Havana, Cuba.- The fourth annual Days of Action Against the Blockade of Cuba — organized by the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity, the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and the National Network of Solidarity with Cuba (NNOC) — will take place from September 24th through the 28th in Washington D.C.
The co-director of the National Network of Solidarity with Cuba, Alicia Jrapko, told Granma newspaper that the main goal of the series of meetings, public events and grassroots advocacy is designed to inform the general public and raise awareness about the interventionist and unilateral US policy against Cuba
“We need to reach out to many sectors, especially young people who are completely unaware of this unfair policy,” she said.
Alicia Jrapko– who is also the U.S. Coordinator of the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity — added that this year’s Days of Action will focus on education.
She said that one of the first objectives of the Revolution after the victory in 1959 was to eradicate illiteracy, which would inspire other countries to eliminate this scourge. She pointed to the Cuban pedagogical program, ‘Yo Si Puedo’, which has helped more than eight million people around the world to learn to read and write.
The events will include a special movie double feature presentation featuring the U.S. premiere of “Lucha Si! Fight for Public Education in Puerto Rico” and “Maestra,” a documentary about Cuba’s world renowned 1961 literacy campaign.
Havana event marks 5th anniversary of the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace
Havana, Cuba.- Government officials, activists and experts are participating in Havana in a 3-day seminar that will debate the challenges and realities related to the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.
The decision was adopted five years ago by 33 member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Community (CELAC), during the block’s second summit that was held in the Cuban capital.
In statements to Prensa Latina news agency, the president of the Cuban Movement for Peace and Sovereignty of the Peoples, Silvio Platero, said that the encounter will provide an opportunity to advocate for regional unity and face the challenge that guaranteeing regional peace entails.
Platero said that participants in the seminar hail from social movements and organizations that are taking the lead in efforts to deter wars and conflicts in the region.
He added that the event will promote the education of a culture of peace amid a complex regional setting, deriving from the accession to power of right-wing governments and the presence of dozens of U.S. military bases, including the one currently held by Washington in the illegally occupied territory in Guantanamo, located in eastern Cuba.