On Monday, July 4th, my life-partner Penny and I had the great honour of hosting in our home Sandra Ramírez Rodríguez of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the People, and Aileén Carmenaty Sánchez, Press and Cultural Attaché at the Cuban Embassy in Canada. I have to say that Cuba and its people are an…
Category: cuba
Cuban solidarity is an example to the world
Last Monday, on a beautiful summer evening my partner Penny and I had the great honour of hosting Cuban Embassy officials David Aldama Pando, Third Secretary, and Areadna Quitana Castañeda, Press Attaché, as guests in our home. It was two hours of informative, intellectually stimulating discussion about a wide range of topics. The main topic…
The real reason Cubans are taking to the streets
For the seventh day in a row, thousands of Cubans have taken to their streets to demonstrate. The Western media was very quick to frame their actions as demonstrations against socialism. These media portrayals could not be further from the truth. For example, on July 14 the New York Times published an opinion piece by…
Lessons in humanity — and inhumanity
The other night my partner, Penny, and I watched “The Mauritanian” — a new film that’s getting a lot of buzz, and for good reason. I don’t normally blog about movies, but this exceptional movie is worth making an exception for. Most of us have at least heard about the Guantánamo Bay detention camp in…
Pinpointing what’s possible when it comes to vaccines
On the COVID-19 front, I’m delighted to share some great personal news! Out of the blue the other day, I got a call from Pacific Spirit Community Health Centre, which is part of Vancouver Coastal Health. Would I like a nurse to come to my home the next day to give me the vaccine? Of…
Time to push even harder
Last week, I told you that, depending upon the outcome of the US presidential election, it was going to be either cyanide or champagne for my partner, Penny, and I! So you can imagine how elated we were on Saturday morning when all the major news networks called Pennsylvania in favour of Joe Biden. Pennsylvania’s…
When you’re up against the odds: How Cuba’s July 26 celebration can inspire us all today
A few days ago, I, along with supporters of Cuba around the world and Cubans themselves celebrated July 26. What’s so special about July 26? Let me tell you. I think you’ll enjoy the story, mainly because it’s so relevant today, when a lot of us, especially young people, are determined to make what seems…