Prof. Michael Erisman, Cuban Medical Aid 28/05/09
Medical Aid and Cuba’s Foreign Policy Interests
Professor Michael Erisman,
Indiana State Univerisity, USA
Thursday 28th May 2009
6.30pm
In this paper Professor Erisman drew upon concepts and material incorporated into his book writen with John M. Kirk, Cuban Medical Internationalism: Origins, Evolution, and Goals (New York and London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), with the primary emphasis being on an analytical rather than descriptive approach.
In order to introduce the topic and to provide some basic background information, he gave a brief descriptive section focused on: 1) surveying the extent of Cuba's overseas medical aid programs; and 2) comparing the scope of Cuba's programs to that of other countries and international organizations.
While recognizing that purely humanitarian considerations have had a major impact with regard to both motivating and shaping Cuba’s medical aid efforts, the analytical elements dominating the paper focused upon probing the relationship between these programs and the larger contours of Cuban foreign policy.
The basic goal was to explore the nature and dynamics of the contribution(s) that Cuba's medical aid programs make to the achievement of some of its key foreign policy interests (e.g., maximization of its effective sovereignty, the acquisition and utilization of "soft power", challenging Washington's neoliberal agenda and promoting greater South/South cooperation and integration).
A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. Erisman received his BA degree from Duke University in 1964 and his MA (1968) and Ph.D. (1972) from the Pennsylvania State University. His main area of expertise is International Relations, with an area emphasis on Central America and the Caribbean and a subject emphasis on political economy. His current research interests focus on Cuba's foreign relations in general and in particular on its efforts to diversify its economic relations in the Western Hemisphere and elsewhere.
During 1985-1986 Dr. Erisman served as a Senior Fulbright Fellow at the Institute of International Relations, which is a research center and graduate training program for diplomatic personnel affiliated with the University of the West Indies in San Augustine, Trinidad. He also serves as co-chair of the Working Group on US-Cuban Relations which, operates under the auspices of the Latin American Association.
