By: Brittany Lauro –
Co-Editor-in-Chief;
Paul Hare, the British ambassador to Cuba from 2001-2004 who is currently a lecturer in international relations at Boston University, made an appearance on Salve Regina’s campus on Wednesday, April 3 in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall.
Hare, father to Marina Hare, a current Junior at Salve, specializes in Latin American foreign policy, diplomacy and Latin American studies. He graduated from Oxford University in 1972 and from the College of Law in London in 1976.
Hare’s list of accomplishments is extensive and overall, impressive. He worked for five years in the private sector, in law and investment banking, before he served in the British Diplomatic Service for 30 years. Hare served overseas in Portugal, New York, at the U.K. representation at the European Union in Brussels, and in Venezuela as deputy head of mission. He was head of the Foreign Office’s non-proliferation department and the first project director for the U.K.’s presence at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.
Hare is currently a fellow of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and a member of the Brookings Institution core group on Cuba. He has authored two policy briefs for the Brookings Institution entitled “The Odd Couple; The EU and Cuba 1996-2008″ and “US Public Diplomacy for Cuba: Why It’s Needed and How to Do It.” He is also the coauthor of a Brookings paper published in November 2010 on Cuba and Venezuela: “Is Three a Crowd – the Venezuela factor in Cuba’s policy towards the United States.” He is an invited Cuba contributor to the New York Times online Cuba Topics and has written articles for the Miami Herald.
From 2000-2001, Hare served as president of the British Baseball Federation. He has also been designated a lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Hare opened his informative lecture on Cuba lightly by stating, “I did not go to the Fidel Castro school of speech writing so I’ll keep this under eight hours,” eliciting chuckles from all corners of the auditorium.
He began with the history of Cuba, mentioning that it was the last of the Spanish colonies to be liberated in 1898. He also mentioned the relationship between Cuba and the U.S., stating that relations between the two became close in 1902 leading to a “good lifestyle”.
Hare then described present-day Cuba, stating that Cuba is one of the world’s four remaining socialist states espousing communism. Furthermore, the Cuban state currently adheres to socialist principles in organizing its largely state-controlled planned economy. Education and healthcare are currently free and there are approximately 30,000 medical personnel in Venezuela, Cuba’s “favorite partner”.
As for the future of Cuba, Hare explained that the agenda is moving away from total control. Churches and synagogues are reviving and becoming a place where worshippers can meet freely. Lastly, Cuba is making gains in women’s rights and public antipathy towards LGBT is easing.
Hare concluded his lecture multiple images taken by his family, including but not limited to an aerial view of revolution square, the Plaza de Revolucion, and even a statue of John Lennon in Lennon Park. “It makes you think, every street corner is food for thought,” stated Hare.
“It was an interesting talk,” stated Kathryn Malinowski, a current junior. “It was an eye opening experience and from how beautiful it looked in Hare’s pictures, I hope they will let people come and travel there soon.”
