Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans: Diaspora Summit II began this morning at the Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, located at 2180 Third Avenue (at 119th Street) in New York, New York. The summit runs May 12-13, 2017. The two-day program looks fantastic; to RSVP, go to Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans Diaspora Summit II.

For today’s full program, see https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/events-news/events/conferences/puerto-ricopuerto-ricans/diaspora-summit-ii-program-understanding

For tomorrow’s full program, see https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/events-news/events/conferences/puerto-ricopuerto-ricans/diaspora-summit-ii-program-engagement

Description: The main goal of this conference is to gain a broader understanding of how the economic and humanitarian crises in Puerto Rico have affected the stateside Puerto Rican community.

This two-day national conference is a follow-up to our successful first summit held in April of last year. Almost one year after the enactment of PROMESA, this summit will be a safe space for the discussion of policy issues and the articulation of community responses to Puerto Rico’s economic crisis from the perspective of stateside Puerto Ricans and other stakeholders.

The timing of this conference is critical for several reasons. May 1 is the deadline for the ending of the stay on the debt enacted as part of PROMESA. One of our objectives at the summit is to take stock of where we are after this key deadline, to make a difference in our community’s understanding of the situation, and to shape strategies in response to the crisis in Puerto Rico and its impact on stateside communities.

The Puerto Rican diaspora has engaged in a solidarity movement that is unprecedented in our history, and Centro is playing a unique convening, informational, and documentarian role in the process. The conference will provide a unique forum for discussion and education for a broad group of stakeholders. Proceedings from the conference will serve as a guide toward the concerns and interests of the Puerto Rican people and other stakeholders.