Miami/The Cuban apostle José Martí wrote one of the most representative books of his greatness, The Golden Age (1889), a publication that was initially conceived as a cultural magazine dedicated to the children of America. There were only four issues, despite their brevity they have left a deep mark on those of us who read it.
Childhood is the time to dream and play; youth, that of beginning to fulfill the work of life, a route that can be very complicated and even traumatic. However, we must all undertake it, because only then “death is not true.”
Youth anywhere in the world, particularly where citizen rights are at risk, are the first to embrace chimeras without caring about the consequences. However, in democracy, when the usufruct of freedoms is not in danger, the majority of young people tend to live in a state of relaxation that leads them to postpone the fulfillment of their civic duties. However, there are notable exceptions as we saw in the First International Meeting of Youth with Cuban Historical Memory, which was recently held at the Florida International University.
That First Meeting convened by several Cuban exile institutions was chaired and organized by Dr. Daniel Pedreira, a Pino Nuevo with a high sense of duty. Pedreira brought together, virtually and physically, a notable group of young people living in different countries under the common denominator of wanting to rebuild the republic that we lost.
Pedreira brought together, virtually and physically, a remarkable group of young people
The event took place throughout the day and was organized into five work tables that addressed different topics: historical memory on social networks; historical research in post-totalitarianism; exile as a reservoir, source of traditions and fight for the values of the Cuban nation; the recovery and restoration of the history of Cuba; resistance and fight for democracy: perspectives of new generations on the totalitarian legacy.
It was impressive to see so many young people discussing the future of Cuba, many of them, like Pedreira himself, were born far from the Island and, even so, they knew the history and conversed fluently in the language of their grandparents and parents, about the past and future of the common homeland.
It was a great satisfaction to listen to them. The work that their elders imposed on themselves to ensure that they do not lose their roots was fruitful and it is to be hoped that they will contribute, as many expressed it, to the construction of a better country while continuing to contribute to the progress of the nation in which they reside.
Representatives of other generations were present, although with a very tangential participation, among others, Ramiro and Carmen Gómez, the brothers Ángel and Armando de Fana, Saturnino Polón, Sebastián Arcos Cazabón, director of the Institute of Cuban Studies of the FIU, one of the sponsoring institutions of the meeting, Luz Martínez and Enrique Ruano.
The experience was very relevant. Listening to young Pedro Pérez about his experiences in Ukraine and the importance of working for the future of Cuba, hearing Miss Yoryana Lima – she left the Island a few years ago – comment on her hopes for a better future for our country, was moving and edifying, as was seeing the actor Ricardo Becerra – who worked on the film Planted– expressing that he knew much better the cruelty and injustices of totalitarianism by working on that film, for which reason he does not stop denouncing its abuses, convinces everyone that the fact that many fell in this fight for democracy in Cuba and the imprisonment of so many has not been in vain, because as the activist Kiele Cabrera commented: “We are all united in creating strategies to counteract the narratives of the regime and prepare for the democratic transition within Cuba.”
“We are all united in creating strategies to counteract the regime’s narratives”
It is true that youth does not return, but what we sow in it can be useful for the future of many and our own. It would be very convenient for us Cubans to repeat this experience that was conducted so brilliantly and for the politicians of our hemisphere to grant public spaces to the new generations of their respective countries. Youth is a divine treasure and what we sow in it is forever.
Thanks to Arcos Cazabón, Ángel de Fana and doctors Ramón Barquín and Daniel Pedreira for an effort with such excellent results.
