Revolutionary leader Che Guevara once
said, “volunteer work is a school for building
consciousness.” These words have inspired Cubans
and people around the world, and in this spirit, the
Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade is named
for him.
The Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade has
traveled to Cuba 27 times annually, bringing
brigadistas from Canada to Cuba. This unique
trip is a project of the Canadian Network on
Cuba (CNC) in Canada and the Cuban Institute
of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) in
Cuba. The two-week program is an opportunity
to experience the Cuban Revolution and its
accomplishments. There is no better way to get to
know the Cuban people than working alongside
them, sharing meals, and leisure time - including
going to the beach! The Che Brigade’s vibrant
program also includes visiting cultural sites, health
and educational institutions, historical sites,
workshops, concerts, dance classes, and more!
This year we are all living in the unprecedented
situation of the Covid-19 pandemic. As
international travel has come to a halt around
the world, this has included travel to Cuba,
where the focus has been on keeping people
safe and effectively containing the outbreak in
Cuba. Therefore our Cuban hosts at ICAP have
announced that all international brigades will not
be taking place in 2020. However, the 2021 Che
Guevara Brigade to Cuba is on the not too distant
horizon, and we are looking forward to a muchanticipated return to Cuba in Spring 2021!
Commemorate the Life & Legacy of Che Guevara!
June 14, 2020 marked what would
have been the 92nd birthday of
revolutionary leader Ernesto
Che Guevara - an Argentinian
doctor who became a leader of
the Cuban revolution and was killed by the CIA
in a revolutionary struggle in Bolivia in 1967. To
commemorate the life and legacy of Che Guevara,
the Che Brigade Organizing Committee and
the Canadian Network on Cuba held an online
webinar, bringing together over 150 people from
around the world!
The webinar MC was Janine Solanki, the National
Coordinator of the Che Guevara Brigade, speaking
from Vancouver, Canada. The webinar program
included speakers from Cuba, starting with Giuvel
Orozco Ortega, the Deputy Head of Mission
and Counsellor at the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa,
Canada, and David Aldama Pando, the Third
Secretary of the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa. Joining
direct from Cuba was Yamil Martínez Marrero
from the Canada desk of the Cuban Institute of
Friendship with the Peoples. Ike Nahem joined
from the US, where he is a founder and organizer
of the New York-New Jersey Cuba Si Coalition
and a member of the National Network on Cuba.
The program then discussed the Che Guevara
Brigade, starting with Claudia Peralta. She is the
coordinator of the Canadian-Cuban Friendship
Association – Calgary, a former Che Brigade
Brigadista, a Che Brigade Committee member,
and an organizer with the Calixto Garcia Brigade.
The next speaker, Haily Fox, traveled to Cuba for
the first time on the 2018 Che Guevara Brigade
and shared how the experience influenced her to
become a pre-medical student at York University
in Toronto. The next speaker, Bronwyn Cragg,
was a participant at the 2019 Anti-Imperialist
Solidarity Conference in Cuba, is an executive
member of the Canadian Network on Cuba,
and a University of Toronto student. The final
speaker was Che Brigade National Coordinator
Janine Solanki, who shared her own experiences
from the Che Brigade, complete with a photo
slideshow.
How Can I Join the Next Che Guevara
Brigade to Cuba?
The next Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade
is scheduled for Spring 2021, details to be released
soon! The Che Brigade is open to people of all
ages and abilities, and although we are based in
Canada, we welcome those wanting to join from
other countries too! For more information, check
out www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca/brigade,
and for any questions to receive updates on the
date, price, and program, you can call or email
the National Coordinator Janine Solanki at
778-881-6156 or chevolbrigade@gmail.com.
Stay tuned to your social media accounts for
news and updates on the Che Brigade too! You
can follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
CheVolBrigade on Twitter @CheVolBrigade, or
Instagram @cdnntwrkoncuba
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