>Radio Havana Cuba-08 September 2000 22:00 > >Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 08 September 2000 22:00 > > >*AT MILLINNEUM SUMMIT, PRESIDENT CASTRO OFFERS MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR AFRICA > >*CUBA AUTHORIZES 3 US NEWSPAPERS TO OPEN PRESS OFFICES IN HAVANA > >*"CUBA: REVOLUTIONARY IDEOLOGY" LAUNCHED IN HAVANA > >*DROUGHT CONTINUES IN THE EASTERN PROVINCES > >*CUBAN CATHOLICS HONOR PATRON SAINT OF THE ISLAND > >*ALICIA ALONSO NOMINATED FOR MONACO INTERNATIONAL DANCE PRIZE > >*COMPLETE CUBAN OLYMPIC DELEGATION TO ARRIVE IN SYDNEY NEXT WEDNESDAY > >*PRESIDENT CASTRO'S STATEMENT OFFERING MEDICAL PERSONNEL FOR AFRICA > >*PRIMARY TASK OF THE UN: SAVE THE WORLD FROM ECONOMIC CHAOS > > . > >*AT UN MILLINNEUM SUMMIT, PRESIDENT CASTRO OFFERS MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR AFRICA > >Havana, September 8 (RHC)-- At the United Nations Millennium Summit, Cuban >President Fidel Castro has offered the world body Cuban medical assistance >for Africa. The offer came Thursday at the Summit's Second Round Table >discussion. > >The Cuban leader stated that Africa needs hundreds of thousands of doctors, >while Cuba has one for every 168 inhabitants. He said the Cuban offer is >based solely on a spirit of cooperation -- that the 2000 Cuban health >professionals currently offering their services worldwide do not speak of >religion, politics or philosophy and have received a great deal of >recognition and respect wherever they've gone. > >Pointing to the AIDS pandemic in Africa, Fidel Castro said that in the >Ivory Coast, spending for education has been reduced by one half because one >teacher dies every day from the disease in that country. He said of the 12 >million children who have lost their parents to AIDS, 10 million are >African. > >Specialized agencies like the UN AIDS Program, said the Cuban leader, >believe that the number of AIDS orphans could reach 42 million in the next >ten years. In South Africa and Zimbabwe, added Fidel Castro, it is >estimated that between 20 and 25 percent of the adult population is infected >with the disease. > >The leader of the Cuban Revolution called on industrialized nations to >contribute with medicine and other resources in the effort to save a >continent that is heading towards extinction. He said, however, that AIDS >is not Africa's only acute problem -- that urgent measures are needed to >contribute to the afflictions associated with malaria, hunger, malnutrition, >calamities and wars on the Black continent. > >A number of countries that participated in the Second Round Table of the >Millennium Summit praised the Cuban leader's initiative, including Gambia, >Guinea and Syria. > > >*CUBA AUTHORIZES 3 US NEWSPAPERS TO OPEN PRESS OFFICES IN HAVANA > >New York, September 8 (RHC)-- Cuba has authorized the Chicago Tribune, Sun >Sentinel and Dallas Morning News to open press offices in Havana. > >Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque made the announcement after >meeting on Thursday with the President of Tribune Co., John Madigan, at the >Cuban Mission to the United Nations in New York. > >CNN television and AP News Agency are currently the only U.S. media offices >operating in Havana. > > >*"CUBA: REVOLUTIONARY IDEOLOGY" LAUNCHED IN HAVANA > >Havana, September 8 (RHC)-- A book entitled "Cuba: Revolutionary Ideology" >was launched on Thursday at Havana's Jose Marti National Library. > >Rolando Alfonso Borges, the Director of the Jose Marti National Library, >pointed out that this new book is important for those who want to learn >about the ideology of the Cuban Revolution. Borges stated that the book is >not only written for researchers and experts, but for general readers around >the world. > >Published by the Editorial Politica Publishing House and written by Dario >Machado, the book includes the focus of Marx and Engels on ideology, the >development of these ideas by Lenin, Gramsci's ideas and the thinking of >Ernesto Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. > > >*DROUGHT CONTINUES IN THE EASTERN PROVINCES > >Santiago de Cuba, September 8 (RHC)-- A severe drought continues to affect >the eastern part of the island, despite some rain that has fallen in that >region. > >According to current statistics, the drought continues to threaten the >eastern provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba and Las Tunas. > >The region's average rainfall of 838 millimeters is currently at 494 and the >region's reservoirs are at 40 percent capacity. It is estimated that the >current meteorological situation in the region will not change in the near >future. > >The head of the water services in the area, Omar Palacios, told Prensa >Latina News Agency that he believes the months of September and October have >historically been rainy months due to hurricanes and tropical storms at that >time of the year. > >This situation affects sugar production as well as other crops in the >region. It also affects urban agriculture, residential and industrial >sectors whose cycles of water supply have been considerably altered. > >Emergency measures in the eastern part of the island are being taken and the >situation is currently under control. > > >*CUBAN CATHOLICS HONOR PATRON SAINT OF THE ISLAND > >Havana, September 8 (RHC)-- Catholics in Cuba are celebrating the day of the >Virgin of Charity - the island's Patron Saint. > >In Havana, a religious procession was held at our Lady of Charity Church, >where a mass will be offered by Havana's Archbishop Jaime Ortega. > >The main religious service will be held in the Sanctuary of the Virgin of >Charity, located in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. > >As part of the religious beliefs of the Cuban people, in the Afro-Cuban >religion the Virgin of Charity is Oshun. > > >*ALICIA ALONSO NOMINATED FOR MONACO INTERNATIONAL DANCE PRIZE > >Havana, September 8 (RHC)-- The General Director of Cuba's National Ballet >Company, Alicia Alonso, is among more than 25 personalities, companies and >choreographers nominated for the Monaco International Dance Prize. > >The award is in recognition of the most important world dance figures, like >Mihail Barishnikov, Maurice Bejart and the River Dance Group. > > >*COMPLETE CUBAN OLYMPIC DELEGATION TO ARRIVE IN SYDNEY NEXT WEDNESDAY > >Havana, September 8 (RHC) -- With the arrival in Sydney of jumpers Javier >Sotomayor and Ivan Pedroso, along with runner Anier Garcia this coming >Wednesday, September 13th, the Cuban delegation for the games will be >complete. Sotomayor, Pedroso and Garcia each have important competitions in >Yokohama, Japan, before the beginning of games. > >Coming also from that Japanese city, but on different dates, are the free >style and the Greco-Roman wrestling teams, judo experts, the women's >volleyball team and swimmer Rodolfo Falcon. He will be traveling to Sydney >on the 12th, along with the president of the Cuban Olympic Committee, Jose >Ramon Fernandez. > >Finally, the Cuban Olympic delegation will be represented by 239 athletes, >as reported by the Cuban news daily Granma. Meanwhile, the official >ceremony of hoisting the Cuban flag at the Olympic Villa took place in >Sydney on Thursday. > >Felix Savon, the standard bearer of the Cuban delegation, escorted the >national flag, which was raised just minutes after the welcoming words by >Olympic officials. Cuban Sports Institute President Humberto Rodriguez was >present at the ceremony, as well as athletes, trainers and other Cuban >officials. > >Australian long distance swimmer Susie Maronie, who has been the protagonist >of several efforts, including swimming from Havana to Key West and from >Cancun to Pinar del Rio, was also on hand. The Cuban delegation is staying >in 24 comfortable apartments, located relatively close to the villa's main >services. > >The head of the Cuban delegation, Humberto Rodriguez, says he is satisfied >with the friendly atmosphere in the city and the way things are unfolding so >far. Rodriguez added there is a will to cooperate and provide the necessary >attention to athletes. > > >*PRESIDENT CASTRO'S STATEMENT OFFERING MEDICAL PERSONNEL FOR AFRICA > >I have been thinking about the seriousness of these topics and other >figures, and I realize that we have been debating these themes for more than >40 years but we have not been able to advance. Instead, we have gone >backwards. Proof of what I'm saying is that, currently, the income per >person in more than 100 countries is lower than what it used to be 15 years >ago. > >Everyone of us has expressed here the ideas we wanted to convey within the >limits of allotted time, but I want to add that I'm traumatized by issues >related to the unfortunate health care status prevailing in the world, >particularly in Third World nations. I don't like to use figures so much, >but on this occasion I will. > >For example, in sub-Saharan African countries, life expectancy hardly >reaches 48 years; that is, 30 years less than in developed nations. Almost >99.5 percent of maternal deaths take place in the Third World. While the >risk of maternal death in Europe is 1 per 1400 live births, in Africa it is >one for every 16. More than 11 million children under five die every year >in the Third World due to preventable diseases in most cases; that is, >30,000 every day and 21 every minute. While we speak here, 100 are dying. > >In Third World countries, two out of five children suffer from growth >retardation and one out of three suffer from low weight for their age. > >Two million girls are forced into prostitution. > >In underdeveloped countries, some 250 million adolescents under 15 years old >are forced to work in order to survive. > >Many of those who have spoken here brought up the issue of AIDS. Several >months ago, after the Durban meeting, I had the impression that the First >World had discovered the tragedy of AIDS in Africa. Much was said at the >conference about how to reduce the cost of the treatment for a person >infected with AIDS, so that he or she survives. As anyone knows, the >current cost is 10,000 dollars per infected person. At that meeting, >representatives from developed nations --mainly Europeans -- affirmed that >new formulas had to be found to reduce costs. Everyone knows that producing >those medicines cost some 1000 dollars per patient, and that, using a >perfect formula and a perfect cocktail, success can be achieved even with a >smaller sum. In addition, some African representatives said that even if >they received the medicines free-of-charge, they could do nothing since they >don't have the necessary infrastructure to distribute and apply them. > >Here, I have also heard representatives from industrialized countries such >as France, Sweden and Germany express their willingness to help these Third >World nations. > >This is a matter of life and death. And I was thinking to myself: what >could we do? I just want to remind you that Cuba is a small and poor >country with a blockade imposed for almost 40 years. But, that's not what I >want to talk about. Thanks to thorough education programs implemented over >many years, today Cuba has an immense and decisive human capital, which I >would say is more important than financial capital. If that's the decision >of the United Nations, our country has enough medical personnel to cooperate >with the World Health Organization and with the peoples of sub-Saharan >Africa to organize the necessary infrastructure to fight AIDS in that >region. We are not exaggerating. We are talking here about 1000 to 3000 >health personnel, including doctors, nurses and paramedics for this program. > >We cannot wait until millions of children die. Many of the 25 million >people infected could survive and avoid increasing the number of orphaned >children which now rises to 12 million and in a few years will be 40 >million. This is a real tragedy! No country -- whatever its resources might >be -- can develop if it has 25 to 30 percent of its population infected with >AIDS and millions and millions of orphans. In my opinion, this could mean >the extermination of entire nations in Africa. That's the reality. > >I was in the plenary when I heard you were debating these issues, I then >decided to come here and say this. Cuba will offer the necessary medical >personnel to the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the >peoples of Africa in order to implement programs to combat not only AIDS but >also other diseases and train health personnel there. > >Wherever we go, the first thing we do is to create a School of Medicine. >While Africa needs hundreds of thousands of doctors to have one for every >5000 people, our country currently has one doctor for every 168 inhabitants. >We have a lot of experience in the health sector. There are now 2000 Cuban >doctors and nurses making their contribution in dozens of nations. > >That's our concrete proposal. We hope that European countries and the >industrialized countries present here will take into consideration what I >have just said and make efforts to find the medicines and to make them >cheaper. > >The health situation in Africa is worse than the wars currently taking place >on our planet. A million people die every year on that continent infected >by malaria and 300 to 500 million contract the disease. AIDS has caused the >death of two million people and for every two deaths, five people are >infected. We are aware of the fact that no much progress has been made in >the designing of a vaccine, and no one knows when there will be an effective >one. In addition, tuberculosis kills three million people in Africa every >year. > >In short, we are suggesting a program for Africa. We are not exaggerating, >as we said before, and we are not looking for any kind of reward. Wherever >our doctors go, they don't speak of religion, politics, or philosophy. They >have a vast experience and they have gained the respect and the gratitude of >the people. > >I leave this proposal in the hands of this United Nations round table and >that's all. > >Thank you, Mr. President. > > >Viewpoint > >*PRIMARY TASK OF THE UN: SAVE THE WORLD FROM ECONOMIC CHAOS > >In his widely acclaimed speech at the Millennium Summit, which concluded on >Friday at the United Nations, Cuban President Fidel Castro expressed Cuba's >position with regards to the world's main problems. The Cuban leader >reiterated that the United Nations must ensure the equal participation of >all member nations, so that their rights are protected and guaranteed by the >organization. > >Every nation represented in the international forum should be able to >present any problem transcending its national borders and find the needed >assistance, without humiliating conditions such as those imposed by the >wealthy North on the impoverished South. > >The United Nations must save the world from the economic chaos towards which >neo-liberal economic globalization is driving the entire planet. The >imposed neo-liberal model places the independence and sovereignty of nations >in the hands of huge transnationals, which are increasingly privatizing >basic public services and economic sectors in the underdeveloped world. > >Will the United Nations -- including the General Assembly, the Security >Council and other UN bodies -- be reformed in the future? Or will the >United Nations be governed, not by designated representatives of the member >nations, but rather by big businesses which have taken away the sovereignty >and independence of many nations? Another problem that the leader of the >Cuban Revolution said needs urgent attention by the international community >is the progressive deterioration of the environment: the depletion of >natural resources, the expansion of deserts and air and water pollution. >Solving these problems, which threaten the very survival of the human >species on our planet, must be a top priority of the United Nations. > >However, such life and death issues will never be fully addressed until the >organization is radically reformed for the benefit of each and every member >nation. > >As the Cuban president reaffirmed during the Millennium Summit in New York, >the United Nations must no longer be used by a powerful minority of nations >to impose their mandates on the vast majority of humanity. All nations >should be able to participate on an equal basis in the decision-making >process. That, in essence, is true democratization of the United Nations. > >(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-09.08.00-21:48:19-7868 > >Post comments to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Send an email to subscribe: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To unsubscribe from this CubaNews group, send an email to: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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