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Tamara Hansen, Coordinator of VCSC and Jose Angel of SCULA, MC the evening.
VCSC organizers Janine Solanki and Meghan Griffith
Noah Fine, Coordinator of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee Vancouver
The "Brigade Choir" of the 2007 Che Guevera Volunteer Work Brigade to Cuba
Randy Carravagio of Victoria Goods for Cuba
VCSC organizer Max Tennant talking to a party goer about Cuba
Gladys Uribe and Esteban Gonzalez from the Solidaity Coalition for a United Latin America.
Co-op Radio show host and musician Joaquin Ernesto serenading the audience
VCSC organizer Stan Squires reads moving poetry
VCSC organizer Colleen Glynn tending the bar
Nita Palmer and Max Tennant talk about their experience on the 2007 Pastors for Peace Caravan in Cuba
Joaquin Ernesto, host of Romantic Tango on Coop Radio, is joined by US War Resister Brad McCall
FC5C-Van organizer Sarah Alwell calls out raffle winners
Some lucky raffle prize winners!
Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC), Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver and the Solidarity Coalition for a United Latin America (SCULA) organized a 3rd New Year’s Eve Party celebrating the newest anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. This year the celebration was moved to the Welsh Hall due to an increasing in participation and need for more space for the over 280 people who came out to commemorate 49 years of the Cuban Revolution. Unfortunately, due to an unexpected rise in attendance we did have to turn some people away and we do apologize.
The evening began with MCs Jose Angel from SCULA and Tamara Hansen from VCSC introducing the inspiring film of Moments with Fidel. The movie shows Fidel’s greatest speeches demanding a better world where basic human rights like food, water, shelter, education and the right to a decent life are met and we are able to defeat the forces that wage wars, occupation and misery.
After the film opened the evening the first speaker was introduced. Gladys Uribe from SCULA, explained how Cuba’s example gave her hope when she lived in Chile under the US backed dictator Pinochet.
After Gladys spoke, the MCs introduced Noah Fine, coordinator of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver who explained the case of the Cuban 5 heroes currently held in US jails. Noah was followed by Che Guevara Brigade participants who sang a song they wrote that clearly outlines the case of the Cuban 5.
Then MC Jose Angel introduced Randy Caravaggio from Victoria Goods for Cuba who explained how it was great to be able to speak at such an important event that demonstrated the amazing gains achieved by Cuba since the Revolution.
After Randy, MAWO Co-chair, Cuba Solidarity activist and US citizen Alison Bodine spoke, by phone from the US, about she was targeted for her political activity at the Canadian border and then banned from Canada. She is currently in the US working together with groups across Canada and the US to have the ban against her lifted (for more info visit: http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com). This was followed by beautiful harmonies by musician Joaquin Ernesto with lyrics that insist that a better world is not only possible but necessary.
Then Stan Squires, an organizer with VCSC, read poems that helped contribute to an excellent evening of solidarity with Cuba. This was followed by Aaron Mercredi and Brazil Pejvack who explained their adventures with the Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade in Cuba, they encouraged people to come on the Brigade next year. Then, Nita Palmer and Max Tennant explained their experience on the Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba and the need to end the unjust US economic and travel blockade on Cuba.
Finally, War Resister Brad McCall and Joaquin Ernesto played a single song to get everyone in the mood to dance to DJ Su Comandante.
Then the countdown to the New Year arrived with noisemakers, people waving Cuban flags and a video clip of Fidel entering Havana on Jan. 8, 1959 after the triumph of the revolution.
As the night came to a close there was a raffle draw where over 20 people won fancy solidarity prizes. The night ended with people excited for next year’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution in a bigger venue with more people after another year of struggle, resistance and continual demand for justice and humanity.
VIVA CUBA!
Lots of raffle prizes to be won!
Our favorite Dj: Su Commandante!
Lots of delicious food and drinks are served up by VCSC organizer Thomas Davies
New Year's Eve organizers Max Tennant, Kira Koshelanyk and Nicole Burton greet guests at the door
Seven seconds to midnight!
12 MIDNIGHT! with the fall of balloons a new year of struggle begins!
Promoting and selling Cuba solidarity pamphlets!
Dancing the night away!