Sarah Stephens

Executive Director, The Center for Democracy in the Americas

The Center for Democracy in the Americas operates programs focused on Chile, Cuba, and Venezuela, and also examines policy questions affecting the region more broadly.

The CDA leads fact-finding missions for U.S. delegations to the region. It works with U.S. policymakers on strategies for new policies and approaches. CDA sponsors colloquies and hosts events, and conducts public education and outreach via the news media and the Internet.

The goal of this work is to open new and creative channels of communications between U.S. policy makers and the leaders of governments and civil society in the Americas, especially in nations with which U.S. foreign policy is at odds.

The CDA’s Freedom to Travel to Cuba campaign has hosted two dozen delegations to Cuba, largely consisting of Senators and Members of Congress and their staffs. Journalists, policy makers, and activists follow up-to-date Cuba news on the campaign’s website, www.cubacentral.com and its weekly e-news publication.

The Freedom to Travel campaign has published “In Our National Interest: The Top Ten Reasons for Changing U.S. Policy Toward Cuba,” available on the web at: www.thecubatopten.com/. The campaign has also publicized important Cuba travel cases including Sgt. Carlos Lazo, Joni Scott, and Joan Slote.

The CDA sponsors trips and promotes discussion about developments in Venezuela and U.S. policy toward the government in Caracas. The CDA posts news articles about Venezuela on www.caracasconnect.blogspot.com/.

Ms. Stephens has run delegations for the White House Project and the Women Donors Network to Chile, as part of the Center’s program studying the presidency of Michelle Bachelet.

Opinion pieces authored by Ms. Stephens have been published by The Indianapolis Star, The Christian Science Monitor, The Washington Times, The Huffington Post, and Alternet.org.