[NYTr] Report on Canadian Conference: Cuba's Work Worldwide Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2007 07:00:24 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by mart - Jul 5, 2007 Hamilton - Cuba Friendship, Ontario, Canada http://www.cubacanada.org hamiltoncubafriendship@gmail.com Report on May 26 Conference: Cuba's Work Worldwide, McMaster University Please visit the Hamilton - Cuba Friendship website for pictures and further updates: http://www.cubacanada.org On May 26, 2007, the Conference on Cuba's Work Worldwide, followed by the founding of the Hamilton Friendship Association with Cuba, took place in Gilmour Hall at McMaster University. Those who registered for the event throughout the day numbered 163 people including students, workers and other friends of Cuba. A contingent from the United States also attended. Keynote speakers were Professor Isaac Saney from Dalhousie University and Dr. Pura Concepcion Aviles Cruz and Dr. Danay Saavedra Hernandez -- doctors and members of Cuba's National Assembly. Guests included Cuban Ambassador to Canada His Excellency Ernesto Senti Darias, Margarita Valle, Political Counsellor at the Embassy of Cuba, Cuban Consul-General in Toronto Laureano Cardoso, a representative of the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con Los Pueblos (Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples-ICAP) Javier Dominguez, in charge of North America, as well as Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger. Throughout the day presentations and discussion took place in a lively atmosphere manifesting the deep feelings of friendship and solidarity between the Canadian and Cuban peoples. Examples of Cuba's internationalist tradition showed how Cuba assists around the world with military, medical and other forms of human assistance and disaster relief, all of which is conducted in a selfless spirit, on the basis of recognizing the sovereignty of nations and peoples. Following welcoming remarks from JamilC) Ghaddar, Secretary of the Ad-Hoc Committee to Found the Hamilton Friendship Association with Cuba, Prof. Saney gave a presentation on Cuba's decisive role in ending the racist and colonial regime of southern Africa. In the course of his presentation, Prof. Saney showed the documentary he co-produced, Sisters' & Brothers' Keeper: Cuba and Southern African Liberation. He recounted how Cuba responded from 1976 to 1988 to newly independent Angola's call for international help in the face of military invasion from the racist South African regime. In the tradition of internationalist solidarity that characterizes the Cuban revolution from the beginning, Cuba was one of a very few nations that responded and was the only one that was able to do so with the numbers required by the circumstances. Cuba did so of its own initiative without any selfish motives. Thirty-six thousand Cuban troops went to Angola as volunteers in military and civilian roles of which 2,200 lost their lives. Prof. Saney detailed the importance of the epic battle of Cuito Cuanavale in 1987-88, where Angolan, Namibian and Cuban forces decisively defeated a large South African invasion force. That event changed the situation throughout the region, brought Namibia its independence, encouraged all the anti-apartheid forces and opened the way to the final decline and collapse of the apartheid regime itself. It was pointed out that although there has been media disinformation about Cuba's role in these developments, Africans, including Nelson Mandela, have explicitly recognized this monumental Cuban contribution. Both Javier Dominguez and Dr. Aviles served in Angola at that time and expressed their heartfelt appreciation for Prof. Saney's presentation and the high quality of the film. Following Prof. Saney's presentation, Ian Graham, a Quaker activist on local economic sustainability and a frequent visitor to Cuba, gave a presentation on the "Peak Oil" crisis facing the world, and what Cuba did to develop alternative fuel resources during the "special period" in the 1990s. One of the themes that emerged from Mr. Graham's presentation is that friendship with Cuba is not just a question of what Canada could do to assist Cuba, but that Cuba has much to teach Canada on issues such as the environment, healthcare and others. In the afternoon session, Cuban doctors Danay Saavedra Hernandez and Pura Concepcion Aviles Cruz focussed on Cuba's medical system and its international contribution on the medical front. They have both been participants in Cuba's internationalist medical contingents. Dr. Aviles Cruz was part of Cuba's contribution in southern Africa and Dr. Saavedra Hernandez worked for some time in Haiti. These two women highlighted that from very limited beginnings and in the face of the long U.S. blockade, Cuba has created a remarkable health care system that has helped provide Cubans social indices equal to the most advanced nations on earth, surpassing the U.S. in certain areas. Not only that, it has put that system at the service of the world's peoples. Their first international medical contingent went to Algeria in 1963 despite the fact that at that time Cuba itself had very few doctors to meet its own needs. Today there are 30,000 Cuban medical personnel in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Two thousand five hundred medical and other disaster workers went to Pakistan after the last earthquake. They also highlighted "Operation Milagro" (Operation Miracle) whereby thousands, especially in Latin America have regained their sight after having free eye operations provided by Cuban doctors. Likewise, the Latin American School of Medicine, ELAM, is now training thousands of doctors from abroad free of charge, on the principle that they return to practice medicine among the poor of their homelands. Following the conference Ad-Hoc Committee Secretary JamilC) Ghaddar announced the founding of the Hamilton Friendship Association with Cuba and invited everyone to attend its regular meetings. The announcement was greeted with enthusiastic applause. She called on everyone present to work to build the association, highlighting the political importance of defending Cuba at this time when the Bush administration is threatening Cuba militarily as well as trying to isolate Cuba in the international arena. To defend Cuba is to make a contribution to peace and in the interests of the Canadian people and all humanity, she pointed out. JamilC) informed the participants that the committee had received many letters of support, reading out one such letter. She also thanked the many sponsoring organizations who contributed to making the conference a success. Cuban Ambassador Ernesto Senti Darias then addressed the conference, underlining the importance of the Friendship Associations, especially this one in Hamilton, a centre of the working class. He stated that the founding of the Hamilton Friendship Association with Cuba would give new impetus to the decades long friendship between the Canadian and Cuban peoples. Javier Dominguez of ICAP, himself a veteran of the Angola war, hailed the conference. Noting that ICAP has relations with 2,000 organizations in 134 countries, he pointed out that Cuba has friends everywhere and the work of the Hamilton Association is greatly appreciated. Ad Hoc Committee member Sam Hammond welcomed the founding of such a broad based friendship organization and brought the greetings of Solidarity House. Ad-Hoc Committee member Rolf Gerstenberger, President of United Steelworkers Local 1005, stressed the significance of the support of Canadian workers for Cuba and the Cuban people. Cuba's example as a small country standing up to U.S. imperialism inspires the workers, Rolf said. He underscored the lessons to be learned from the example of the Cuban people working out for themselves the solutions to the problems that are facing their society. Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger greeted the conference on behalf of Hamilton City Council and stated that it is important that Canada maintain good relations with Cuba and strengthen ongoing economic and political ties. He reported his positive impressions from his recent visit to Cuba. The conference ended with a reception that included dinner and a cultural program. The song Our Unity, Our Friendship -- The Key to Our Victory, was performed in honour of the occasion along with popular Cuban songs such as Hasta Siempre Commandante Che! Informal discussion continued throughout dinner and into the evening with the participants expressing their enthusiasm over the contributions made during the day and the future work of building the friendship between the peoples of Hamilton and Cuba. ======================= Niagara Coalition For Peace - NC4P http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NC4P To subscribe, send an e-mail to: NC4P-subscribe@yahoogroups.com * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================