 Our humble, selfless, indefatigable personality in the field of emancipatory culture; and a stalwart friend of Cuba and Jose Marti's thoughts left us physically on December 28, 2024. Dr. Keith Ellis's writings, lectures and humane touch have and will always accompany us whenever we talk of Cuba and Culture! Please, stay tuned for the Celebration of Life announcement!
If you would like to honour Dr. Ellis's legacy with a financial donation to Cuba, please make your direct contributions through the National Bank of Canada to the following accounts in Cuba: for both, the title holder of the accounts is The Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Foreign Investment of Cuba. Cuneta en el Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI) Account Name: Emergency Donations Account No.: 0300000005336242 SWIFT code: BFICCUHHXXX Cuneta en el Banco Internacional de Comercio (BICSA) Account Name: Donations-Cuba Account No.: 0407610081870041 SWIFT code: BIDCCUHHXXX
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Dear Sisters/Brothers;
We salute the 66th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution on Jan. 1st! A revolution that has been heroically steadfast in its principled selfless internationalism and where the heartbeat of the revolution has always been and will always be with the humbles of the world! The march of the Combative People on Dec. 20 in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana where 500,000 Cubans came together in Havana- as well as other cities across the island- to condemn the genocidal blockade of Cuba and the its inclusion in the "state sponsors of terrorism" list by the U.S. government; president Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez addressed the united masses: "The current U.S. administration, which today has exactly one month left in the White House, has done nothing to move away from the line of reinforced blockade and economic suffocation of Cuba that was left as a legacy by the Republican administration that returns to the Oval Office in January. But if the United States persists in its efforts to undermine our sovereignty, our independence, our socialism, it will only find rebellion and intransigence! Every administration that has tried has been outlived by the Cuban Revolution, and it will continue to be so. This will be a march, yes, a very anti-imperialist one! Against American imperialism and its attempt to impose itself in Cuba by force or seduction, we will march now and always! We march now, to tell the United States Government: Let the Cuban people live in peace!" We see the children of Gaza and beyond are being massacred by the same imperialist system through the bloody machinery of apartheid regime of Israel and we recall when Fidel Castro says: "Actually, humanity will attain its maximum of consciousness and potential qualities when people feel the same sorrow for the death of any family's child as they would for their own child or other close relative." "Those who do not believe in humankind, in its potential for noble sentiments, in its capacity for goodness and altruism, will never understand that we do not only hurt for every Cuban child who dies or suffers- we must not limit ourselves to only those who die- but also for every child in Haiti, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Africa and every country in the world. It can not be claimed that the human species has attained a maximum of consciousness while it is incapable of of hurting for the suffering of others." "We are well aware of the tragedies facing the world because one of our most sacred principles is that of solidarity" That is why in saluting the 66th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban Revolution we not only commit ourselves in doubling our efforts in exposing the genocidal blockade of Cuba and the propaganda war machines of the U.S. and its mercenaries; but also stay committed to stand firmly in solidarity with the heroic people of Palestine facing a holocaust in Gaza! [Please, share the two attached flyers/brochures!] A FRIEND IN NEED, A FRIEND INDEED The revolution's fundamental tool in fighting the barbaric and savage imperialist system is the cultivation of a culture of humane solidarity which is best demonstrated in Jose Marti's "Homeland is Humanity" "Patria es Humanidad". This indispensable culture of life will guarantee the conquests of the revolution and the heroic resistance against genocidal acts from Cuba to Palestine! The Cuban Revolution being a beacon of hope for humanity due to its exemplary revolutionary internationalist solidarity that is manifested in hosting thousands of young Palestinians to study medicine to save lives, while their compatriots are being murdered, kidnapped and their healthcare facilities bombed, in the midst of one of the most difficult economic periods of the revolution demands our solidarity! And if you wish to assist financially, please make your direct contributions through the National Bank in Canada to the following accounts in Cuba: Cuneta en el Banco Financiero Internacional(BFI) Account's Name: Emergency Donations Account No.: 0300000005336242 SWIFT code: BFICCUHHXXX Cuneta en el Banco Internacional de Comercio(BICSA) Account's Name: Donations-Cuba Account No.: 0407610081870041 SWIFT code: BIDCCUHHXXX (In both cases the title holder of the accounts is The Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Foreign Investment of Cuba) Dear Sisters/Brothers;
We have seen and felt with our flesh and blood the negative impacts of the U.S. genocidal blockade of Cuba; and the ongoing genocide in Gaza by the Zionist apartheid regime of Israel fully backed by the U.S. government and its allies! Cuba, by cultivating a humane, solidarity culture in all its manifestations, has become a strategic field of struggle for overcoming the material shortages and the difficult conditions created by the inhumane imperialist encirclement of the Cuban Revolution! And although Cuba is expecting even more tightening of the U.S. blockade and more counter-revolutionary attacks and media wars in the coming year; the revolution is mobilizing more than ever, as a dignified nation never gives in! And in Palestine the culture of Life has become an example for humanity to follow! For instance, the heroic healthcare workers, of any hospital still standing, have not left their posts, so that they can try to save the lives of the injured/bombed Palestinians with the least of resources and at times non-existent medical supplies while facing the modern Fascists’ incessant attacks and bombardments! The Cuban Revolution is standing tall-in the midst of one of the most difficult economic situations- by staying true to its internationalist principles, by providing scholarships for Palestinian students to study medicine to save lives! And if I dare to call a campaign “The Cuba-for-Palestine Campaign of Contributions”, I am fully justified in doing so since anything we offer Cuba will definitely help 1000's upon 1000's of youth from around the world to become educated in order to save lives! With Cuba impatient to be able to receive the injured/maimed Gazans for treatment; it is our duty to support Cuba directly. (Please see this post for details) The resilience of the Cuban Revolution, its leadership and its people today is best manifested by the recent image of the combative nation marching past the U.S. Embassy in Havana demanding the end of the genocidal blockade and the removal of Cuba from the arbitrary list composed by the U.S. State Department of countries it claims to be a "state sponsor of terrorism". We recall that when on Dec. 18, 1956 Raul Castro regrouped with Fidel Castro in Cinco Palmas and they only had 7 armaments, Fidel said, " We Will Win", fully confident of their historic mission to free Cuba from the yoke of U.S. imperialism with the support of the people And the Palestinian fighters, under siege in Gaza and the constant bombardments by Israeli military (read modern Fascist forces supported by the imperial west and their lackeys), fighters steadfast in their resistance and saying "we will be martyrs or victorious" remind us of the international revolutionary legend Ernest Che Guevara who always volunteered to be in the first line of struggle against imperialist domination from wherever the call came! The aforementioned historical facts disprove the barrage of racist verbiage from all corners of the "left" spectrum, amplified by imperialism’s propaganda machinery, condemning the forces resisting imperialist-backed genocide in Gaza and now celebrating with victory dances the coming into power in Syria of past Al-Qaeda operatives, while the Zionists/the U.S. and their friends are bombing and carving the hell out of the Syrian territory and resources; as "proxies", "reactionary Islamists"! Those using such verbiage have forgotten that the very first and foremost duty of any principled anti-imperialist at this time is to demand; "From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free" and "Hands off the Middle East"! That is why we see ourselves committed to defending the Cuban Revolution's achievements; and the Palestinian people's struggle to rid humanity of the scourge of Zionist apartheid by informing and educating the broader public that genocidal acts meted out against the honorable and heroic Cubans and Palestinians won't be able to bring them to their knees. Their struggles are feats that teach us all that "homeland is humanity" "patria es humanidad". Take care and have a nice day. We cannot be amongst the indifferent. Brotherly; Morteza Gorgzadeh for Toronto Forum on Cuba [email protected] Dear Sisters/Brothers;
The Cuban revolutionary leadership is mobilizing every sectors of the society not only to be be aware of international issues, and in particular the struggle of the Palestinians against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, but also calling on every single Cuban to take the lead in producing more food stuffs and be efficient in the use of resources while tirelessly fighting the negative impacts of the dog-eat-dog culture which finds its way onto the Cuban society through the tourism industry as well as the continuous bombardment of revolutionary Cuba with individualistic approaches to the problems facing Cuba due, fundamentally, to the genocidal U.S. blockade of Cuba intensified with the inclusion of Cuba in the U.S. State Department's list of "state sponsors of terrorism" complemented with openly financing and leading terrorist acts originating from the U.S. territory as we are writing these lines. The developing and the developed -including Canada and the U.S- nations have always and are today enjoying the unconditional expressions and acts of solidarity by the Cuban Revolution. Tens of 1000's of medical students, only in this area and not to mention other fields of science and culture, have graduated and are graduating in Cuba through scholarships provided for free. While the imperialist "democracies" are enabling the genocidal acts of the apartheid state of Israel to take place; some 1000 Palestinian students are studying medicine to save lives! That is why the banner holders of "democracy" and "human rights" are determined more than ever to suffocate the Cuban people into submission which has been their policy since the very first day of the revolution. And the Cuban revolutionary leadership is standing tall today by adhering to Che Guevara's "one, two, three more Vietnams" and Marti's "homeland is humanity" ("patria es humanidad"). Having observed waste of food, resources, labor and morale in installations run by the Ministry of Tourism-which is the second most important sector of the the Cuban economy in earning hard currency- it is an opportune time that a very detailed attention be made in order to put a stop, once and for all, to the economically destructive and at the same time morally damaging consequences that are taking place on a daily basis especially in fully state-owned hotels and car rental agencies with different names! To be concrete I give the following examples with photos attached: a) May 2022 Hotel Kawama in Varadero- boiling fish which becomes almost non consumable; rotting of 100's of coconuts in the hotel's garden, over serving food and drinks resulting in waste; and the numerous car rental facilities covering the 1a Ave in Varadero from Hotel Kawama to ... and still one not being able to rent a car if not requested before arrival in Cuba! b) May 2023, May 2024 Hotel Club Amigo Guarda La Vaca- Asked to dance with music by outright terrorist sympathizer Gloria Stephen in a cultural presentation by Evolucion Group; destruction of aluminum handrails and replacement by marble, to installation of a bar on the roof of the hotel where almost no one knows that it exists to major renovations in rooms where gigantic lights stop one from sleeping if another takes a shower to countless number of gardeners who water the grass and flowers while so much space could be used to plant vegetables of all kinds for the consumption of the hotel guests and workers which would not result in such a negative impact on the morale of the workers that one would not even pick the beautifully ripe cherry tomatoes from the hotel's fields! Ay mi madre! It is time to give the task of inauguration of new hotel installations to the Pioneer Organization who do such marvelous work of controlling the ballot boxes in election times and they could certainly very easily assist in such ceremonies; and the Ministry of Tourism shall be paying detailed attention to the work or rather mismanagement of the fruits of the work delivered to tourism in order to create much needed hard currency! The recent plenum of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party and the commitment of the leadership to combat corruption; striving for efficiency with creativity; and appealing to the masses to be involved in every step of the way to defend the conquests of the revolution and its socialist character while fighting the indiscipline and anti social culture promoted and advanced by the imperial system and its conscious or unconscious agents in Cuba shall be combatted with very expansion of the cultural achievements of the revolution where no vulnerable person will be left behind. No amount of self-sufficiency is enough to fight the difficulties created by the imperialists to suffocate the revolution if cultural values are not cultivated and the legacies of the historical leaders of the Nation and the Revolution- from Hatuey, Maceo to Marti to Fidel to...- in ethical, humble, principled and internationalist acts are not recalled, respected and continued. As Che Guevara wrote in an article, A Party of Working Class, in 1963, "We must always hold high the banner of human dignity raised by our [Jose] Marti, who was a guide for so many generations and is present today, as fresh as ever, in Cuba's reality: "Every true man must feel on his own chick every blow dealt against the chick of another."" The Cuban Revolution for every minute that is standing tall against the imperialist thievery, butchery, war machinery and genocide—like the ongoing genocide in Gaza—is a beacon of hope for humanity that is dying for a bit of dignity and peace amongst nations. In the words of the internationalist revolutionary leader of the Cuban Revolution, Ernesto Che Guevara, who addressed the workers that surpassed their production quota and were being rewarded on August 21, 1962 titled NEW CULTURE OF WORK: "... sacrifice is part of building a new society. We must be ready to make the relative sacrifices we have made, as well as new ones. We must be prepared for tighter blockades, to beat back who-knows-what attempts by the invader to destroy our society. We must always hold aloft our banner as the first to begin building the socialist society in Latin America. That is an honor and an example. It is an example that will nourish the countries in Latin America." It is with pride that we will be celebrating this year's anniversary of July 26, Cuba's Rebellion Day, and dedicating it to the heroic people of Palestine who are experiencing yet another genocide of "Dantesqie-like" proportions in the long history of their dispossession since 1948 and their sacrifices for a Free Palestine From the River to the Sea! Long Live the Cuban Revolution & Its Internationalist Banner! Long Live July 26! Cuba Will Overcome! Cuba Vencera!  Dear Sisters/Brothers;We would like you to know that our work--in solidarity with the heroic people of Palestine who are experiencing a genocide of "Dante" proportions, as the Cuba’s president has put it—continues to expand! As a community based organization we are thrilled to see that, in Toronto’s Chinatown, Palestinian flags are painted on roof tops and walls as a gesture of solidarity. (photo attached) On June 8, “Palestine is the Red Line, will be a regional gathering march to show that humanity's conscience cannot stand the ongoing Israeli slaughter of Palestinians. The Palestinian Youth Movement and its allies are organizing; and in the very forefront of these expressions of international solidarity are the young Jewish folks and in particular young Jewish women who are tirelessly defending the just cause of Palestinians against the ongoing genocidal occupation of their homeland. (flyer on EVENTS page) The historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Raul Castro Ruz in a message to the youths in June 27, 1958 from Sierra Maestra, Cuba, stated: "There is thus only one outcome possible: either the beast is tamed, or it throws us off and tramples us. That depends on you, Cuban youth, Latin American youth, youth from anywhere in the world. If you maintain an indifferent silence, you will become accomplices of those who today murder us and tomorrow will murder you. It does not matter if you are North American, Soviet, Chinese, or Venezuelan; we are all brothers. Across borders, languages, political or religious beliefs, we all belong to the great family of the world's youth. We confront the same problems, suffer the same consequences, and live under the same threats. Faced with that, arm in arm, with a firm footing and with our heads held high, let us all sing the same hymn of hope. Let us aspire to and fight for peace and future happiness. And let us conquer the common good for the well-being of all." To be in solidarity with Cuba, against the ongoing genocidal U.S. economic, financial and trade blockade and the arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in the U.S. State Department's arbitrary list of "state sponsor of terrorism," is also to be in solidarity with the people of Palestine; because the same bloodthirsty imperialist system is feeding the Zionist apartheid state of Israel which is butchering innocent civilians-women, children and families--with starvation and bombardments of even "safe zones," frustrated at not being able to quash the resistance of the Palestinians! That is why we are proud to be walking shoulder to shoulder with our Palestinian brothers and sisters and their vanguard supporters who are none other that young Jewish women who tirelessly take on the hardest of tasks in making sure we are kept safe; and respond calmly to the nonsensical acts of the Zionists in Toronto and beyond! We salute these young leaders who are exemplified in the courageous and hearty young students from the University of Toronto camping out to demand the “Disclosure, Divestment and Boycott” of institutes involved in genocide and occupation.(Photo attached and please visit them.) Last but not least, we are getting ourselves ready to celebrate Cuba’s Rebellion Day of July 26 with a political/cultural act which will be dedicated to the heroic people of Palestine and the youth of the world who are leading the fight against the genocide! (flyer will be sent out shortly) Please don’t just save this message. Share it!  SOLIDARITY KNOWS NO BORDERS! CUBA TO AFRICA TO PALESTINE TO...
Dear Sisters/Brothers; The Cuban Revolution since the very first days of its victory on Jan. 1, 1959 has been on the side of the humbles of the earth in assisting nations who faced natural disasters from Chile to Pakistan; or extending her solidarity to national liberation movements from Algeria to Palestine; or the blood of her sons and daughters shed for the sovereignty of nations from Grenada to Namibia to Angola. But Cuba's internationalist mission in Africa side by side with the Africans against the apartheid state of South Africa, where Cuba mobilized more than half a million of her sons and daughters, stays forever a glorious page in the history of humanity for ridding the world from the savage and terrorist apartheid regime. For the sake of this liberty Cuba sacrificed the lives of more then 2000 of her sons and daughters! Now, the U.S. government has the gull to once again call Cuba a "state sponsoring terrorism"! The same government that called Nelson Mandela a terrorist! The same government that has full knowledge of terrorist acts originating out of its territory against Cuba while supporting them. The recent court ruling in the U.S. that acquitted the terrorist who attacked the Cuban Embassy in bright daylight in Washington DC is just one example of impunity offered to terrorists. The same government that is complicit in the genocide in Gaza/Palestine being committed by the Zionist apartheid state of Israel against the heroic people of Palestine. Cuba has been and is a victim of U.S.-sponsored terrorism that to this day has cost the lives of 3478 persons and permanent injury to 2099. The terrorist organizations- Omega 7, Comandos F4 and such- are openly doing military training and express their intentions to subvert the Cuban Revolution and assist the U.S. in "suffocating the Cubans to submission" by their genocidal economic, financial and trade blockade. We need to condemn such acts and the outrageous naming of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism by declaring/signing statements of solidarity. (attached -Foreign Ministry's statement) That is why we would like you to be amongst the thousands who will be out in Toronto for the African Liberation Day(flyer attached) as it is a day of building solidarity amongst nations who fight imperialist colonization, occupations, genocide and much more. As the organizers beautifully state: "It's been a delight to see the worldwide student protests for a Free Palestine because it is very reminiscent of the student protests against the Apartheid regime located in South Africa." Lastly we would love you to please visit and extend a hand of solidarity/support to the courageous and heartwarming youths at the University Students Encampment, U of T, U of Waterloo or... . Dr. Mariela Castro Ruz, one of the young revolutionary leaders of Cuba amongst many, is leading the education, mobilization, solidarity building with the just cause of Palestinians for a Free Palestine from the River to the Sea; and since the image of youthful Che Guevara - with all due respect and remembering all the other revolutionary leaders, images, heritage- is identified with the selfless internationalism for the just causes of the humbles; please see him in Gaza building bridges of hope and solidarity. Dear Sisters/Brothers;We would like to inform you that 1) the ongoing genocide in Gaza by the Zionist regime of Israel and its "democratic" allies and lackeys; as well as 2) the genocidal blockade of Cuba by the U.S. empire which is complemented by a media war and inclusion of Cuba in the State Department's arbitrary list of "state sponsor of terrorism"; and 3) the 20th anniversary of the imperialist coup in Haiti and the impending military occupation; and 4) the continuation of empty promises to indigenous peoples of the lands we walk on; all these crimes have not been and will not be faced with indifference as we are committed to tell the truths and organize around them. This e-mail includes 3 attachments announcing: a) One of the rallies of the inspiring, independent, inclusive, indefatigable Palestinian Youth Movement and their allies (please check Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) on Facebook and other Social Media for information in Toronto, Kitchener Waterloo and ... for their events, Iftar gatherings and prayers in the holy month of Ramadan as well as their fundraisings for Gaza);b) Toronto Forum on Cuba's upcoming event: “The First Military Defeat of U.S. Imperialism in the Western Hemisphere” on Friday April 19 at A Different Booklist; c) Caribbean Solidarity Network’s community educational and organizing events related to Haiti, to Venezuela, and more… Please check their site http://www.caribbeansolidarity.org and enjoy the wealth of information and solidarity building; d) Information regarding the registration and participation for the Festival of Young Artists, Romerias de Mayo, in Holguin/Cuba May 2-8 (Holguin, Cuba). The U.S. government is once again attacking Cuba and defending the fake, so-called, "democratic" "human rights" "anti-dictator" elements in Cuba even though the top leadership of Cuba was present in the midst of the people in Santiago de Cuba when some members of the community had concerns, questions and demands related to shortages of electricity and food which are fundamentally the result of the U.S. empire's strategic approach of "starvation onto submission" of the Cuban nation for resisting and defending the conquests of their revolution; and standing tall when it comes to offering her selfless internationalist solidarity whenever it is called for. Today heroic Cuba is backing the heroic people of Palestine whose youths are studying medicine and other sciences in revolutionary socialist Cuba while the Palestinian healthcare and educational facilities are bombed by the Israeli apartheid state. Lastly, we request that if you are planning to present your artistic works and/or attend the 31st anniversary of Festival of Young Artists, Romerias de Mayo, please contact us ASAP so that your names and artistic works could be passed on to the Organizing Committee for inclusion in the program. WE CANNOT BE AMONGST THE INDIFFERENT WHEN A GENOCIDE OF DANTESQUE PROPORTIONS IS TAKING PLACE! Brotherly; Morteza Gorgzadeh for Toronto Forum on Cuba [email protected] http://www.forumoncuba.com PS: While we are working hard to better update our website and the Facebook page of Toronto Forum on Cuba; for the time being you may check my personal page on Facebook for more photos/info/events!  |
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