But nonviolence in Cuba is not a new phenomenon: it was mentioned for the first time at the end of the 1960s by several Protestant church leaders. They broke with a tradition that had been adopted in the conservative gospel of the North, now being reformed by its Black American adherents, especially the southerners and particularly by the thought and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement.
Read MoreThe experience of standing in front of a group of students to discuss or orient them on the history of philosophy shifts between the agreeable and the absurd. At times I feel like I’m making a real contribution to the spiritual or cognitive development of some of them, but in most cases I sense that the message is falling flat – and despair becomes my companion.
Read MoreI never expected to hear such words coming from her mouth. She’s part of a generation that today fills the media with words instilling ideals of patriotism, revolution, honesty, spirituality and material indifference among the younger generation.
Read MoreMy first encounter with Jose Alejandro was on second page of the Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde (JR). It was when a section of letters from the readers called “Acuse de Recibo” (Acknowledgement of Receipt) first began. His section captured my full attention because it pointed out people’s problems and sought solutions – something not very common in the Cuban press.
Read MoreSeveral weeks ago, I met a young guy named Alejandro who gave new spark to my hope that Cuban youth are awakening from the lethargy that presently marks them. He’s a 21 year-old who, despite all difficulties, is not this willing to resign himself to pessimism.
Read MoreWhen I board a public bus in Havana, I pass my one peso over the money box and put it directly into the hand of the driver, who returns the look of an accomplice and silently pockets the change. This scene occurs routinely.
Read MoreI’ve always heard people older than me use the expression, “They say that…” and from there they start telling about some novel fact that was confirmed by others or, on occasions, by the official press.
Read MoreNovember 7th was the anniversary of the Russian proletarian revolution of 1917, while November 9th marked the 20th year since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Both were key events in the history of the 20th century, particularly those of socialist endeavors.
Read MoreIn this period marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall -filled with such grief, silence and commemoration- it’s worth re-visiting other, more personal storylines of communist utopia.
Read MoreWaiting can drag on eternally here. I believe it must be the damn fact that there’s water all around. That’s the way it is. No one can go running around and end up farther than the shore. Maybe that’s why my mother tells me she going to come visit “in just a little bit,” but doesn’t show up for more than two hours later.
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