Second International Che Guevara Conference Took Place in Vancouver
HAVANA, Cuba, July 7 (acn) Over 250 people participated in the Second International Ernesto Che Guevara Conference that took place a few days ago in Vancouver, Canada, focusing this year on the theme 50 Years of Dynamism of the Cuban Revolution.
Some of the delegates to the meeting included Isaac Saney, author of the highly acclaimed book Cuba: A Revolution in Motion and professor at Dalhousie University, who gave two lectures entitled Cuba: A Revolution in Motion and What We Need to Learn from the Cuban Revolution. Also lecturing was Walter Lippmann, editor-in-chief of CubaNews who spoke of the Roots and Causes of the Cuban Revolution.
Meanwhile, Jorge Soberon, Cuban Consul General in Toronto, focused on the Early Years of the Cuban Revolution: Guerrilla Warfare, Socialist Revolution Challenges and Progress.
For her part, Lisa Valenti, national president of the US-Cuba Sister Cities Association, presented live via Skype on the Cuban Revolution and Women Liberation while Gloria La Riva, coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five in the US spoke of US Imperialism and the Cuban Revolution: Socialism, the Blockade, and the Five Cuban Heroes.
The final day of the conference kicked off with a workshop focused on Cuba and Human Rights: Achievements and Fundamental Progress in Social Equality; presented by Tamara Hansen, coordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba and co-chair of the Canadian Network on Cuba and Alison Bodine, project coordinator for IFCO/Pastors for Peace in New York and on the editorial board of the Fire This Time Newspaper presenting live via Skype.
Nita Palmer, organizer with the Free the Cuban 5 Committee Vancouver and on the editorial board of the Fire This Time Newspaper, followed speaking about the Cuban Revolution and Homosexual Rights. Next was Arnold August, acclaimed journalist and author of the popular book on Cuba Democracy in Cuba and the 1997-98 Elections, who spoke on Participatory Democracy and Elections in the 21st Century.
The closing workshop of the conference was on Revolutionary Resistance and Recovery: The Collapse of the Soviet Union, the Special Period and the Tourist Industry by Jorge Soberon. The event concluded with a resolution condemning the coup in Honduras on June 28th and was ratified by all conference participants.
This conference took the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution as an opportunity to discuss the many challenges Cuba has faced and its achievements.
The 3rd International Che Guevara Conference will take place next year in Vancouver Canada.
