Dear Friends,
From August 30th to September 1st, 2008, twenty Canada-Cuba solidarity organizations, from across the country, gathered in Toronto at the 4th Biennial Convention of the Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC). The Convention re-affirmed the CNC's commitment to continue to build bridges of solidarity and friendship between the Canadian and Cuban peoples. Toward this end, steps were taken to strengthen and professionalize the CNC's work. Several resolutions and initiatives were adopted and endorsed that established the priorities for the next two-years. Under this mandate a new seven member executive was elected: David Bleakney, Rolf Gerstenberger, Tamara Hansen, Isaac Saney, Sharon Skup, David Thomas and Ray Viaud. For the first time the executive has representation from organized labour in the persons of David Bleakney (National Union Representative - Education (English), Canadian Union of Postal Workers) and Rolf Gerstenberger (President, United Steel Workers Local 1005). Tamara Hansen, from Vancouver, and Isaac Saney, from Halifax, were elected as the co-chairs of the new executive. Subsequently, Isaac Saney was appointed national Spokesperson and Tamara Hansen liaison with La Table de Concertation de Solidarite Quebec-Cuba.
The Convention was addressed by Basilio Gutiérrez, Vice-President of ICAP (Cuban Institute of Friendship With the Peoples), who emphasized the importance of the Canada-Cuba solidarity movement in ensuring that Canada-Cuba relations remain based on the international norms of mutual respect and equality between nations. Appreciations and support were brought to the Convention by Arnold August on behalf of La Table de Concertation de Solidarité Québec-Cuba, highlighting the joint work on the campaign to free the Five Cuban Heroes unjustly imprisoned in the United States that culminated in the letter of support signed by fifty-six members of parliament. Laureano Cardoso, the Consul General of Cuba, delivered greetings on behalf of the Cuban diplomatic staff in Canada, highlighting the long historical ties of friendship between Canada and Cuba and the role of the solidarity movement in maintaining and deepening those ties.
These ties were poignantly demonstrated by the Convention's adoption of a communiqué that affirmed the CNC's commitment to organize a campaign to aid and to contribute to Cuba's recovery in response to the devastating effects of the hurricanes that struck the island. "Today, like in the past, the Cuban people and their leaders can count on the support of the Cuba-Canada Solidarity Movement," affirmed the CNC. The CNC expressed its deep confidence that the Cuban people will overcome this new challenge, the same way it has triumphed over many others, whether natural disasters or challenges of other types. "Hurricanes may destroy properties and other material items, but they will never be able to destroy the indomitable Cuban people," concluded the communiqué.
For more information, please contact Isaac Saney, CNC National Spokesperson at
isaney@hotmail.com or (902)449-4967.