EVENTS

Summary

II World Meeting
of Friendship And Solidarity

From Ken Gill, Chairperson, Cuba Solidarity Campaign

"Under friendly Cuban skies, from the 10th to the 14th November, in the year 2000, 4264 participants from 118 countries and five continents met at the Second World Solidarity with Cuba Conference."

"So begins the Final Declaration after four days talking, mixing and debating. Men and women from all over the world, expressing their support for heroic Cuba which stands defiant, before the greatest industrial/military power in human history. While saluting Cuba, they told their own stories of their own struggles.

Puerto Ricans spoke of their long fight against US domination, Venezuelans of the pressure on their country since the victory of Hugo Chavez and the growing friendship with Cuba, and the Colombians demanded the end of the American escalation of their government’s war against the people.

Speaker after speaker told tragic tales of the brutality of globalisation and its impoverishment of ordinary citizens.

The USA was not unnaturally, the object of anger in this vast assembly. Therefore, all listened in rapt attention to a young North American woman, one of a group of 600 attending, who spoke eloquently of the growing opposition in her country to the undeclared illegal war against Cuba. She denounced the so-called liberalisation of the Helms-Burton laws which have, in effect, hardened the embargo and made an individual visit by a US citizen a specific criminal act. The US delegation was the biggest. It included a 50 strong group from "Pastors for Peace" which crossed the Mexican border without incident. It seems that the authorities have concluded that the physical attacks in the past, which were answered by a hunger strike, gave them a bad press. They now resort to the old McCarthyite method of making life difficult for individuals on their return.

Sergio Corrieri, the ex-film star President of ICAP (Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples) described the growing solidarity movement which has international relevance, reflecting each country’s own characteristics. It is " broad-based, varied, diverse and heterogeneous. That is where its strength and power is." He singled out the British CSC as a" best organised group", a compliment much appreciated by the 130 strong British contingent which was strengthened by substantial trade union participation.

The statement that a "donation" of 50 ambulances was on its way to Cuba, paid for by British trade unionists, was received rapturously. The report that Cuba Solidarity had established in British law that Korda the photographer who created the famous Che image, owned his own product which in future would not be used freely for advertising commercial products was also roundly applauded.

I was able to present a large part of Korda’s compensation, from him "to buy medicine for sick Cuban children" – a gesture that confirmed his popularity.

Steve Wilkinson, the editor of "Cuba Si" informed the conference of the unsavoury role played by the Bacardi Rum Company, which trades on its Cuban image but actively supports the blockade, hoping presumably to profit from the defeat of Socialist Cuba. Many delegates responded enthusiastically to the prospect of changing the drinking habits of those who do not share the Company’s view of Cuba.

Many present visited kindergartens where healthy, happy children spent their day while parents work. It appears that the service is universal, inexpensive and related to income.

Many others saw the unique new Latin American School of Medicine dedicated to provide doctors to the third world from third world graduates. This is designed to supplement and replace the wave of Cuban doctors now working in the under-developed nations. This is an expression of generous Cuban solidarity different but equal to the sacrifices made in the military struggle for African independence.

Perhaps the most rewarding experience was when groups of delegates were invited to join the local CDR’s (Committees for the Defence of the Revolution) for a taste of Havana street hospitality. These were not the grim custodians of political correctness as portrayed by Britain’s sneering press. Folk came from their houses, young and old, to greet the foreign visitors, to feed us with strange soup, sweet cakes and rice, beer and wine and to provide us with high-class improvised entertainment. This included dramatic poetry recited flamboyantly by 7 year old girls and boys, and Busby Berkeley Cuban style dancing by teenage girls displaying all the verve of highly professional artists. Then a young woman doctor proudly showed us the newly built medical centre to serve 130 local inhabitants. The manifest joy and affection in those moonlit moments will stay with many of those who experienced for the first time Cuban community life.

Old Cuban hands were astonished by the improvements in life achieved in the last few years, although many problems still remain. These problems were given prominence by Fidel Castro whose five hour speech, as usual unannounced on the programme, dealt with the blockade and its consequences, the inequalities rising from by Cuba’s growing tourist trade, the immense achievements of his country in living through the bleak hungry days after the collapse of the socialist block and the heroism and unity of the Cuban people confounding the triumphalists of capitalism, who had been confident of Cuban surrender. He spoke too of the problems of crime and their origin, the determination to achieve more equality by lifting standards to the best, and the imminent banning of advertising to enhance, not blur the beauty of Cuba.

He was discursive and conversational spending the last hour in answering questions. After he had responded on a question of race and the roots of racism from Bisi Lalemi from the British contingent, President Corrieri closed the session to the ambivalent relief of the Assembly, who were shivering from the freezing onslaught of the air conditioning system. Fidel ended with thanks for international solidarity and a suggestion that we should reconvene in two years time.

Most delegates were sad to leave this remarkable country, some shaken by the experience, viewing the world differently as a result. They had seen a third world country, poor by our standards, living a life dedicated to education and health for the people, and striving for a better, more equal life for all.

For the Cuba Solidarity Campaign the conference affirmed for us that our work continues to be of the utmost importance. Seen in Cuba as a wonderful expression of real solidarity we will endeavour to strengthen our campaign more so we can be as proud of our role in the defence of Cuba's national sovereignty as the Cuban's are of their own socialist revolution.

THE II WORLD MEETING OF FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA
AND GENERAL AGREEMENTS

November 9-14, was attended by 4664 delegates from 118 nations. While this conference was going on the United Nations General Assembly voted 167 nations to 3 to end the U.S. blockade of Cuba, placing the U.S. in virtual isolation from the rest of the world. The only nations voting with the U.S. were Israel and the Marshall Islands which the U.S. owns and by law is required to vote with the U.S. in all UN resolutions.

The conference, very much like a United Nations in itself, gathered around the following themes:

1. The political, cultural, educational and scientific and medical achievements of the Cuban Revolution.

2. Fighting to end the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

3. How the Cuban Revolution has inspired other countries fighting for independence.

4. Testimonials from countries that Cuba assisted in obtaining their independence. These countries spoke with one voice of the purity of Cuba's help in that, "they asked for nothing in return, took neither gold nor diamonds, nor any resources when they left, only the bones of their soldiers."

The conference opened with speeches from major Cuban personages: Sergio Corrieri, president of ICAP (Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Nations) and Cuba's best-known actor, spoke of the unethical and immoral implications of the blockade. He noted that in the last 10 years global support for Cuba has tripled; Ricardo Alarcon, president of the People's Assembly, gave what amounted to a history lesson detailing the U.S. governments pathological desire to possess Cuba from the administration of Thomas Jefferson to the present with emphasis on recent legislation (Helms-Burton law, Torricelli Act) and its effects on Cuba; Philipe Roque, Cuba's Foreign Minister and UN. Ambassador, (at 36 years, the youngest at the UN), having just returned from the historic UN. General Assembly vote, built upon the themes of Correiri and Alarcon, gave a blistering indictment of U.S. government's violations of Cuba's sovereignty and its violations of human rights around the world; and Carlos Lage, Secretary of the Executive Committee of Council of State, spoke of the effect of the collapse of the Solviet Union on Cuba's economy, and the heroic sacrifices of the Cuban people to survive this "Special Period" and begin to recover with an average annual GNP growth of 3.5%.

Summary of the General Agreements

1. Declare 2001 "Year of International Solidarity against the Blockade."

2. April 15-21, 2001: Organize a World Conference of Solidarity with Cuba in homage to the 40th anniversary of the Declaration of the Socialist Character of the Cuban Revolution and the Victory of the Bay of Pigs.

3. Ratify October 10, date of the beginning of the Wars of Independence, a the World Day of Solidarity with Cuba.

4. January 2003. (150th Anniversary of the birth of Jose Marti) Develop activities in every country presenting his political, ethical, and philosophical thought, the basis for a culture of integration that humanity requires to face the challenges of the 21st century.

5. Fight the blockade in the framework of regional and national parliaments, and in the World Parliamentary Union whose 105th meeting will take place in Havana, 2001.

6. Send messages to president of the U.S. and Congress condemning the blockade.

7. Develop projects in member countries of Human Rights Commission of the UN so they don't yield to U.S. pressure in damaging the image of Cuba who upholds human rights of its people in a dignified and exemplary manner.

8. Confront with the truth and with reason the lies and slanderous campaigns the Cuban Revolution and its heroic people are victims of, making full use of the Internet.

9. Propose a III World Meeting of Friendship and Solidarity.

10. Recognize and advertise the broad solidarity that Cuba offers, in diverse fields and through diverse methods, to countries in need of such assistance.

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