FAQ about BUCL

What is Bloggers United for Cuban Liberty?
It’s non-profit Florida corporation whose mission is it is to pool resources and ideas to promote a free Cuba.

How can BUCL achieve it’s mission, isn’t that what we are all trying to do already?
Yes we are trying to get our side of the story out there so that hopefully the news media can pick it up but individually we have a lot less power than as a group. A group is more powerful than the sum of its individual parts.

I don’t get it, what can BUCL do that we aren’t doing now?
For one thing, we can focus on a single issue for a predetermined amount of time. For another we can afford to do things by chipping in financially that we would never be able to afford individually.

There are other such groups for Cuba bloggers and webmasters, isn't this something one of them can do?
Technically yes, they can do it. But we have very defined ideas about what should be done and how and we don't want to force our ideas on any existing group. Anyone that belongs to such groups is welcome at BUCL.

I’m starting to see, but how exactly is this going to work?
We have set up a home base for the group right here at BUCL.org This blog will be the clearing house for information about well-defined “campaigns” that further the mission of spreading the word about the reality of the Cuban situation.

Can you give me an example of what one of these campaigns might be like?
We might, for example, hold a candlelight vigil for the Cuban political prisoners in a very visible place and hold a press conference. This would be a relatively inexpensive campaign because the only cost would be candles and some sort of wind protectors for each candle. Other campaigns may cost more.

You mentioned costs, is it going to cost me anything to participate?
Yes. Each campaign will be preceded by a campaign proposal, soliciting sponsors, detailing the idea and exactly how it will work and how much it will cost. Because it’s easier to afford certain things as a group, those willing to participate as blog/web site sponsors for a campaign will donate an amount that is pre-set for each campaign.

What do I get in exchange for the sponsorship donation?
First of all you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you did something rather than just writing about it because your funds will go toward an act not an idea. Additionally, each campaign will have its own sponsor logo. Sponsors will be provided with the official sponsor logo to post on their blogs or sites. Ideally that logo will link back to the BUCL blog, where each sponsor will have a blog post written about its participation in the campaign. The BUCL blog sidebar will have section called Active Campaign Sponsors where the sponsor blog/web site logos and links will be posted. All campaign sponsors will be mentioned in all campaign related press materials including press releases and media alerts.

Will sponsors have any input on campaign ideas or modifications?
Yes, we will take any serious suggestions to heart but we will have the final say in what gets done and when.

That sounds a little egotistical, who died and made you king of the bloggers?
Nobody. The reason why we need to have the last word is for the sake of practicality. We wanted to offer turnkey opportunities for people to get involved and so we simply don't want 100 chiefs and no Indians. These campaigns are going to be well thought-out and many are going to be time sensitive. Trying to build an elusive consensus is time and energy consuming. Such efforts often lead to paralysis and BUCL is about doing things not talking about doing things.

That doesn’t sound like a democracy?
Well it is democratic because you will have an opportunity to review each campaign proposal, just like you would ballot initiatives in an election, and decide whether you want it or not. Nobody is going to force or pressure you to become a campaign sponsor. You can sponsor those campaigns you like and decline those you don’t like.

What happens during a campaign?
During a campaign any campaign-related media hits will be linked to or posted about on the BUCL blog. Progress will be constantly updated on the blog. Sponsor bloggers/web masters and non-sponsor friends of BUCL will be encouraged to blog about the campaign to create a “surround sound” effect in the blogosphere.

What happens when a campaign ends?
As soon as a campaign ends a new campaign proposal will be made available to potential sponsors. The sponsor logos on the sidebar of the BUCL blog will be removed to make way for those who decide to sponsor the new campaign.

Who is behind BUCL and why should I trust them?
Real people are behind it. Mainly Val Prieto, Jose Lopez-Varela and myself (Henry Gomez). I have been blogging about Cuba for more than three years and Val for more than five years. Jose is a colleague of mine in the communication industry. We’re not going anywhere. In fact you can meet us at Cuba Nostalgia or other events. We will disclose all campaign costs to sponsors and issue refunds for unused sponsorship dollars or provide credit toward a future campaign.

Does one have to be a blogger to be a campaign sponsor?
No, anyone can sponsor a campaign however some of the benefits of being a sponsor are very attractive to bloggers and webmasters because they will result in incremental traffic to their blogs and sites. There will be a special section recognizing non-blogger/webmaster sponsors if they wish to have their names publicized. Also one can make a donation for less than the designated sponsorship amount if they just want to chip in what they can to help. Of course, those donations will be anonymous.

Why don’t you just disclose the campaign proposals here, on this blog?
We would prefer that details of our campaigns not become public until the appropriate time because we'd like to retain some element of surprise and anticipation. If you would like a copy of the current campaign proposal please email me and tell me which blog you represent. Don't rule out participating until you see the proposal.