure that your active participation will contribute to the success of the meeting.

Attentively,

Pedagogy 2003
Organizing Committee

From the organizing Committee, we reproduce the following:

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM

The Pedagogy 2001 Congress revealed that it was more and more urgent to look for cooperative ways in the scientific investigation and for the roots of an autochthonous Pedagogy that can embrace the best of Marti's ideas, as well as other educators and universal thinkers' ideas. This may provide the teacher with a coherent pedagogical stock that can allow him to critically assimilate foreign educational theories, which should always be incorporated in the center of our experiences.

The Scientific Program of Pedagogy 2003 will be designed in correspondence with that wish. It will be a favorable occasion for meditation, debate and considerations about the role education has in our times; for it to fulfill its main content: the human improvement and the cultural enrichment of the childhood, the adolescence and the youth.

The guiding topic of the entire debate will be a high quality education for all that may contribute decisively and equally to the development of culture on a mass scale for our peoples. The rescue of our best pedagogical experiences and the education sciences of our region will support it

The main themes of the Congress will refer to:

• Validity of José Martí's humanist and pedagogical ideas on the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of his birth.
• Neo-liberal globalization and its impact on the educational systems. How should we face it?
• Education and culture on a mass scale: binomial to face mankind's problems.
• Education on values as the core of the personality formation: the ethic values of the mother tongue, history, arts, the national wealth and the national identity.
• Education for peace: From theory to practice.
• The socio-cultural environment and the work of the educational institutions: the role of the social work in the improvement of the educational management.
• The school as a cultural center: opening and interaction with the family and the community.
• The educational programs for the integral attention of the childhood from zero to six years of age: leading role of the family and the community.
• Developing alternatives that propitiate a greater success of children during their primary studies. Rural and urban schools, the same or different?
• The integral attention of children, teenagers and youngsters with special educational needs: a challenge for the current Pedagogy.
• Characteristics formative needs of the adolescents: required transformations for an equal secondary education.
• Improvements of the teaching–educational work in the formation of young bachelors.
• Competence, culture and social commitment in the formation of workers and qualified technicians.
• Universalization of the universities: challenges and demands of the new knowledge era.
• The role of pedagogical universities in the improvement of the educational systems: renovating alternatives in the permanent formation of competent teachers.
• Literacy and post-literacy of youngsters and adults as an initial step in the educational and cultural development of our peoples.
• Instruction, education and development: pillars in the apprenticeship and the integral formation of the new generations.
• Linguistic pluralism, culture and multiethnic convenience: indigenous education priority.
• The use of informatics and communication technology: aspiration or reality.
• The use and impact of television, video and the software on the school as ways to strengthen the cultural identity and the improvement of our countries levels of life.
• Revalorization of the role of the book and of the reading habit to raise a general culture in the students.
• Improvement of the scientific formation and the teaching of sciences: a need that cannot be postponed.
• Physical Education, sports and recreation. Development and perspectives.
• Promotion and health education in the school environment: a current challenge.
• Sexual education, family, women, and equality of genus: pedagogical solutions at the service of society.
• The new generation's environmental education: a need for the sustainable development.
• The education sciences and the scientific investigation: towards the search of more effective educational solutions.

These topics will be open to debate and reflection from a flexible and wide conception. There will be symposiums that will integrate many of them in which there will be lectures, round tables, workshops, posters presentations, as well as topics for open debate without presentation of lectures, which will be a new modality in the organization of this congress.

The interchange of conceptions and strategies in relation to these educational problems will be the frame to value the implementation in the regional countries of the recommendations of the Pedagogy 2001 Congress Declaration signed by more than 6000 attending delegates.

As part of the event activities, there will be visits to educational centers, as well as to scientific and cultural institutions, and courses delivered by Cuban experts.

EduToursToCuba.com will soon be providing more information on the program.

Rates and itineraries

Itineraries and rates

Rates

The rates include:

• Return airfare to Havana from any one of the cities chosen (except Vancouver and Calgary: to Varadero)
• Canadian sales taxes
• Cuban tourist card (visa)
• Cuban English-speaking guide and personalized assistance
• Airport transfers in modern air-conditioned bus, Havana (Montreal, Toronto and Cancun) and Varadero (Calgary and Vancouver)
• Seven night in the hotel of your choice in double occupancy (see rates for single supplement)
• Buffet breakfast every morning
• All domestic transportation in modern air-conditioned buses to and from your hotel for the official activities
• All travel documents, tourist card, vouchers, maps and other information Canada Post Priory Post delivery mailed to your home
• Payments can be made with all major US or Canadian credit cards or by certified check or money order made out to VCC in trust
• Reservation for registration in the conference.

The rates do not include:

• Airport departure fee in: Vancouver and Montreal: 15 $ CA, Cancun 15 $ US. The airport departure fees are included for the following cities: Calgary and Toronto
• Cuban airport departure fee: 20 $US
• Cancellation and accident insurance available from VCC
• Single accommodation supplement
• Meals other than the seven breakfasts
• All drinks
• Tips for baggage handling and Cuban guide
• 150 $ US registration fee for the Congress to be paid in Cuba.

Payment and cancellation policy - Please read carefully

Deposit and Final Payment

A 200 $ CA deposit (for Toronto Montreal and Cancun departures) or 300 $ CA deposit (for Calgary and Vancouver departures) and full payment of cancellation insurance if traveler opts for insurance with VCC is required as the down payment in order for us to reserve your flight and hotel as well as reserve your registration with the Congress (payable in Cuba). At the time of the down payment, the person must also indicate double or single occupancy, in the case of the former also indicate the name of the person with whom the double occupancy is to be shared. The trip is offered on a first come, first serve basis. If the payment reaches our office and no more space is available for the flight and hotel requested, then we can offer you another flight and air alternative that you are free to reject or accept. If no alternative is available to your liking, then the check will be returned or your credit card will not be charged without any costs to you.

Any requests for add-ons in Cuba such as a one-week holiday, must be made at the time of your down payment for the Congress and an additional 100 $ CA will be requested to secure this reservation as well.

The final payment must reach our office at the latest 60 (sixty) days before the departure date that is by December 2^nd, 2002.

Once you have made your down payment, you will get a receipt with an invoice requesting the final payment, indicating the exact amount to be paid and the date due.

If we do not receive the full balance payment in time, we reserve the right to cancel your request and the down payment will be 100 % non-refundable.

Cancellation and cancellation fees

The down payment is non-refundable under any circumstances.

For cancellations received from 60 days up to 45 days before departure, that is from December 2nd to December 17th then the cancellation penalty is 50 % of the total payment.

Any cancellation after December 17th is 100 % non refundable.

Any change between single and double occupancy after the initial down payment will be subject to a 50 $ CA service charge provided that we can effectuate the change desired. Note: We do not offer twining for the Congress.

It is the responsibility of the traveler to provide the same name as to be found in your passport. Any error on the name on your part will be subject to a 50 $ CA penalty.

Passport and baggage allowance

It is the responsibility of the travelers to have in your possession at the departure time, during the trip and for the return from Cuba a valid passport.

Baggage allowance consists of two bags with one carry-on for a total of 20 kilos.

Other congresses and events in Cuba:

• Biotechnology
• Pedagogy - General
• University Pedagogy
• Philosophy/Social Science
• Jazz Festival
• Film Festival