>Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 02:52:40 -0500 >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Radio Havana Cuba-15 November 2000 > >Radio Havana Cuba-15 November 2000 > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 15 November 2000 > > . > >*FIDEL CASTRO THANKS 4000 SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS GATHERED IN HAVANA > >*MAYORAL AND CITY OFFICIALS MEETING GETS UNDERWAY IN HAVANA > >*REDUCED POLLUTION IN CUBA'S WATER RESERVES > >*THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF FIREFIGHTERS BEGINS IN HAVANA > >*Viewpoint: REFORM LONG OVERDUE IN THE UNITED NATIONS > > . > >*FIDEL CASTRO THANKS 4000 SOLIDARITY ACTIVISTS GATHERED IN HAVANA > >Havana, November 15 (RHC) -- On behalf of the Cuban people, President Fidel >Castro Tuesday evening thanked the more than 4000 solidarity activists from >close to 120 countries who gathered in Havana for the Second World >Solidarity Meeting. Delivering the closing speech at the event, the Cuban >leader said their support helped the island survive the collapse of European >communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. > >President Castro said Cuba has the modest merit of having resisted, and that >this merit has enhanced and elevated that enthusiasm and confidence of those >who remained alongside the island during the difficult times in which most >thought Cuba would capitulate. He said those in western nations who tried to >advise Cuba concerning what it should to do to survive are the same who >advised the Soviet Union before its disintegration. > >In a 5-hour speech that lasted into the early morning hours of Wednesday, >Fidel Castro spoke of the dramatic situation in Latin America -- whose 478 >billion dollar unpayable and uncollectable foreign debt in 1992 rose to 749 >and a half billion today. He said that between 1992 and 1999, the region >unpocketed 913 billion dollars in foreign debt interest payments. > >The Second World Solidarity With Cuba Conference issued a final declaration >stating that Cuba is the victim of a cruel and undeclared war by Washington, >and that the U.S. blockade of Cuba lacks political, historical or moral >justification. Participants at the event asserted that they had found in >Cuba a society of peace and respect for fundamental human rights -- very >different from the distorted and disinformed image of the island promoted by >the enemies of the Cuban Revolution. > >The final declaration insists that the Cuban people have the unquestionable >right to build their own social, political and economic model of >development, to decide its future with foreign interference, threats and >aggressions and to defend its sovereignty and independence. Participants >agreed to declare 2001 the Year of International Solidarity Against the >Blockade and the U.S.'s Cuban Adjustment Act. > >They said that next year they will organize a weeklong, worldwide solidarity >with Cuba campaign to pay homage to the 40th anniversary of the declaration >of the socialist character of the Cuban Revolution. Cuban President Fidel >Castro convened the Third Solidarity With Cuba Conference for November, >2002. > > >*MAYORAL AND CITY OFFICIALS MEETING GETS UNDERWAY IN HAVANA > >Havana, November 15 (RHC)-- The 8th Mayors and City Officials Meeting on >Cooperation and Solidarity with Havana held it's plenary session on >Wednesday in the Cuban capital. > >Nearly 500 delegates from 18 Latin American, Caribbean and European nations-- >including representatives from the United States and Canada -- gathered >in Havana to review the most recent achievements of bilateral cooperation >relations between their city halls and the Cuban capital. > >The event, which takes place in the context of celebrations for the 481st >birthday of Havana, was officially opened by the President of Havana's >Provincial Assembly of People's Power, Conrado Martinez Corona. Havana's >mayor briefed delegates on the goals reached by the country's capital city >over the past year in several social and economic fields. Martinez Corona >said that Havana is experiencing a steady economic recovery, which is part >of the island's general development process present in all areas. The mayor >of Havana offered participants his gratitude for their permanent assistance >and cooperation over the past seven years. Prior to the plenary session, >delegates to the 8th Mayors and City Officials Meeting in Solidarity with >Havana toured various places of economic and social interest. > > >*REDUCED POLLUTION IN CUBA'S WATER RESERVES > >Havana, November 15 (RHC)-- Pollution in eight Cuban water basins has been >reduced by ten percent during the current year, thanks to the Cuban >government's efforts to preserve the ecosystem. > >The National Secretary of Water Basins, Jorge Mario Garcia Fernandez, told >reporters that 60 percent of what the country earmarks for the protection of >the environment is used in these eight basins. He said that, so far, >encouraging results have been achieved, especially in the Cauto Basin, where >the pollution was stopped. In Cauto Basin, where over ten percent of the >Cuban population is settled, a program has been carried out to protect the >area, with the increase of more than 100 fruit plantations. Pollution has >been reduced by seven percent on the outskirts of the basins and according >to experts, a better use of residuals has been observed and many treatment >systems have been built and rehabilitated. > >Garcia Fernandez stated that there still are more than 2000 sources of >contamination on the island, pointing out that it is necessary to work hard >in order to eliminate or lessen its impact on the environment. He mentioned, >for example, that Havana Bay is one of the most deteriorating of the >country. > >There is a well-designed program of environmental education to carry out in >each of the eight national basins with the aim of allowing people to help >take care of the environment. > > >*THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF FIREFIGHTERS BEGINS IN HAVANA > >Havana, November 15 (RHC)-- Experiences in the area of coordinating fire and >rescue services was one of the main issues that opened the Third >International Conference of Firefighters, hosted by the Frank Pais Cuban >Orthopedic Complex. > >Saving time and saving lives and resources continues to be the key >objectives within firefighters' activities throughout the world, even more >so during the era of informatics and communications, which have contributed >to achieve the highest level of efficiency in this field. > >The results attained in the Canary Islands was, this time, a reference point >of the speech delivered by the General Director of Security and Emergency >Services of the Spanish region, Jose Julian Insturitz Perez, who told of his >experiences in the vital services that firefighters and health personnel >offer. > >During the opening of the event, Cuban Fire Chief Bienvenido Rafoso stressed >the importance of this professional exchange as a way to know more and learn >from the work of others. > > >Viewpoint: > >*REFORM LONG OVERDUE IN THE UNITED NATIONS > >The United States has always claimed to be the principal promoter of the >United Nations, and insisted that U.N. headquarters be placed in U.S. >territory. > >Since none of the world's major powers -- including Washington -- wanted to >submit to U.N. authority, they created the veto power. This protects their >interests by defending the powerful minority from majority rule -- something >considered sacred in any type of democratic organization. This means that if >the majority makes a decision that just one of the powerful members doesn't >like, that single country can roll over the will of more than a hundred >nations. > >If the United Nations was conceived with the idea that it was to be a >democratic organization to oversee international relations and that >decisions would be made by all members, then the goal has only been >partially achieved. > >The United States, for example, has only been concerned with the U.N. when >it has served its global interests. During the Korean War it was the U.S. >Army -- which was smaller than other contingents -- that directed operations >under the banner of the United Nations. Washington would have liked to have >done the same in Vietnam, but the war was so obviously unjust and unpopular >they were unable to force through the necessary consensus. > >There have been many other occasions when the United Nations has been used >to further Washington's interests, as in the case of the Congo in the >l970's, when the leader of that country, Patrice Lumumba was murdered; the >invasions of Santo Domingo and Panama; and, most recently, the criminal NATO >bombings of Yugoslavia. Nor has the U.N. been able to do anything >substantial to halt Israeli aggression in the Middle East. > >This situation of international relations demands total reform of the United >Nations if it is ever to be a truly democratic institution. The U.N.'s most >powerful organ must be the General Assembly which gathers all member >nations; and the Security Council should intervene only in emergency >situations and with the obligation to respond to the General Assembly. The >existence and functioning of the United Nations is incompatible with a world >submitted to the authority of a single power sitting on top of a mountain of >nuclear weapons. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. > >================================================================= > NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems > Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us > 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 > http://www.blythe.org e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >================================================================= > >nytcari-11.16.00-02:52:12-28982 > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. 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