John Lennon Statue

On December 8 in a park at 15 and 6 streets in Vedado, Havana, Cuba, a statue of John Lennon was unveiled by Fidel Castro in a ceremony that included a speech by Ricardo Alarcon, Presiding Officer of Cuba’s National Assembly. In classic Cuban style, Alarcon spoke at length, so only a small portion is included below.

Compañeras y compañeros:

Here, in front of the excellent work of art of José Villa, we return to listen to what some said twenty years ago today: “About this man you can believe anything except that he is dead.” ...This place will always be a testimonial to struggle, a summoning to humanism. It will also be a permanent homage to a generation that wanted to transform the world, and to the rebellious spirit, innovative, of the artist who helped forge that generation and at the same time is one of its most authentic symbols.

...Dear John,

...You were always among us. Now, in addition, we offer you this bench where you can rest and this park to receive your compañeros and friends. Your message could not disappear because love had, and still has, many battles to fight. Because you had the privilege to hear it in millions of voices that became yours and continued raising it up like a hymn.

Wasn’t it a yellow submarine that surfaced that afternoon in 1966 in the port of New York and marched at the front of thousands of young people who condemned the war? How many hundreds of thousands demanded that peace be given a chance, and were in solidarity with the people of Vietnam, there in Washington, in front of the monument, that unforgettable November 15th in 1969? On that day, didn’t your art reach its highest realization? How many times did it not multiply from Berkeley to New England and from one continent to another, that generation that believed that love could prevail over war?

..Our boat will continue sailing. Nothing will stop it. It is driven by “a wind that never dies.” They will call us dreamers but our ranks will grow. We will defend the vanquished dream and struggle to make real all dreams. Neither storms nor pirates will hold us back. We will sail on until we reach the new world that we will know how to build. [Translated by Cindy O’Hara]

Upcoming Academic Events in Cuba for Licensed Travel

Feb 5 to 9 Pedagogy 2001
Feb 27 to Mar 2 Food and Nutrition
Mar 19 to 24 Hypnosis
Mar 19 to 23 Geology and Mining
Apr 10 to 12 Jose Marti and Hispanic Letter
Apr 16 to 20 Pedagogy on Nursing
Apr 16 to 20 International Congress on Chemistry
Apr 17 to 20 Social Security
Apr 25 to 27 5th Congress on Health Sciences Information (CRICS V)
May 14 to 18 Hematology and Immunology
May 15 to 17 Renovation of Historic Landmarks
May 16 to 18 Ethics, Culture, Development, International Law and the United Nations
May 22 to 25 Innovation in Education
May 28 to 30 Colloquium on Ernest Hemingway
For more information, including detailed descriptions, contact Marazul Tours www.marazultours.com, (800)223-5334, Tower Plaza Mall 4100 Park Ave., Weehawken, NJ 07087, info@marazultours.com.

Elián is a Normal Child

Elián Gonzalez, whose personal and political drama captured world attention, is 7 years old and everyone in Cuba knows it. Elián’s birthday was celebrated December 6 in schools all over Cuba. The biggest party, at his own school in the coastal town of Cardenas, was attended by Cuban President Fidel Castro.

“It was for all the children of Cuba,” Elián’s father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, told CNN. “It was a collective birthday party for all the children.” Wednesday’s party was the first time Castro has been seen publicly with Elián since the child’s return, but his father says he is not being manipulated.

“My son has at no time been manipulated here by anyone. Nor has he been used politically,” he said. In what might be seen as a typical Cuban attitude, Elián’s father downplayed his son’s notoriety, explaining that his son deserves exactly what every other Cuban child deserves, no more and no less.

“When it is said that he should be a symbol, it means that he should be an example, a child who is well brought up, well educated, with respect to all that happened. Simply that,” Gonzalez told CNN. “He feels very normal ... he has the same privileges as everyone else; the same treatment. There’s nothing exceptional.” [edited from CNN website]