Alberta, July-julio 2006
16
ALTERNATIVA Latinoamericana
ENGLISH SECTION
EDITORIAL:
The 17th Friendshipment
Caravan to Cuba, departsthis
year from Texas to challenge
once more the United States
blockade against Cuba. The
Friendshipment Caravan is
organized by the Interreligious
Foundation for Community
Organization (IFCO), an ecu-
menical organization with the
mission of helping oppressed
people organize in favour of
justice and self-determination,
so that through the development
of community organizations
people organize to fight for the
human and civil rights.
A bit of history
Founded in 1967, IFCO is
now 39 years old. Since 1992,
IFCO has been an active mem-
ber in the fight against the
Cuban blockade, through the
help provided by the Friendshipment
Caravans, the Brigades and educational
delegations to Cuba. Pastors for Peace
completes a similar solidarity work in
Chiapas (Mexico), en Haiti, and in other
countries of Central America and the
Caribbean.
The first Friendshipment Caravan
took place in November 1992; it took 15
tons of humanitarian help -including
powder milk, bycicles, and school
supplies. In 1193, a second
Friendshipment Caravan took place with
300 caravanists; it took 100 tons of
supplies to Cuba, including medicines
and computers, school buses and
medical equipment. A little yellow bus
was impounded then by US authorities;
13 caravanists started a hunger strike
that lasted 23 days and gave rise to one
of the most important international
campaign as well as support rallies in
at least 20 US cities. The popular
support was such that the authorities
had to return the little yellow bus; the
same little bus that continues to serve
the Martin Luther King Center and the
Ebenezer Baptist Church in Cuba.
The Friendshipment Caravans to
Cuba continued anually. In 1996, the
6th Friendshipment had to confront new
challenges from the US government,
which treated caravanists with brutality.
Caravanists started a hunger strike in
the city of San Diego. Later they took
the strike to the US Capítol where it
continued for 94 days. Their intention
was to have the 400 computers seized
by the US government returned to them
to take them to cuban doctors and
hospitals as planned. The international
response of solidarity was such that
organizations from european, african
and latinamerican nations donated 1400
computers to Cuba. The international
pressure, plus the support of 70 mem-
bers of the US Congress played a role ,
and the US government returned the
400 seized computers on the 94th day
of the hunger strike. These computers
are still part of the cuban red "Infomed",
providing valuable medical information to
cuban doctors.
The Seventh Friendshipment,
honoring Cuban children, had no meas-
ure challenges. Friendshipment number
eight was also dedicated to Cuban
children and the elderly, and it managed
to take to Cuba two ambulances, five
school buses and a large amount of
medicines much needed.
The ninth Friendshipment honored
cuban doctors and nurses because of
the work they do towards a healthier
world. It took millions of dollars in
supplies and medical equipment to
Cuba.
In the year 2000, the tenth
Friendshipment Caravan, honoring
Cuban athletes and students, took
educational materials and sport
equipment to Cuba. This friendshipment
By Nora Fernández
included the members of the children
baseball team, Lost Coast Pirates, from
California. That same year, in
November, and because of the Second
World Solidarity Conference in Cuba the
eleventh Friendshipment took place -
taking mainly solar panels and enough
equipment to provide electricity to two
rural schools located in the mountains
of the province of Pinar del Rio in Cuba.
In 2001, the twelveth
Friendshipment celebrated innovations
in alternative energy and transportation
in Cuba. It took 80 tons in supplies. For
the first time products made in Cuba
were brought back to the United States
by the caravanists, to be given to
community groups as a gift from the
people of Cuba.
In 2002, the thirteenth
Friendshipment celebrated Cuban
success in health and healing; the
caravanist had the opportunity to visit
the Latin American School of Medical
Sciences and meet and exchange ideas
with American students of limited
resources studying there thanks to full
scholarships from the Cuban
government.
In 2003, 125 caravanists travelled
to Santiago de Cuba to celebrate the
50th anniversary of the beginning of the
Cuban Revolution; and, for the third
consecutive year cuban products are
brought back to the United States by
the caravanists.
In July 2004 a new
Friendshipment, number 15th, breaks
the American blockade despite the
many restrictions and threats of fines
by the government of George W. Bush.
They delivered 125 tons of humanitarian
help to Cuba. In 2005 the
Friendshipment saga continued despite
the ongoing harrasment by the US
government.
17th Friendshipment
Caravan in Edmonton
Edmontonians are rightly proud
that, last June 14th, the 17th
Friendshipment Caravan included our
city. The Cuba Edmonton Solidarity
Committee, along with several
Edmonton Churches, held the first event
of this year Friendshipment Caravan.
Edmonton supported the Caravan
mainly with funds. Virginia Posey, in
the picture, the Coordinator of Not Just
Tourists-Edmonton stated: "the event
did very well raising donations,
considering we had the competition of
an Edmonton Stanley Cup Final hockey
game". She also explained: "Notre
Dame des Bananes [an excellent choir
that sings songs of struggle] and
Raging Grannies [the well known gaggle
of out spoken mature women who sing
songs of social protest] performed
socially responsible songs."
The main speaker, Richard
Becker, a well known Activist and
Caravanista, arrived from San
Francisco after unexpected
delays in his flight, to give a
very interesting talk, centered
on the reasons we need to
confront U.S. imperialistic
actions".
Richard Becker is involved
with Pastors For Peace and
with A.N.S.W.E.R. -a Coalition
formed on September 14, 2001,
made of hundreds of
organizations and prominent
individuals and scores of
organizing centers in cities and
towns across the U.S. Its
national steering committee
represents major national
organizations that have
campaigned against U.S.
intervention in Latin America,
the Caribbean, the Middle East
and Asia, and organizations
that have campaigned for civil
rights and for social and economic
justice for working and poor people
inside the United States.
Richard made his presentation at
the Edmonton room of the Stanley
Milner Library, in downtown Edmonton.
The 17th Friendshipment Caravan was
successfully launched by Reverend
Lucius Walker from New York city also
in June.
After visiting 110 US cities and 13
Canadian cities through a variety of
routes, the Friendshipment Caravan will
congregate in McAllen, Texas, at the
US-Mexico border on July 2nd. From
there the caravanists will cross the
border, breaking the American blockade
to reach Cuba.
Friendshipment Caravans to Cuba
have contributed not only to increase
North American solidarity with Cuba but
also to educate both Americans and
Canadians about the blockade as well
as about the Cuban project. American
people have responded warmly to the
Caravans, welcoming the caravanists in
each of the visited cities, an experience
consolidated throughout the years that
has contributed to the gained
momentun of the fight against the
blockade against Cuba.
At the same time that more
Americans and Canadians have become
aware of everyday Cuban advances and
of the issue of the five cuban held
prisioners in the US because they
denounced a terrorist plan against
Cuba, they have also increased their
understanding of the oppressive and
imperialistic character of the US
external policy everywhere.
Not surprisingly Friendshipment
Caravans have played a role in
educating people about the US political
system. Many have, thanks to their
participation in the solidarity with Cuba
movement, began to question U.S.
government(s) in this context and
extended their questionning to other
issues as well. In particular,
participants have
learned to identify
the limitations the
blockade imposses
not only to Cubans
but also to their
own individual rights
-like their right to
travel to wherever
they want to.
The
Friendshipment
Caravans have
increased people's
political awareness
and they are now
better able to see
the need for
political
participation
beyond voting every
so many years.
Edmonton:
Friendshipment Caravan to Cuba
Not Just Tourists -
Edmonton
Box 64001, 11528 107 Avenue,
Edmonton, AB T5H 4K7
Phone: 780-488-0942
email: njt@lagauche.ca
http://www.lagauche.ca/
NotJustTourists-Edmonton/
This has inmensely contributed to a
process of democratization that benefits
not only Americans but also us here in
Canada. The caravanists, well aware of
the political role they have been playing
during all these years, embrace it with
passion and take advantage to the
maximun of its potential. They seek
oportunities to challenge the dominant
political system in the solidarity work
they do against the Cuban blockade.
Despite our admiration for this
gigantic effort made year after year, we
need to be aware also that the
Friendshipment Caravans continue to
encounter huge challenges and need to
be supported in their work. As the
political climate in the U.S. becomes
more aggressive and fundamentalist
caravanists need our increased support.
It is true, however, that we can
benefit greatly in our increased
involvement with the caravanists as
experienced caravanists can teach us
much about strategies given the
political struggle they face year after
year. Working with them is not only a
privilege but also an opportunity to learn
about such strategies and more.
It is also true that their effort,
dedication and risk can benefit greatly
from our support and solidarity. For
instance, during his presentation,
Richard informed us of the need for an
ongoing emergency response group in
the event the Bush government
increases the level of its aggresiveness
in stopping the advance of this year's
caravan. Emergency response groups
have played a crucial role in the past
and Richard invited us all to be enroll
and be part of it. Our participation and
solidarity is particularly important as the
times we are facing are increasingly
times of fear and control.
If your are interested in being part
of the emergency response team or in
contributing to this project in whichever
way you can, you can contact Pastors
for Peace directly through their site on
the Internet:
www.pastorsforpeace.org
or by e-mail to:
p4p@igc.org
Again, I think we need to thank
Richard Becker for visiting us here in
Edmonton. His presence help us all to
become more informed about the work
of the Friendshipment Caravans, and, in
a modest way, it helped us to be able
to contribute to this project.
Also, thanks to Pastors for Peace
for the work they do in challenging the
American blockade against Cuba,
because in resisting imperialistic U.S.
external policies they raise issues far
larger than the blockade against Cuba -
like imperialistic American policy in
Latin America and the Third World, and,
they challenge U.S. imperialism where
it hurts the most: at home.
¡We should overcome!
¡Venceremos!