FOCUS Partnerships

Friends of Havana joined Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Caribbean Agroecology Institute (CAI), MEDICC, and the Foundation for a Civil Society in launching FOCUS Partnerships, an initiative created by a group of former Ford Foundation grantees working in Cuba. The goal of the initiative is to strengthen international cooperation by promoting knowledge-sharing among organizations engaged in practical work with Cuban institutions across multiple sectors.

Although these organizations work in different fields—including urban planning, environmental protection, agriculture, public health, and cultural exchange—they share a common interest in supporting constructive collaboration between Cuban institutions and international partners. FOCUS was created as a platform where these groups could exchange experiences, identify shared challenges, and explore opportunities for joint initiatives.

The partnership has developed through a series of meetings and exchanges. In-person meetings in New York City in December 2024 and October 2025 brought together participating organizations to reflect on lessons from their work in Cuba and to identify areas where closer coordination could strengthen impact. Additional meetings have taken place online, allowing the partners to continue sharing updates, discussing emerging challenges, and developing collaborative ideas between in-person gatherings.

Within the partnership, each organization contributes its own expertise and networks. Friends of Havana focuses on urban planning, architecture, and cultural institutions in Havana; EDF works on environmental cooperation; CAI supports sustainable agriculture and food systems; MEDICC advances medical and public health collaboration; and the Foundation for a Civil Society promotes cultural and educational exchange.

FOCUS also serves as a forum for exploring practical responses to shared challenges. In May 2025, the partnership convened a meeting focused on renewable energy in Cuba, bringing together participants to discuss how decentralized solar power and battery storage could help institutions remain operational during frequent power outages.

One outcome of these conversations has been support for the installation of solar panels and battery storage at the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba. The system allows the foundation to operate reliably during blackouts and provides a model for how cultural and civic institutions can strengthen their energy resilience.

Through these meetings and pilot initiatives, FOCUS Partnerships aims to strengthen collaboration among organizations working in Cuba while expanding opportunities for knowledge-sharing between Cuban and international institutions.