Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, delivered a wide-ranging speech, closing the Ministry of Culture’s annual performance review and addressing many points, confident in the power culture and ideas have within our people.
And everything is about Cuba, the beloved island that breathes and offers nothing but love, both inwardly and toward our sister peoples. A nation that yearns for peace and defends it with deeds that match our words.
On the occasion, he touched the subject of the pandemic. Amidst a complex situation from the economic and social point of view, he insisted, artists’ income has been protected. "And the Havana Biennial continues,” he said, “They wanted to deprive us of even this.”
There has been no cultural lockdown despite covid-19. "We did the jazz event, we are doing the Book Fair and we are going to complete all the things you are doing," Díaz-Canel told the Ministry staff members, who had outlined the many projects in which they are immersed.
He described 2022 as a difficult year, but it must be better, and for that the first thing we must have is a clear, shared perception of how to effectively promote the principal cultural processes, one we must continue to construct, nurture.
He stated that, in order to achieve this goal, we must base our efforts on the heterogeneity of Cuban cultural life, which we must take into account in all actions we take. When designing and conducting a cultural development project, we must attend to the heterogeneity of the community so that there is participation and that what is be presented enriches the people’s spirits.
"This aspiration we all have must also be supported and strengthened from the cultural point of view. We must achieve greater prosperity in the shortest possible time. Improving our society includes everything from food to recreation, including scientific development and greater spiritual wealth, which involves culture, wellbeing, and the power of the functional and beauty."
With this objective, he added, "We are advocating ‘doing politics’ as Armando Hart conceived, based on Marti's thought and Fidel's legacy."
Strengthening and promoting popular participation was also included in the debate, as a way to achieve more democracy. "We will perfect this and we will have more emancipating results," he said, specifying, “We must educate, practice liberation pedagogy. We are proposing to develop a whole group of skills that will allow public servants, the population itself, those who manage institutions and community leaders to learn how to work with the techniques of popular education, of participation, and with this, defend quality," he said.
POLITICAL CULTURE
Culture must be present in all programs, political processes and the strategic projection of the country, he stated.
The necessity that our Constitution be supported by a body of law was also noted by the President.
"In the next sessions of the National Assembly there are laws that will be presented, which have much to do with the cultural arena, laws for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and Natural Heritage and a system for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Creation. It is important that we gather opinions, from the AHS (Hermanos Saiz Association), Uneac (Union of Cuban Writers and Artists), in cultural institutions, in meetings with artists and promoters,” he recommended.
After mentioning several programs and projects meant to preserve the nation's historical memory, he argued that this group of processes and spaces for debate are led precisely by representatives of our cultural institutions.
In terms of confronting ideological subversion, he emphasized the importance of articulating all revolutionary forces, which, given the conditions in our country, must include "the best of our thought, with the best exponents of our intellectuality."
A tremendous effort has been made on digital platforms, but it is necessary to make the work more visible, he said. He instead that a multimedia approach is needed, since not everyone is on social networks and will not be, no matter how much development takes place. There are digital contents we must find ways to disseminate in traditional media, and others from traditional media that must be taken to digital platforms.
"We have not always made our efforts visible in terms of generating content on all platforms," he said.
There is tremendous intellectual strength in Cuba and it is not seen on social networks, he said, and it must be made visible through culture since there is much thought here, much rigor in important analysis and this struggle requires the participation of all, and we say this in the spirit of convening and reflecting, but it would be very helpful if our most solid intellectuals were not on the sidelines, but also present on the networks. "It is not a problem of age,” he said, “the important thing is that our ideas and our contents are there."
Regarding the role of institutional work in this aspect of the ideological battle, he emphasized the need to learn how to articulate everyone’s efforts.
Precisely, with respect to the role of the country’s cultural institutions, Diaz-Canel stressed the responsibilities that cannot be overlooked. Among these, he emphasized dialogue with intellectuals and artists, debate on transcendental issues in the country, as well as the leadership of cultural policy in all areas, from state institutions to the private sector.
In this sense, he insisted on the need to promote interconnections between public and private institutions, so that internal processes are "harmonious and productive."
CUBA TODAY
The President also noted the current experience of public debate on the new Families Code, in which the opinions of our artists, creators and intellectuals are of great value, he said.
"This is a totally emancipatory Code, which addresses many necessary points in our society. It does not impose one way of doing things on anyone. What it does is provide guarantees to the different families that exist within our society," he said.
He insisted that the draft code calls for respecting identity, and addresses other "sensitive and critical" issues, about which some erroneous opinions have been expressed. These attitudes seem to be a result of not reading the Code in its entirety, he said.
"Those who argue that we are taking away the right of parental authority have not been able to compare the article in the current code with the one being proposed, which begins by recognizing this authority and expands the concept to include parental responsibility, which is a broader and more comprehensive concept, of the duties of the family, of parents. It is not a concept of domination or imposition," he clarified.
At the same time, he noted that all opinions raised by the population will be taken into account. In these public debates - he pointed out - there are people who do not support the new Code because they have been manipulated or have been ordered to oppose it, and people who have other opinions differing from those reflected the draft. That is why it is important that artists and intellectuals contribute what they can offer, since their thinking clarifies and provides arguments.
CREATIVE RESISTANCE IN HARD TIMES
From a "position of honesty and conviction and not fetishism", the President went on to call for those present to maintain their creative resistance.
"The current U.S. administration has neither the capacity nor the conditions to relax the blockade policy, as announced by Biden in his electoral promises. Thus, the blockade will continue to be tightened."
From there he called for rising above this economic, commercial and financial siege. "I know it is easier said than done, but we have a very current expression of what creative resistance means, which is the battle against the pandemic."
The U.S. government thought that the asphyxiating measures they have adopted, the pandemic, and their huge defamatory campaign against Cuba, the Revolution would be done. Nonetheless, he continued, "In May of 2020, we told Cuban scientists that we could not go on empty-handed. We needed to develop a vaccine that would give us sovereignty, since we have no way to buy vaccines."
"Seven weeks later, we had a Cuban candidate vaccine. But the vaccination process could not begin immediately; we had to rigorously adhere to protocols."
He recalled, "After the research, clinical trials were conducted to validate the findings, emergency studies had to be carried out in populations with comorbidities, and with subjects in vulnerable situations. When we had those results, with all the scientific rigor required, we authorized the candidate vaccines for emergency use."
The President remarked that thanks to our public health system - which needs to be improved, but is strong - and with the scientific power to develop good vaccines, Cuba became one of the nations with the highest vaccination rates. "We were ahead of the world," he said.
"Our vaccines - unlike others that were produced - demonstrated high levels of efficacy against the Delta strain," he recalled.
Cuba was the first country to vaccinate children two and up, and the number of positive cases in the country - around 10% of the population - has not created the conditions for herd immunity on the Island, so we can only control the virus with vaccines, Diaz-Canel clarified.
Nonetheless, "Cuba is today second among countries with the greatest portion of their populations vaccinated with at least one dose. We are between fifth and seventh among countries with the greatest portion of the population with a complete vaccination regimen. More than 80%. We are the only Third World country on that list."
The Omicron peak in Cuba was one third the size of the Delta strain peak. The number of infections and deaths has already decreased, he explained.
"This is creative resistance. If we hadn't done this, what would have happened? You have to wonder how long we could have resisted. Imagine this country with a Delta spike and Omicron arrives. What would we be regretting?
"We were able to resist, but that resistance was based on creating. What did we create? Vaccines. With what? With the talent of our people. And we overcame that situation... This is creative resistance, and this is how, in neighborhoods, in cultural projects, in the economy, we will move forward."
THE NEIGHBORHOOD, A COLLECTIVE CONSTRUCTION
With respect to the work being done at the community level throughout the country, he emphasized these are not interventions. "Everything we are doing is far from that. We are trying to link the concepts of people’s power, democracy, participation, quality and sustainability."
He reported that diagnoses are being conducted with residents, so that, based on the problems they identify, priorities are established and their representatives will address these issues in municipal assemblies of People’s Power.
This year we have managed to ensure that every neighborhood and every municipality knows just how much of the budget can be devoted to these problems, he stated, clarifying that not all can be solved immediately, but work can begin on the priorities.
The solutions to these problems must take into account the history, traditions, essences and culture of every neighborhood, which are different in each case. "They may all need some of the same things, but not with the same priority or with the same concept, or in the same way."
In this context, he called for a revitalization process that is fully participatory and supported by the institutions that have the capacity to do so, by scientists, university students, focused on ensuring that "everything we improve is sustainable." Thus, he insisted, "We can keep moving forward."
The President noted that the essence of these actions lies not only in the physical – the streets and housing - but also the spiritual, which involves work as well, "Because what distinguishes us as a country is the knowledge and culture of our people."
This collective construction that is the neighborhood must also be part of the life project of every citizen. "This is the construction of socialism, starting in the neighborhood." And if the neighborhood improves, the municipality, the province and the country improve. "And this is what we are trying to achieve. What if in one place it is done inappropriately? We rectify it. But this is what we want.”
He also noted that we have many experiences and community development projects based on culture. At the same time, he urged ministry personnel to work on developing robust local productive systems, in order to achieve the development we need, saying, "We have uplifting, emancipating experiences in several places. So, we know how to do it. Now, what's next? Integrate and multiply all these experiences and efforts."
At another moment during his remarks, the President made reference to policies that govern the distribution of musical productions and the improvement of the companies involved, issues that were debated during the last Uneac Congress. This task must be undertaken in short order, he insisted, so that all artists have a space for their creations, and all private, state and cooperative economic actors are involved.
Regarding the importation of cultural services, he agreed that solutions must be sought.
Díaz-Canel clarified that all the elements addressed during the meeting must be based on the three pillars of government efforts
The first is the computerization of processes, "especially now that we are moving toward a digital transformation of our society." Covid-19 showed us how valuable it was to have developed digital platforms for promotion, dissemination and even commerce, he said.
With regard to social communication, the second essential, he added, "We must achieve greater coherence among cultural institutions and in the world of radio and television, so that our proposals to the population are increasingly more cultured, more uplifting, more integrated and not fragmented by contradictions."
On the other hand, the government's activity generating science and information, he said, must strengthen the necessary interconnection between academics, the enterprise system, human potential, the productive systems of goods and services, public administration, the institutional framework and local development.
Taking this concept of articulation to culture, he said, "First we need to make clear what our values are."
He then highlighted the Advanced Art Institute (ISA), "which must be an extraordinary university of the arts, and for that it must provide rigorous training, conduct university extension work and scientific research. ISA must become a standard bearer of scientific research. And it should not only be ISA, but all centers and institutions that contribute to training."
He emphasized the important role played by cultural institutions within the different processes underway in our society, noting that several measures have been adopted to promote this. Now is the time to develop and enhance the country's capabilities in this field, the President insisted.
"Putting heart into Cuba requires reaching the feelings and emotions of Cubans with culture."
Source: Granma