The group waiting included university students; teachers; farmers; health workers, service workers… and also self-employed, with representation not only of young people from the capital, but from all of Cuba.

This is how they were introduced by the first secretary of the National Committee of the Young Communist League, Aylín Álvarez García, beginning of the meeting, when she expressed her certainty that “we are who must contribute, transform, support, participate…”

The meeting provided an encouraging display of sincerity and commitment, as the President of the Republic conversed for almost four hours with those present, taking notes on the comments and proposals made by a variety of participants.

Concluding the dialogue, the President commented, “For me it is clear that there are a number of challenges in society, in life today, challenges to what we want to do… Those who have the strength, the energy and the capacity (to overcome the challenges) are young people – without denying anyone’s contribution, because here everyone must participate and we must give all generations their space – but the future lies in our youth.

“I am convinced of this… I believe in our youth,” and there is always a task for the young, there is a task calling them, engaging them, because we know that if it is in your hands, it will be stronger, it will be more developed and it also engages you and provides you a space to participate, he said.

(Taken from Granma)

Perhaps it is the greatness to which this spot is linked, that inspires a solemnity which moves and cheers us, giving us the confidence to continue and create.

Sensed here, as well, are the dreams of youth, of big projects, that will become realities, not utopias if they are given wings, effort and pride. Because Fidel is present in this patch of land – his certain, clear, enduring presence.

It is only right that today, April 4, 2,000 young people have chosen to awake in the vicinity of the Birán Historical Monument, birthplace of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro, to announce the convocation of the Young Communists League’s 11th Congress, to be held in 2020

“It will be a high point of deep significance and with the beloved presence of Fidel, a day full of patriotism and joy, because we know that the future we are building today belongs to us,” insisted Susely Morfa González Party Central Committee member and first secretary of Young Communists League, speaking with Granma.

The national event took place in the south central city of Sancti Spiritus, but activities are being carried out in each institution and education center of the island to commemorate the date, with deliveries of commemorative medals, productive works and cultural events.

As part of the program, some social works and projects to benefit children, adolescents and young people will be opened, and more than 6,700 youth will be presented with their UJC membership cards.

Susely Morfa, first secretary of the youth organization, told the press in late March the role of Cuban youth in the productive areas to guarantee the progress of the Caribbean nation in several economic items.

Morfa also ratified the young people’s support for the Cuban Revolution and fidelity to the anti-imperialist and Latin American legacy of the historical leader of that process, Fidel Castro.

As part of the actions on occasion of the date, the UJC will also develop the ‘Hacemos Cuba’ campaign, to give more visibility to the identity of the Revolution and promote respect for the heroes.

(Prensa Latina) 

Believing in youth determines a conduct, and our conduct as revolutionary leaders would not be the same if we did not have faith in youth. If we did not believe in youth, our conduct, our attitude would be different, our work with youth would be different and the results, of not believing or believing, would also be very different.

It is imperative that we believe in youth. Believing in youth is not seeing in youth simply an enthusiastic part of the people, it is not seeing youth as that enthusiastic, but unthinking, part of the people, full of energy but incapable, without experience. Believing in youth is not simply seeing youth with that disdain with which many times adults look upon youth.

Believing in youth is seeing in them, in addition to enthusiasm, ability; in addition to energy, responsibility; in addition to youth, purity, heroism, character, willpower, love of the homeland, faith in the homeland! Love of the Revolution, faith in the Revolution, self-confidence, a deep conviction that youth can, that youth are capable, a profound conviction that great tasks can be placed upon the shoulders of youth!

Fidel Castro

Sancti Spíritus will host the national celebration to mark the anniversaries of the UJC and the OPJM this April 4. Isbel Reina Abreu, first secretary of the UJC Provincial Committee, explained that such a distinction “recognizes the work of young people from Sancti Spíritus in terms of the economic and social development of the province, where we are an important force in the construction of the society we want and of the national project that we have chosen.”

She added that the event will take place from seven in the morning this Wednesday, April 4, in the Plaza de la Revolución Mayor General Serafín Sánchez Valdivia, with the attendance of more than 5,000 young people, some of whom will be presented with their UJC membership cards.

As part of the festivities, the “Love of my Homeland” anti-imperialist camp-out will also be held, which will take place in the area of La Reforma, in Jatibonico, where Panchito Gómez Toro, son of Generalísimo Máximo Gómez and assistant to General Antonio Maceo was born; an icon of the younger generation of revolutionaries.

CONFIDENCE IN YOUNG PEOPLE
The grassroots organizations and young people we recognize today are a sign that young people can assume immense tasks, because they know they are the heirs of the best traditions of struggle of our people and continue the essential work of the Revolution, stated Ronal Hidalgo Rivera, Second Secretary of the UJC National Committee, during a presentation ceremony of the highest decorations awarded by the Council of State, at the proposal of the UJC National Bureau.

José Ramón Machado Ventura, Second Secretary of the Party Central Committee and a vice president of the Councils of State and of Ministers, presented the Julio Antonio Mella Order to Major José Enrique Martínez Sánchez and Captain Yeniel Cabrera Duardo, officers of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the Ministry of the Interior, respectively, as reported by Juventud Rebelde.

Ten collectives also received the UJC Honor Flag, a select group of young people were recognized with the Abel Santamaría Cuadrado and José Antonio Echeverría medals, while 21 youth leaders, who during the past year stood out for their efforts, were also recognized. Four workers with more than 35 years in the UJC were also presented with awards.

(Granma)

We don’t live in a perfect society, it would be absurd to think so, but based on our reality, we have built a system superior to that which outside forces have hoped to impose on us, ever since the revolutionary triumph of January 1, 1959, stated Yusuam Palacios Ortega, president of the Martí Youth Movement.

This was the focus of debates during the “Governability, democracy, and social conquests” panel, one of the three held during the Forum, and in which the essence of the Cuban socialist system, built and defended by the people, was highlighted.

“This is our strength, the morality with which Cubans can stand on any platform in the world to defend their political system, to talk about democracy and human rights,” Lil Peichs, a member of the Martí Youth Movement, told Granma International.

Thus, the representatives of Cuban civil society who will travel to Peru next month “can do so with dignity,” the young woman stressed.

For historian Dr. Elier Ramírez, Cuban civil society differs from that established in other countries. “Ours is diverse, active, broad… Not like the dirty “civil society” that calls itself Cuban and is promoted by the Organization of American States, composed of mercenaries.”

The development of Cuban science would not have been possible without the active participation of young people. Photo: Ariel Cecilio Lemus
Our people learned a long time ago that within the logic of capitalism, it is impossible to eliminate corruption, because the capitalist system naturalizes it. That is why we have decided to defend what is ours, not to return to those years, before 1959, when young people who fought for freedom were murdered on the streets of any city on the island, the historian explained.

“We are open to debate, but we will never permit an imposition, a single vision of democratic governability,” Ramírez stressed.

Meanwhile, Rubiel García, president of the Hermano Saíz Association, noted that he has no problem with stating that as a representative of civil society, he also has a representative in the Cuban parliament, emphasizing, “How many in the world can say that?”

Cuban poet Cintio Vitier once said, “We have had to build a parliament in a trench.” Therefore, “Cuba will continue to respond to provocations and injustices as did the Cuban Ambassador to Peru, Juan Antonio Fernández. The youth will not allow anyone to mess with Cuba,” he added.

REALITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CAPITALIST WORLD

Many of the unemployed in the capitalist world are young people, noted Dr. Faustino Covarrubias, head of the Economics Department at the Center for Global Economic Research, in the panel discussion “Participation of young people in economic development.”

The reality for young people in the capitalist world is much more critical and complex than portrayed by the global mass media, as they are the population segment most exposed to unemployment, even in developed countries.

Statistics confirm that unemployment rates for young people aged between 18 and 35 are sometimes triple that of rest of the adult population. Not to mention the number of “demotivated” youth, who don’t even attempt to enter the labor market for fear of not finding options open to them, Dr. Faustino explained.

On the other hand, he highlighted that imperialism is currently cornered, in a moment of hegemonic decline, threatened by other powers such as China and Russia. “Capitalism today is digging its own grave,” he concluded.

GROWING YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN CUBAN SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT

The development of Cuban science was one of the great challenges faced following the triumph of the Revolution, and these efforts would not have been possible without the active participation of young people, experts speaking during the Forum agreed.

Under the leadership of the young Fidel Castro Ruz, the triumphant Revolution devoted significant energies to the development of this sector, which have continued despite the economic conditions in Cuba, exacerbated by the tightening of the United States economic blockade, imposed for more than half a century, emphasized M.Sc. María Luisa Zamora Rodríguez, expert of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (Citma).

Speaking during the panel “The role of young people in the development of the country’s science and technology,” she explained that “The Literacy Campaign of 1961 was the first step – more than a million Cubans were illiterate at that time.”

Later, she added, the country “began to create various research centers, such as the Cuban Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Geography, and Citma, which showed the political interest in promotion of this sector, and the recognition of the role of science as a necessity to achieve sustainable development.”

Currently, according to Ricmar Rodríguez, national president of the Youth Technical Brigades and moderator of the panel, more than 86,000 Cubans are employed in the scientific sphere, and more than 600 million pesos have been allocated for the development of the sector, representing 0.91% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

“This demonstrates the interest of our state in continuing to increase the development of this area every year,” he said.

Among the main activities promoted by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, are Cuba’s adaptation to climate change; the sustainable use of natural resources, with priority given to water; medical-pharmaceutical production; and research in nanotechnology, among others, Zamora added.

However, the experts and young people gathered agreed that there remains much to be done.

During the current year and those to come, the science, technology, and innovation sector “needs to strengthen its impact on the development of the country’s economy, preserve and develop our human potential, and work within institutions to safeguard our professionals,” the Citma expert noted.

In this regard, Evelixe Linares Rodríguez, a researcher at the Cuban Academy of Sciences, explained that the institution “also promotes and disseminates activities, such as festivals, conferences, workshops… in order to attract more young people to the sector, and ensure their motivation and permanence. We currently have 63 young people working with us, and of them, more than half are women.”

Meanwhile, Liset Martín, a researcher at the Center for Molecular Immunology, told those gathered that “Young people in the science sector in Cuba are very motivated in our work, because of the contribution we make every day to our country.”

Even so, she added, “It is a priority to eliminate, once and for all, the unjust economic blockade that prevents not only the technological development of the island, but also our professional development, by limiting our access to the scientific knowledge that is already available globally, and to which we Cubans have no right.”

Nonetheless, Evelixe Linares concluded: “Nothing stops the incorporation of young people to the study and practice of science in Cuba. It grows every day, and will continue to do so.”

(Granma)

The main issue of the biennial event is ‘Unipolarity, globalization and youth: political actions and social transformations.’

Convened by the Cuban Center for Studies on the Youth and the Young Communist League, the meeting will be held in lectures, workshops, symposia and panels, to address 18 issues.

In statements to journalists, the director of that center, Teresa Viera, said some few days ago that public policies in the sector, addictions, the world of work, climate change, migration processes and social indiscipline are among the issues to debate.

According to Viera, a new feature of this third edition is tours through Havana centers to share experiences in caring children, adolescents and young people.

Regarding the international participation, she said that about 185 work summaries from 20 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, the United States, France and Venezuela, were registered.

The International Congress of Researchers on Youth has as a background the meetings the Cuban Center for Studies on the Youth convened more than 30 years, which initially had a regional nature, but we have extended its scope, Viera said.

(Prensa Latina)

In that sense, Morfa recalled the speech of the president of Cuba, Raul Castro, at the XV Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Trade Treaty of the Peoples (ALBA-TCP), held in Caracas earlier this month.

There, the president confirmed the support of the Caribbean island to the Bolivarian Revolution and the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.

In statements to Prensa Latina, Morfa rejected any interference and position of exclusion towards Venezuela with respect to their participation in the VIII Summit of the Americas, to be held in Peru, next April.

Why Venezuela can not attend Peru Summit? What are they afraid of? Asked the young woman when referring to the attitude of the so-called Lima Group of excluding the Bolivarian government from the regional meeting.

The position of Cuba with Venezuela is invariable because it is that of a brother. We condemn the aggressions, and the US economic and media war against that South American country, said the first secretary of the UJC.

Likewise, Morfa highlighted the resistance of the Venezuelan people, their support for the Bolivarian Revolution and the right to choose their destiny without the meddling of other nations or sectors of the international right-wing.

Youth – as a continuity of the legacy of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro; and President Raúl Castro – still stands and ratifies its support for the Venezuelan people and their government.

Cuban civil society brings together more than two thousand organizations and associations involved in practically all branches of political, social, economic, cultural and religious life of the Caribbean nation.

(Prensa Latina)

Achieving this balance of enforcement and preventative efforts has been possible thanks to the joint work of diverse institutions and society, aspects which were addressed during a recent Mesa Redonda, television news program.

Colonel Juan Carlos Poey Guerra, head of the Ministry of the Interior (Minint)

National Anti-Drug Directorate, highlighted the strengthening of preparation and participation of mass organizations and government bodies involved in the effort, as part of the National Commission on Drugs, which will reach its 20 years of existence in 2018.

This work implies ongoing analysis of the phenomenon and current trends, with a view toward minimizing its possible impact and carrying out active monitoring on the community level to identify people who need help, provide rehabilitation, and support their reintegration into society.
Colonel Juan Carlos Poey Guerra, head of the Ministry of the Interior National Anti-Drug Directorate. Photo: Roberto Garaycoa Martínez

Joining hands toward this end are the ministries of Education; Labor and Social Security; Culture; Higher Education; the National Institute for Sports, Physical Education and Recreation; as well as student and youth organizations.

Poey Guerra explained, “The action model is being perfected given events related to drugs in educational centers; the public police forces’ preventative work is being strengthened; and a national warning system established to evaluate every incident in a timely fashion.”

The integration of actors is vital to confronting drugs, he insisted, saying, “The leadership of the country’s principal bodies, agencies, and mass organizations have received information on the risks, trends, and threats, with a view toward updating all strategies and impacting delinquency in all arenas.

“Minit’s ministerial system of enforcement – in conjunction with the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), the General Customs of the Republic (AGR), and the people – have been strengthening our discovery and investigation skills in the principal arenas of delinquent behavior, which is centered along the coastline, mountainous areas, and the national borders,” Poey Guerra continued.

He explained that the deployment of Border Patrol forces and equipment, with support from the population via “Mirando al mar” (sea watch) teams, has limited the influence of organized crime and drug traffickers in the country.

In 2017, 251 drug drops were intercepted, with 4.5 tons of drugs confiscated within national territory. These drop-offs represent a potential risk as supply sources, and were fully investigated, leading to the identification of those responsible in 18 cases, and the arrest of 65 Cubans involved, the Minit Colonel reported.

To better protect airport borders, technical equipment has been acquired to check passengers, which has been key to the detection of ingested drugs.

“The development of canine techniques has played a very important role, as well as the collaboration of Minit with Border authorities, and administrations. During 2017, practical exercises were conducted in international airports to stop the entry of drugs. Toward this end, ongoing training of troops intervening in the process is carried out,” he said.

International cooperation with counterparts has been of great value, and penal assistance is being developed with organizations like Interpol, the World Customs Organization, and other institutions.

“Increased enforcement and response based on the integrated work of all actors in our country has been decisive in confronting drug trafficking and the organization of an internal market. This effort has prevented the use of our country as a bridge for international trafficking and the establishment of a domestic network to sell drugs. But the need for improvement continues because the threats and complexities are now greater,” Poey Guerra explained.

ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR PREVENTION

The issue of drugs is of concern on a world scale, and youth are the main victims in countries where enforcement is not articulated effectively, commented

Susely Morfa González, first secretary of the Young Communists League, on the Mesa Redonda program.

She emphasized that our country can count on the unity of many actors, with institutions protecting children, adolescents, and youth against this scourge. In Cuba, she recalled, detox and rehabilitation services, that in other parts of the world are very expensive, are guaranteed as a right.

The national public health system has since 2013 implemented strategies directed toward children, according to Dr. Idelys Calvero Aris. We work on the perception of risk, educating about the risks associated with a first try, she said.

All the system’s institutions within communities are involved in the active monitoring work in every neighborhood; the careful accounting of medications, at all levels, from prescription to their acquisition at a pharmacy. the greatest emphasis is, however, placed on the promotion of health and education, to foment the culture of never again, and not starting.

This first contact with drugs must be prevented, when adolescents are looking for the new, in a stage of life when they think they are indestructible, that nothing will happen to them. Many times it is curiosity that motivates trying alcohol, cigarettes, psychotropic substances, or even harder drugs.

Thus the need for families, the community, schools, and health care providers to be alert, Dr. Calvero stated, emphasizing that drug use is a multi-dimensional problem, and therefore requires an integrated preventive approach, with the participation of all, as the only way to avoid the damage drug abuse causes.

The country’s educational centers play an important role given their mission of preparing students for life, stated Dr. Irene Rivera Ferreiro, deputy minister of Education.

Over the years, she said, we have gained experience in confronting this problem, even though it has not been considered a major issue in our society, it has not gone unnoticed.

The Ministry of Education (Mined), she explained, “proposes that the issue of drugs be given a preventative focus at all levels of learning. We promote a culture of rejection.”

This academic year, the ministry is focusing on the training of teachers, families, and students. Along these lines, Dr. Rivera stated, “Teachers have the primary responsibility of sensitizing families, so that there is better coordination and coherence with the home, in terms of the youngest.”

She continued saying that educational materials, available to all, have been produced, such as Luces para la vida, a book that “is not about drugs, but rather helps to develop basic life skills, such as managing stress and emotions. If they internalize these aspects, they will be able to say ‘no’ to drugs.”

Contests, applications for cell phones, educational video games, and audio-visuals are among the materials the ministry has developed, to alert Cuban families to the dangers of illicit drug use.

Each school has its own strategy, Dr. Rivera said, although the ministry works closely with “regions or centers where specific cases emerge, or where criminal acts have occurred, to join the institution’s leadership in protecting students.”

The work is a joint effort involving the ministry, youth organizations, the justice system, youth protection authorities, and mental health departments.

YOUTH TAKING THE LEAD

“The UJC (Young Communists League) is not only a political organization, but also has the mission of promoting the highest values among adolescents and youth within our socialist system and our Revolution,” stated Susely Morfa.

It is imperative to build consciousness about the situation in which we live, she said, a situation much different from that of our parents, marked by the development of new technology, be it in the form of television series or video games which legitimize the success of individuals tied to the world of drugs. This is part of the effort to influence the minds of our youth, manipulate them, and encourage harmful habits of consumption, she added.

The Ministry of Education, Dr. Rivera reported, is training promoters: youth and adolescents who within schoolrooms and on campuses help and educate their own classmates to avoid drugs.

The idea came from students themselves. A survey conducted by the ministry showed that 33% of adolescents and youth talk with their peers and friends about the issue.

Morfa noted that outstanding work has been done by organizations like the Federation of Secondary School Students (FEEM), which has made a significant effort to train more than 10,000 promoters, who effectively communicate their ideas via the language and media used by different social groups.

“The multi-dimensional work of these groups with different ministries allows their impact to be felt in thousands of educational centers throughout the country, reaching more than 160,000 students and more than 170,000 parents, to work jointly in consolidating family awareness and the education of our youth,” she said.

“Confronting drugs is a task for the entire people, a task in which we must all act with skill and intelligence, amidst the crisis of values that characterizes the world today.”

(Granma)

This according to Deputy Minister of Justice Rosa Charro Ruiz, speaking during the inauguration of the Third International Conference on Child Protection this Wednesday, May 24, which will run though May 26 in Havana’s Hotel Palco. The event is an opportunity for specialists and researchers from 11 countries to analyze and debate issues regarding childhood and adolescence, and seek concrete solutions.

The deputy minister called for new alliances and the strengthening of existing ones, among institutions, organizations, agencies and countries, to work systematically for the training and participation, not only of adults, but also of children and adolescents, in promoting a culture of recognition, respect and the guarantee of their rights.

In addressing the situation in Cuba, Charro Ruiz referred to the legal framework that supports child protection, which includes the Civil Code, the Criminal Code, the Civil Registry Law, and other norms.

Beyond legal recognition, the Cuban system is based on the design, implementation and evaluation of social policies and programs in the areas of health, education, arts, culture, sport, recreation and social security, with the broadest possible participation of different agencies, social organizations and civil society.

In addition, the specialist stressed that the Childhood and Youth Code – Cuba’ special law on the protection of children and adolescents – supports and develops principles contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, such as equality and non-discrimination, and also includes premises and characteristics in line with the island’s own social and legal system, such as comprehensive participation and education.

She stressed that another example of Cuba’s work in this area is the hosting of this event, supported by UNICEF, which has contributed to an important group of projects aimed at increasingly benefiting the island’s children.

Meanwhile, Amanda Martín, a UNICEF child protection specialist, noted that the international organization accompanies countries in the process of improving the guarantees of children’s rights, and supports the fight against all forms of violence.

(Granma)