The “National Conference to Fight for
the Full Normalization of Relations
between the U.S. and Cuba”
was held in New York City
March 25-26, 2017. This twoday
conference brought together
people from across the U.S. and
around the world to discuss how
to push for the normalization of
relations between the U.S. and Cuba,
following the initial announcement
of ‘the U.S.-Cuba thaw’ by U.S.
President Barack Obama and Cuban
President Raul Castro on December
17, 2014.
Of course, even now, over two years
later, relations between the two
countries are not fully normalized.
Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, Cuba’s
Ambassador to the United Nations,
explained at the conference, “Some
progress has been made in bilateral
relations, mainly in diplomatic affairs,
dialogue and cooperation on various
issues of common interest. However,
these steps, together with the executive
measures adopted by the previous US
Government, although they are in the
right way, are still insufficient. The reality
is that the economic, commercial and
financial blockade against Cuba remains
in force, including its extraterritorial
scope, and continues to cause enormous
damage and deprivation to our people
and our economy. The reality is that the
return of the territory illegally occupied
by the United States Naval Base in
Guantanamo is still pending, against the
will of Cuban people.” These were some
of the concerns the conference hoped to
address through its plenaries, workshops,
music, culture, and, most importantly,
developing an action plan.
National
Conference for
Cuba kicks off in New York
City
The night before the conference, over 200
people attended an evening of delicious
Cuban food, drinks, and enjoyment at the
Headquarters of the Cuban Mission to
the United Nations. Anayansi Rodríguez
Camejo, Ambassador to the United
Nations for Cuba, warmly greeted and
welcomed the crowd to the event.
The next day the conference began at
Fordham University in New York City.
Throughout
the weekend, over 300
people attended the conference
representing at least 18 American states,
3 Canadian provinces, as well as England,
Puerto Rico, and of course, Cuba!
Saturday began with an opening by
conference organizer Ike Nahem,
organizer with Cuba Solidarity New
York, long-time socialist and labor union
activist. He introduced the MCs for
the morning program, August Nimtz,
Professor of Political Science and
African and African American Studies,
University of Minnesota, co-coordinator
of the Minnesota Cuba Committee
and Erin Feely-Nahem, organiser
with New York/New Jersey Cuba Si
Coalition. The opening plenary was a
speech and dynamic discussion with
Sandra Ramirez Rodriguez, Director of
the North America Desk of the Cuban
Institute of Friendship with the Peoples
(ICAP). The second plenary session
discussed “Challenges to Implementing
the Full Economic, Commercial, and
Cultural Dimensions of Normalization.”
It featured talks and discussion with:
Dr. Rosemari Mealy, board member of
IFCO/Pastors for Peace and the author
of “Fidel & Malcolm X: Memories of
a Meeting”; Ras Baraka, the Mayor of
Newark, New Jersey; and Marietta Ulacia,
Executive Director of the AfroLatin Jazz
Alliance. Both of these plenaries were
an energetic way to start the day with
dozens of people actively participating
with questions and discussion.
The afternoon featured 20 workshops on
many engaging themes, such as: “How the
United States Occupied Guantanamo Bay
and the Fight to Close It”, “Cuba’s Food
and Energy Revolutions”, “Cuba and
African Independence and Liberation”,
“Democracy in Cuba”, “Cuban Medical
Internationalism”, “Cuba’s Economy:
Myth, Reality, and the New Economic
Policies” and many others. Many in
attendance at the conference found it
difficult to choose between such a diverse
and interesting array of workshops.
Saturday evening was a lively public rally
and cultural event at the Malcolm X and
Dr. Betty Shabazz Center. This was a
moving event touching on many social
justice themes from Cuba solidarity, to
Venezuelan sovereignty, to Puerto Rican
independence and political prisoners,
to Black Lives Matter and the history
of Cuban and American revolutionary
heroes from Che Guevara, to Malcolm X,
to Comandante Fidel Castro. The evening
featured many exceptional speakers who
shared their messages from the heart. The
evening also featured food, drinks, live
music, a live painter, and dancing.
Sunday morning everyone came back
to Fordham University to discuss an
action plan for building Cuba solidarity
in the United States and internationally.
Conference attendees were welcomed by
co-MCs Gail Walker, Director of IFCO/
Pastors for Peace and Isaac Saney, Cochair
of the Canadian Network on Cuba.
Before discussion, conference goers were
treated to a video message from Gerardo
Hernandez, one of the 5 Cuban heroes
imprisoned in U.S. jails for over 16 years,
reminding everyone of the important
victory when he and the other Cuban
heroes were released on December 17,
2014 and how our continuing campaigns
for Cuba will be successful. The final
addresses, by: Sandra Rodriguez Ramirez,
Director of the North America Desk of
the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the
Peoples (ICAP); Miguel Barnet Lanza,
Cuban novelist, poet, and president of
the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists;
and Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, Cuba’s
Ambassador to the United Nations were
received with great applause and standing
ovations from conference goers.
Highlighting Vancouver’s Participation
Over 200 organizations and individuals
from across the United States and around
the world endorsed and supported the
“National Conference to Fight for the
Full Normalization of Relations between
the U.S. and Cuba”. Of these groups, many
participated in the ad-hoc US-Cuba
Normalization Committee organizing
calls leading up to the conference,
including Vancouver Communities
in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) and
Friends of Cuba Against the Blockade –
Vancouver (FCAB-Vancouver).
This was an important opportunity
to connect with others from across
the U.S. and around the world about
how to strengthen and improve our
international campaign against the U.S.
blockade on Cuba, to demand the U.S.
leave Guantanamo and to bring an end
to U.S. regime change programs in Cuba.
Both VCSC and FCAB-Vancouver sent
representatives to the conference, who
were invited to help organize and speak
in two of the workshops, and passed
an action proposal during the closing
plenary on Sunday.
Alison Bodine, an executive member
of FCAB-Vancouver spoke during
the workshop titled, “National
Legislative Action to End the Embargo,
Opportunities for Local Campaigns to
Play a Major Role, and Lessons from
Canada”. Overall, this workshop outlined
the challenges the blockade creates for
people living in Cuba, as well as for People
in the U.S. wishing to engage with Cuba
through either trade, cultural exchanges
or sharing of educational and scientific
knowledge. There was a discussion on
the recent work with various municipal
governments throughout the U.S., along
with grassroots work happening in
Vancouver, Canada. Peter Miller, from
the North American Congress on Latin
America (NACLA) and July26.org in
Boston, organized this workshop to
learn from the ongoing victories in the
campaign to end the blockade on Cuba.
The workshop also included insightful
contributions from Tim Craine, the
Greater Hartford Cuba Coalition;
Andrea Fernandez Aponte, Latin
America Working Group; and Pepe
Rossy, Albany-Cuba Solidarity.
Tamara Hansen coordinator of Vancouver
Communities in Solidarity with Cuba speaking at a
workshop on the life & legacy of Fidel Castro
Tamara Hansen,
c o o r d i n a t o r
of Vancouver
Communities in
Solidarity with
Cuba (VCSC)
and author of
“5 Decades
of the Cuban
Revolution: The
Challenges of
an Unwavering
L e a d e r s h i p ”
spoke in the
w o r k s h o p
on “The
Revolutionar y
Legacy of
Fidel Castro.”
This workshop
addressed the
importance of
C o m a n d a n t e
Fidel Castro’s
leadership in
the Cuban
re v o l u t i o n a r y
process, plus
his contribution to Cuba’s ongoing revolutionary internationalist legacy. Ike Nahem,
one of the main organizers of the conference, as well as an organizer with Cuba
Solidarity New York, hosted the workshop and spoke passionately about Fidel. Two
other powerful speakers: Viola Plummer, chairperson of the December 12 Movement
and Sasha Murphy, of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, also explained their
sentiments about Fidel’s role in history and ongoing developments in Cuba.
On Sunday at the closing plenary, Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba
(VCSC) put forward a resolution calling on the “National Conference to Fight for
the Full Normalization of Relations between the U.S. & Cuba” to encourage groups
and individuals to take action on the 17th of each month as a part of the International
Campaign to end the U.S. blockade on Cuba, towards the full normalization (or
normalization) of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Added to this resolution were
that these actions also include demands for the U.S. out of Guantanamo and an end
to U.S. regime change programs against Cuba. The resolution passed with groups and
individuals committing to take on a more active role in mobilizing their forces on the
17th of each month for Cuba!
Commitment to take action towards the normalization of U.S.-Cuba Relations
During the final day of the conference other action plans and resolutions passed, to
encourage everyone to integrate the lessons learned during the conference in the work
they are doing in their communities. Most of the joint sessions of the conference are
available on YouTube and we encourage those who would like to see the videos to
visit Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba’s website where we have posted
a report and the video links. The official notes/resolutions passed have not yet been
released, however when they are, we will post them on the VCSC website as well: www.
vancubasolidarity.com
Lift the Blockade on Cuba NOW!
U.S. Out of Guantanamo!
US Government Stop the Campaign of ‘Regime Change’ in Cuba and Immediately
Stop Interfering in Cuba’s Sovereignty and Self-determination!
Words from the Conference!
Speaking on the importance of solidarity, Miguel Barnet Lanza, Cuban novelist, poet, and president of the Cuban Union of Writers and Artists, said: “We
Cubans are deeply proud of the solidarity expressed by people around the world to Cuba and particularly to the Cuban revolutionary process. Solidarity is
one of the basic principles of the Cuban revolution led by Fidel and Raul. The word ‘solidarity’ carries the most sensitive feeling of Cubans who live on the
island. We were raised under this concept, and it has been a daily practice for all of us. How can we analyze or discuss issues of the revolutionary life if we
do not take into account what we have done all over the world, not to mention medical aid to poor people, education or political support to countries that
have suffered criminal and illegal wars?”
Speaking about taking action on the 17th of each month, Sandra Ramirez Rodriguez, Director of the North America Desk of the Cuban
Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) said: “At ICAP we are organizing actions every 17th of each month actions against the
blockade. [...] We call on you to participate in the Tuitazos (Twitter campaign) and just to post your ideas, your actions, whatever you are
doing in your cities. [...] For example in Miami, I would like to acknowledge, that every two months they organize a caravan of cars, so
they make a great noise in the main streets of Miami demanding the end of the blockade. [...] but you can decide what other things you can
do in your cities.”
Cuba’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, explained in her closing remarks: “In today´s world, where so much
injustice prevails, where racist and xenophobic attitudes have re-emerged with unusual strength, where inequalities are exacerbated, where
an unjust economic order is fostered and where the intention is to impose on the peoples the philosophy of war, your work will not only benefit
Cuba; it will transcend our borders and will be part of the struggle for that better world that we believe possible.”
Follow Tamara Hansen on Twitter: @THans01
Back to Article Listing
