From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 07:00:25 -0400
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Fidel Speaks of Anthrax, Terrorism at Social Work School Openings
Fidel Speaks of Anthrax, Terrorism at Social Work School Openings
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Granma International Digital - October 26, 2001
FIDEL INAUGURATES SOCIAL WORKERS TRAINING COLLEGES IN HOLGU�N, SANTIAGO
'We are fighting for a society that is 100% fair'
Four centers now up and running in the country
LAST week President Fidel Castro inaugurated two social workers
training colleges in the eastern provinces of Holgu�n and Santiago
last week, bringing the total of these facilities on the island to
four.
"The Social Workers Training Colleges are just the prelude to many
dreams for the future," Fidel confirmed, after inaugurating the
splendid Holgu�n center on October 24. The school is named after
Celia S�nchez Manduley, a heroine of the Cuban Revolution.
In his speech he announced that the development of the course,
conceived for 85,000 unemployed youth aged from 17-30 who have
completed ninth grade studies, has become a reality throughout the
country.
"This program," the Cuban leader continued, "ratifies that in a
rationally organized socialist society with a just form of
distributing wealth, there should be no unemployment." He emphasized
that everybody in Cuba will have a job.
Referring to the social workers, Fidel highlighted that they will
contribute to developing the Cuban people's finest virtues and to a
better socialism than the one we enjoy at present.
He added that social esteem for young people will grow like wildfire,
while their capacity and dedication to their work will defined by its
results.
Among the missions of this great army of social workers, Fidel
referred to attention, visits and follow-up for all Cuban families,
with an emphasis on getting to know the problems and situations of
those with children aged 0-15 years, retired persons and pensioners,
the disabled and those who have been released from or are still in
prison.
The President expressed his wish to inaugurate the Holgu�n school,
whose architecture and design is unique in the country, and
acknowledged the efforts that went into its construction in just five
months and 26 days.
He highlighted the role of workers, teachers and students, volunteers
and local people who came together to realize this miracle, calling
it an exemplary process.
The Cuban leader referred to the overall decoration of the college,
the result of the creative labor of artist Julio M�ndez, as one of
its great attractions. The work, to which another 90 artists and
collaborators contributed, is valued at 1.742 million pesos.
"Their donation of this work is proof of the unity of the people and
the artistic vanguard's participation in the battle of ideas," said
Fidel, commenting on the generosity and dedication with which they
worked.
The center has a matriculation of 2,000 students, the majority of
whom are female high school graduates from Ciego de Avila, Camag�ey,
Las Tunas and Holgu�n provinces.
Costing more than 13 million pesos, the school has 67 lecture rooms,
six computer rooms, closed circuit television, dormitories, a dining
area, and sports and recreation facilities.
Fidel emphasized that Social Workers Training Colleges are now a real
and growing fact and part of a new Revolutionary program in education
and culture.
"We are fighting for a society that is 100% fair, starting from a
genuine equality of opportunity for all," affirmed President Fidel
Castro at the inauguration of the Santiago de Cuba college facility.
He qualified the center and the efforts of all those who built it in
only five months and 21 days as "excellent." He then referred to
other important programs initiated in eastern Cuba and extended to
the rest of the country.
In that context the Cuban leader recalled that at the beginning of
this year, information arrived of a imbalance in food and increased
unemployment in the region, particularly in industrial cities such as
Manzanillo and Nuevitas, whose economies received a severe blow
during the country's special period.
Measures were immediately taken, including the creation of 3,000
hectares of city farms, a source of employment for 70,000 people and
whose produce is greatly contributing to nutritional needs.
The president observed that a weighing and measuring program for
0-16-year-olds was initiated in eastern Cuba. At the same time the
124,000 unemployed people in the region's five provinces were
localized, contacted and their situation assessed.
He explained that in order to offer the necessary individual
attention the most important aspect of this program was names and
addresses rather than percentages.
This is only possible in a country that aspires to justice and has
fought for many years to achieve it, stated Fidel, adding that if
Cuba is successful in this aim it is thanks to the nation's unity,
awareness and culture.
Fidel informed that those efforts have now extended beyond the
eastern region: 2,197,586 Cuban children up to the age of 16 have now
been assessed to discover cases where weight and height is below the
corresponding norm.
He explained that for one reason or another, 96,315 (4.4%) of these
children required some form of food support to guarantee their
adequate physical and mental development. More than 66,000 are now
receiving a food supplement which will be extended to all Cuban
children in the first half of November.
In a nearly two-hour speech the Cuban president also touched on what
he called the marvelous study program in Santiago's social workers
college, the social origins of the 2,000 students from Santiago,
Granma and Guant�namo attending the first course and their 300
teachers.
He praised the design and construction of the college, called for a
rapid solution to any small problems, and qualified the labor as an
example of patriotism and constant dedication to the Revolution, the
shared fruit of efforts by Santiago builders, artists and people, and
the city's teaching and cultural institutions.
Fidel agreed with the people of Santiago over the just choice of
calling the school after Frank Pa�s, that heroic young teacher with
an exemplary attitude who did so much for the Revolution.
Fidel also referred to the international economic panorama aggravated
by the terrible events of September 11, although he stated that the
crisis was inevitable, given that the world's three principal
economic centers were on the brink of recession.
He warned that this is affecting all nations, including Cuba, as the
price of exports has fallen and tourism, the island's main source of
revenue, is suffering.
He argued that even though Cuba is not dependent on U.S. tourism, the
fear and uncertainty brought about by the war has extended to all
parts of the globe, along with the management of other incidents,
like the famous anthrax phenomenon which, if dealt with properly, is
less serious than influenza epidemics that kill hundreds of thousand
of people.
"We are probably the least affected, but nevertheless, the effects
are noticeable, as we have closed 20 hotels and our dollar revenues
have fallen," highlighted Fidel.
"It is a terrible shame that that catastrophe has occurred, in our
case because of the pace of development of our programs, with a
minimum of expense and enormous social significance," he added,
clarifying that although that pace could drop, efforts -- far from
ending -- are multiplying.
Fidel explained that the main investments are now in place. These
include solar panels, computers, one million color televisions
distributed among the population, the enormous leap in education and
the upcoming third television channel for education programs. (AIN)
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