Speeches
Last September 20, 2001, when Mr. W. Bush proclaimed that those who did not support his war project against terrorism would themselves be considered terrorists and exposed to his attacks, he was overtly disregarding the UN prerogatives. At the same time, based on his military power he was assuming the role of world master and policeman. For those of us familiar with the Marxist literature, that day was the 18th Brumaire of Mr. Bush*. Future historians should take note of the political leaders’ reaction in most countries. It was panic and fear that came over most of them.
On Wednesday June 5th, exactly eight days ago, in the meeting I held with the leaders of the mass organizations to review the project they proposed to present to the National Assembly prior to approval by their national leaderships as a response to George W. Bush’s speech before the terrorist mob in Miami, I made three suggestions. One, to publicly discuss the idea with the Cuban people; two, to mobilize the entire nation in support of such a just, dignified and convincing response; three, to offer each citizen of voting age the possibility to fully exercise that right to sign this historic…
Revolutionary Cubans, in the thick of the Battle of Ideas we are waging and embroiled in the arduous and heroic defence of our Homeland, the Revolution and Socialism, on a day like today we are rendering a special tribute to our two great heroes, with a firm, unshakeable decision: We shall all be like Maceo and Che.
It was the moment for the super powerful nation to examine its conscience, and not to stir up, multiply and capitalize on the ridiculous hatreds accumulated over decades. It should have kept calm, and the rest of the world should have been brave. The first depended on the U.S. leaders, the second on elementary common sense and dignity. Such virtues, however, are not abundant. Neither one nor the other did as they should. The most powerful declared a world coup d’état on September 20, 9 days after the condemnable terrorist act when, on the warpath, it declared that every country had to decide…
Twenty-two months ago primary education in the capital was in a disastrous state: the average number of students was 37 per classroom; 340 had more than 40 students and quite a few had 45 or more. The students in Santiago de Cuba knew twice as much as those in Havana. Around eight thousand wonderful dedicated teachers ¾ with an average of over 20 years in the profession¾ kept the schools open with the classrooms, buildings and school furniture in a terrible state following ten years of special period that had deprived the country of the minimum amount of resources essential for their upkeep.
What are we, what shall we be if not one single history, one single idea, one single will for all times?
Ciego de Avila and Morón, yesterday a line of barricades that the enemy tried to use to divide the country the East from the West, what are they this July 26? They are an indestructible path linking the thought, the heroism and the will to struggle of that imperishable bulwark with whose independence Martí wanted to prevent and did prevent the powerful and expansionist neighbor to the North from spreading through the Antilles and falling with that additional force on our American lands.
When this program began, practically all we had to count on was the heroism of the city’s teachers, the revolutionary spirit of our people, the numerous educational facilities and the enormous human capital created by the Revolution. The minimal resources available for such a program needed to be maximized and multiplied.
A veritable culture of protecting and preserving the schools, their resources and equipment must be encouraged in the children, the teachers, parents, local residents and our people in general. Nothing more noble, human, motivating and useful than a school can be created.
We must ensure that what fills us all with joy today will never become, through laziness or irresponsibility, a source of sorrow and frustration. Let us safeguard what has been achieved. Let us be worthy of the feats we have shown we can accomplish!
At the same time, education has always been, from the very moment of the triumph of the Revolution, and will always be, one of the fundamental objectives in our epic struggle for a truly just, free and humane society. The experience we have gained and the results we have achieved more than fully justify this decision. What began with a literacy campaign in a nation where the immense majority of the population was totally and functionally illiterate --where less than 10% of adolescents and adults had a sixth-grade education, and political consciousness was stunted by the limitations entailed…
According to this new conception, each comprehensive teacher will teach only 15 youngsters, and will remain with these same students all through grades seven, eight and nine. These teachers will be friends, counselors and guides for all of their students; they will maintain close and systematic contact with their parents, keeping them informed and winning their cooperation. Audiovisual resources and computer labs will help improve the current situation, although the shortage of classrooms and teachers will persist for a while, as new school facilities are created and the teaching personnel…
I am deeply grateful for the kind and generous letter recently sent to us by the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koichiro Matsuura, which read: "at the meeting held in Paris from July 1 to 5, 2002, the International Literacy Prize Jury decided to award a Special Mention in the King Sejong International Prize to The process of literacy and the mass media: An alternative for underdeveloped countries, from Cuba."
Today we are striving to perfect the work accomplished up until now, and proceeding on the basis of entirely new ideas and concepts. Today we are seeking for what should be and will be, in our judgment, an educational system that increasingly corresponds to the equality, full justice, self-esteem and moral and social needs of all people in the type of society that Cubans have decided to build.