By Alejandra Garcia on November 28, 2022 from Havana
Calla Walsh, co-chair of the National Network on Cuba, attending the US/Cuba Youth Meeting, observes local elections in Cuba.
Since last Thursday, Cuba has been the venue for an important gathering entitled, Youth Friendship Meeting “Building Our Future Today.” Young people from Cuba and the United States shared, in English and Spanish, thoughts about social justice, free public access to education and health, science and innovation in the service of life, the right to culture, sports, employment, labor unions, and the search for economic equity.
At the National Botanical Garden in Havana, the participants, including a delegation of 50 young Americans, engaged in serious discussions about the importance of respecting human rights, sexual diversity, gender equality, the fight against racism, and all forms of discrimination and violence.
The protection of the environment, the effects, and possible solutions of human activity on climate change were not left out.
“This has been one of the most intense and beautiful experiences I have lived throughout my 25 years. I am very excited. We, representatives of social, political, student organizations and community leaders, unequivocally reaffirm our solidarity with the Cuban people, who have warmly welcomed us as friends,” said Yajaira Cuapio, from the U.S. Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Cuapio spoke in Spanish to representatives of the Cuban political and student organizations that made this meeting possible that included the Communist Party of Cuba, the Young Communist Union, the Latin American and Caribbean Continental Organization of Students, the Federation of University Students, and the Federation of High School Students.
“We commit ourselves to continue to work together to disseminate achievements and realities of our countries, and take on the challenges we face in our struggle against U.S. imperialism. We recognize the Cuban Revolution as a reference for its social struggles. We denounce and demand the end of the blockade that hinders Cuba’s development and denies to the American people the medical, cultural, and intellectual potentialities that Cuba has to offer,” she added.
Other just demands took place at the seminars, which concluded on November 28 in the Cuban capital. They urged Cuba’s removal from the infamous and illegitimate list of state sponsors of terrorism and an end to the illegal occupation of the territory where the U.S. operates the Guantanamo Naval Base.
They also spoke of the dangerous rise of the arms race at a time when hunger is a global scourge. But one demand stood out above the others: Cuban and U.S. youth demand “the right to relate respectfully as neighboring countries.”
Can young people in Cuba and the U.S. build a better future together? Juventud Rebelde reporter Juanita Carrasco asked during the news coverage of these talks. The answer is yes, she clarified.
The invitation to repeat the meeting next year is already open. Almost a century ago, the young revolutionary Julio Antonio Mella predicted with total certainty: “Every future time has to be better.” These young people are losing no time and are already building the future of friendship and brotherhood they know is critical in building a more just and peaceful world.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – US