Thursday, May 4, 7:00-8:00 — The State of U.S.-Cuba Relations — a dialogue with H.E.Yuri Gala López, Deputy Ambassador of Cuba to the United Nations – more info and registration here.
Monday, May 22 — Hear from May Day Returnees and IFCO/Pastors for Peace: streaming at facebook.com/thebostonliberationcenter/live_videos
[Click/double click for a closer look.]
“The War on Cuba” is a Belly of the Beast award-winning documentary series executive-produced by Oliver Stone and Danny Glover that takes an in-depth look at the economic war waged by the U.S. government on the Cuban people that features filmmaker and journalist Liz Oliva Fernández.
HOURS TO CALL & SCRIPT
The White House Call-In Line — 202-456-1111 — is open for comment only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 11 am to 3 pm, EST. So this is the time to call. An alternate number is the White House Switchboard: 202-456-1414. For some ideas, check out this suggested script.
If you call and cannot get through, you can use the online White House comments: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ — You can use the same script. Simply change the wording from “I am calling” to “I am writing.”
Important: Please let us know once you have called or used the contact form. This is important so that we can publicize how many calls and contacts were made. Please do it as soon as you have taken action. The link is at the bottom of the script and it is also here.
WHAT MORE YOU CAN DO
NY Conference site: www.us-cubanormalizationconference.org
Boston site: july26.org/2023/02/14/nyc-conference-in-boston
Boston is holding an in-person interactive showing of major parts of the March 11-12 US-Cuba Normalization Conference being held in New York City at Fordham University. People will have the option not only of traveling to New York or participating virtually from anywhere, but joining some of us in person at 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning at the Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St. at Copley Square. The opening plenary features a host of prominent Normalization leaders including Pastors for Peace and NNOC’s Gail Walker, CodePink Co-Founder Medea Benjamin, Professors William LeoGrande and August Nimitz, and speakers from the Federation of Cuban Women and the Cuban Mission to the UN. We’ll have break-out areas for all the workshops in the afternoon concurrent sessions.
We’ll be well positioned to follow-up Sunday’s final plenary dealing with a national action plan from noon-2:00. From 3:00-5:00 there will be an informal discussion with major Cuba support groups — Massachusetts Peace Action and Democratic Socialists of America/DSA-Boston as well as the Boston-Cuba Solidarity Coalition-July26.org — covering some of the calendar opportunities, issues, parameters and considerations for local area plans of action for the coming year (see draft conference action plan); individuals and members of other organizations with an interest in normalizing US-Cuba relations are welcome and encouraged to join us. Sunday’s gathering will take place at the Democracy Center, 45 Mt. Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. Strong Covid protections and accessibility are principles and practices of the Democracy Center; see information about them below.*
If you’re interested in any parts of the conference in person in New York or in Boston or virtually anywhere, register at the bottom of the NYC conference web site or directly here, and watch this page for further details as the Boston program becomes more fully settled. Questions can be sent to info@july26.org.
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* Democracy Center Covid policies: Masks must be worn over your nose and mouth at all times inside the Democracy Center. Our event does not require vaccination to attend but is strongly encouraged.
Accessibility information: “The Democracy Center is partially wheelchair accessible, no accessible bathroom on site. Wheelchair users are welcome to use the accessible restroom at Daedalus while we plan our improvements for bathroom accessibility. To reach that bathroom, exit the ramp and turn left on Bow St, at the next building (Daedalus) use their accessible entrance and their restroom will be on the right. More information at: democracycenter.org/accessibility. Contact info@democracycenter.org or 617 492 8855 as needed.”
click flyer and here for details
Join us to commemorate the Haitian and Cuban Revolutions (January 1, 1804 and 1959 respectively) with food, discussion and art and culture.
These two revolutions were victories of the oppressed and inspired people around the globe. We’ll gather to learn and remember the struggles of the Haitian people against enslavement and colonization, becoming the first free Black republic, as well as affirm our support of Haiti’s continued right to self-determination. We’ll also hear from Boston organizers who recently traveled to Cuba to witness its socialist revolutionary process, which has radically transformed society, providing free housing, healthcare, jobs and education for all, despite a brutal US blockade.
Join us as we celebrate these incredible victories and express our unwavering solidarity with the people of Haiti and Cuba!
Calla Walsh, co-chair of the National Network on Cuba, attendingThe featured article in the November 30th issue of Resumen-English includes the photo and caption above and covers the five-day Youth Friendship Meeting “Building Our Future Today” with a delegation of 50 from the U.S. The meeting included visits, seminars and focuses here on the wide-ranging discussions in English and Spanish at the National Botanical Garden in Havana, also covered in Juventud Rebelde/Rebellious Youth. Calla is a visible presence and quoted in another report posted on CubaNews, on the delegation visit to the one-year old Fidel Castro Center.
We’ve posted other doings by Calla, including her spring article in Multipolarista, “Abortion in Cuba vs US shows which country is truly democratic.” Calla personifies the recent outburst of youth activism and leadership in July26.org, in the development of Cuba work with Massachusetts Peace Action, Democratic Socialists of America in Boston and nationally, and with the National Network on Cuba. We look forward to the continued growth in youth involvement, activism, and leadership in US-Cuba solidarity movement. ____________________
“Observing the elections to the Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power was one of the most incredible parts of our program during the US-Cuba Youth Friendship Meeting,” Calla later said. She followed up with an article in Multipolarista: “US youth observe Cuba’s elections – and learn about real democracy” that’s reprinted in Resumen-English.
* Thursday, November 17, 6:30 pm — July26th.org supports and encourages participation at the rescheduled September program planned originally as part of CREW’s Climate Change Week: “At the Intersection of Climate Change: How Massachusetts Can Stand in Solidarity with Cuba” — with Jessica Fernandez Casañas, head of the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba.
* Sunday, November 27 — last-Sunday-of-the-month Boston area Stand Out is scheduled for 2:00 pm in Harvard Square, Cambridge, next to the MBTA Red Line entrance.
* Monday, November 29 — The planned in-person / hybrid public program with Helen Yaffe and Aviva Chomsky in the evening has been postponed.
july26.org 