15/11/2011
Getting Out of Communism: Europe's Successful Experience Antonio L?pez Ist?riz: When I talk with many of my Cuban friends, one can feel something is stirring in Cuba. The Cubans are more aware than ever of their rights, citizens are mobilising themselves more and more each day in peaceful activities to support dissidents, there's less fear to be defined as opposed to the regime's official stance. And like any tyranny, the lesser the fear of the population, the greater the regime's is
We must reinforce as much as possible an agreement inside and outside the island, if not in the means, at least in the ends. In this sense I have three convictions: that the political activists are making efforts to group themselves in coordinated movements; that there are more points in common amongst the Diaspora Cubans than differences between them; and that creating a sufficiently strong opposition inside and outside Cuba is essential in order to be both domestically and internationally acknowledged
I'd like to be clear on this: it is not necessarily a negative thing for the regime's peaceful opposition forces not to agree on the means. In fact, as my friend Marcelino Miyares says, this disagreement is the seed of democracy. The key issue here is to agree on the goals and targets, which can be no other that promoting freedom and democracy Getting Out of Communism: Successful Experiences in Exile Aldo Leiva: Reasons for success in exile. Internal reasons: demographic: there are sufficient people to create a community and an identity; cultural values: education, work ethics, service to the community, a culture of political activism; talent and useful skills: bilingualism Manny Garc?a-Tu??n: Three key issues: investing in the quality of human capital, investing in physical capital and protecting property, and honouring and defending the dignity of human beings Cuban Civil Society as the Engine of Change Ra?l Rivero: Independent journalism, the only one that should exist, has made a major pedagogical task in favour of democracy in Cuba. It made us all a bit democratic
We must insist on training independent journalists. With technical support, but not just this, because barely anyone has access to new platforms like Twitter and blogs. Professional support must be given so that the journalist task be inquiring and of quality El?as Amor: The Cuban economy is stagnant because ever since the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the former USSR stopped funding it. The current guidelines of the government are none other than the good revolutionary's handbook applied to economy
Economy is freedom. And what Cuban economy needs is freedom for the markets to work properly and for the Cubans to have access to property rights Carlos Pay?: There are many good examples of society's initiatives for change in Cuba, and the most important thing is that they're based on civil society's interactions
We are all Cuban, however we live, and whatever we think. We must break the barrier between the ones outside and the ones inside Market Economy after 60 Years of Communism Jos? Azel: The Cuban political and economic mentality must be modified. After so many years the Cuban people have internalised socialist values. It has become used to the changes taking place from top to bottom, and in a democracy changes take place the other way round
When thinking on a post-Castro Cuba, we have to bear in mind that Cubans have lacked the opportunity of learning a citizen's rights and duties Camilo Loret de Mola: A compromise is essential. We must all lose a bit to be able to gain afterwards
A social change in Cuba will not come from an elective process. We must create a constitutional awareness
A social awareness rescue period will be needed