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The Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba Sendoff:
An Evening of Film, Discussion, Music, Dance, and Celebration!
On Friday June 29th the Unitarian Church was abuzz for the Pastors for Peace Send Off cultural evening. Over 60 people made their way to the event organized by the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, the Free the Cuban 5 Committee – Vancouver (FC5C-Van) and Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC).
The evening began with Master of Ceremony, Janine Solanki from Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba, welcoming everyone. She introduced a special welcoming from Mary Bennett, a member of the Canadian Unitarian Council and the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver. Ann gave a beautiful welcoming saying she was happy to see so many young people involved in such an important issue. Mary was followed by some moving Cuban poetry read by two members of VCSC, April Desilets and Thomas Davies.
After the stirring poetry came a great Cuban film, Desafio, about the challenges of the Special Period in Cuba (the time after the Soviet Union collapsed), the film shows how people in Cuba came together to solidify and show their support for the gains of the Cuban revolution during a time of immense challenges, while the US increased its aggression and immoral blockade against Cuba.
The film was followed by two speakers: Sophie Ziner, an organizer with VCSC and the BC to Texas route coordinator for this year’s Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba. Also the featured guest speaker, Nancy Abbey, from the Santa Cruz Cuba Study Group and the US-Cuba Sister Cities Association, came all the way from California to share her message of solidarity with Cuba and demanded that the US lift the illegal blockade against Cuba. Both speakers explained the importance of Cuba solidarity work and encouraged audience members to get involved.
The crowd was then taken over by flamenco dancing sensation, Bonnie Stewart, who came and graced us with her beautiful dancing style. Janine then invited up members of the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church. In a presentation of friendship Thomas Davies read a poem and they were each given flowers on behalf of VCSC and the FC5C-Van for their continued support of Cuba Solidarity work.
Music soon filled the air as Pablo Oyzaro and Beto Fuentes played their beautiful renditions of classical Latin American songs of resistance. Ending with the famous Cuban song “Guantanamera” members of the crowd could no longer stay in their seat and got up to dance.
The evening wrapped up at about 10pm as audience members and organizers alike, needed to go home and get some rest to be ready for the bus ride to the Pastors for Peace border crossing the next morning!
