Kinnamon praises new U.S. policy on travel to Cuba

[Philip Jenks <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

Kinnamon praises new Obama policies toward Cuba;
'An important first step toward just and open relations'

New York, January 17, 2011 -- The general secretary of the National Council 
of Churches welcomed the White House decision announced Friday that will 
lift travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba to make it 
easier for religious groups in both countries to engage with one another.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon was invited to participate in a White House 
conference call Friday during which the changes were announced.

"I was delighted to hear the news," Kinnamon said. "We had been asking 
President Obama to take these steps since the beginning of his 
administration -- most notably in a face-to-face meeting with the President 
and heads of NCC member communions in the White House last November.

The need for unrestricted communication between U.S. and Cuban religious 
groups was also lifted up during a rare visit to the United States by a 
delegation from the Cuban Council of Churches in in November 2010. The 
Cuban group addressed the General Assembly of the NCC and Church World 
Service in New Orleans.

The eight-person Cuban delegation, which was invited to the .United States 
by the National Council of Churches, also met with members of the Obama 
Administrations and Congressional representatives in Washington.

According to a press release issued following a December 1 press conference 
in Havana, the group was told by Dan Restrepo, White House senior advisor 
for Latin America, that the Administration is "committed to not interfere 
in the internal situation in Cuba. In spite of our differences there is a 
policy of respect toward Cuba."

Kinnamon said the call for more open relations with Cuba "has been pressed 
by a united front of our member communions, our sister agency, Church World 
Service, as well as by our interfaith partners and other persons of good 
will."

"The White House announcement is an important first step toward more just 
and open relations between the U.S. and Cuba," Kinnamon said. "We 
lookforward to the day when the U.S. embargo of Cuba will be lifted 
completely."

The White House said Friday that the change in policy is intended to 
"enhance contact with the Cuban people and support civil society 
throughpurposeful travel, including religious, cultural and educational 
travel." Under the new policy, religious organizations will be allowed to 
sponsor religious travel to Cuba under a general license.

In addition, accredited institutions of higher education will be allowed to 
"sponsor travel to Cuba for course work for academic credit under a general 
license; allowing students to participate through academic institutions 
other that their own; and facilitating instructor support from adjunct and 
part-time staff."

The order creates a general license for U.S. individuals and groups to send 
money to religious institutions in Cuba in support of religious activities.

All U.S. international airports may now apply to provide services to 
licensed charters to and from Cuba under the conditions of the order.

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of Churches of Christ in 
the USA has been the leading force for shared ecumenical witness among 
Christians in the United States. The NCC's 37 member communions -- from a 
wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglical, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic 
African American and Living Peace Churches -- include 45 million persons in 
more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC news contact: Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2229 (offcie), 646-853-4212 
(cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org.