CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA August 8, 1997 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Friday, August 8, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO PRAISET NEOLIBERALISM AND GLOBALIZATION WRAPS UP IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 4.- 1500 FAMILY DOCTORS' OFFICES QUALIFY FOR THE UNICEF CATEGORY "FRIENDS OF CHILDREN AND MOTHERS" 5.- NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION CHECKS UP ON PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS 6.- NEW BOOK ON ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA TO BE LAUNCHED IN HAVANA CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO PRAISES EFFORTS OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE DURING THE 14th WORLD FESTIVAL OF YOUTH AND STUDENTS Havana, August 8(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro praised the efforts of the Cuban people as well as the Organizing Committee of the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students, which concluded here in Havana last Tuesday. In an open letter to the Cuban people, published on the front page of this morning's daily Granma, the Cuban president said that the tremendous success of the Festival demonstrates that than 35 years by the world's strongest military and economic power. He said that although the Festival was self-financed by donations and contributions from throughout the world, the Cuban people made great, selfless sacrifices to host the international youth event -- even putting up delegates in their own homes. The Cd the hospitality and generosity of the heroic Cuban people, who have once again illustrated their capacity to go forward despite the obstacles placed in their way. SOUTH KOREAN STUDENTS PREPARE TO FIGHT GOVERNMENT PLANS TO ARREST RETURNING YOUTH FESTIVAL DELEGATES Seoul, August 8(RHC)-- In South Korea, the General Federation of University Students is preparing for legal battles when their delegates arrive from Havana and the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students. The South Korean government has promised to prosecute the students who attended the Festival, claiming that they violated "national security." Under that law, the young people who traveled to Cuba face ten years in prison. The South Korean student federation is forging coalitions with other groups in order to wage a major battle in the courts. South Korea and the United States were the only two countries to prohibit their children from attending the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students, held here in Havana from July 28th through August 5th. INTERNATIONAL WORKERS ME00 trade unionists from around the world took part in the three- day event. Representing more than 400 workers organizations and unions from 61 countries, the participants at the international meeting discussed issues facing the workers of the world: unemployment, under-employment, poverty, legislation detrimental towards workers and right-wing attacks on the trade union movement. The final document of the conference denounces neoliberal economic policies as "a new stage of capitalism." The document refers to globalization as "a restrictive, dehumanizing doctrine that poses serious dangers to the very foundations of international coexistence." The conference's final resolution says neoliberalism, "with its indiscriminate efforts to cut labor costs by all means, is undermining not only social justice but also real democracy." Calling on trade union organizations worldwide to organize "in a concerted effort against the practice of neoliberalism and globalization," conference participants agreed to call for the convening of a United Nations summit on employment, salaries and the declining conditions of workers. 1500 FAMILY DOCTORS' OFFICES QUALIFY FOR THE UNICEF CATEGORY "FRIENDS OF CHILDREN AND MOTHERS" Havana, August 8(RHC)-- One thousand five hundred Cuban family doctors' offices are eligible to receive UNICEF'S "Friends of Children and Mothers" Certificate -- in recognition of their encouragement of breast-feeding. During a news conference Thursday, Public Health Deputy Minister Luis Cordova Vargas said that Cuba remains committed to promote the benefits of the practice for both mothers and newborns. According to the Public Health Ministry, the initiative of encouraging breast-feeding has been implemented in 49 maternity hospitals and 56 maternity homes across the island. In 1996, 97.6 percent of Cuban newborns left hospitals having had their mothers' milk as exclusive nourishment. Four months after their birth, 71.1% of the infants were still being breast-fed. Doctors and specialists say that the initiative is making an important contribution to the island's steady reduction of the infant mortality rate, which reached 7.9 last year. NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION CHECKS UP ON PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS Havana, August 8(RHC)-- Cuba's National Electoral Commission is overseeing preparations for municipal elections, set to take place in the island's 169 municipalities on October 19th. National commission officials, divided into three working groups, are checking on the implementation of the Electoral Law in each province. The officials are following up on the commission's instructions regarding voter registration and the status of communications equipment, which will be used to feed the National Commission with vote counts. The provinces of Las Tunas, Camaguey, Ciego de Avila and Sancti Spiritus have already been visited. The Isle of Youth is the next leg of the Electoral Commission's tour. Later this month, visits to the other 11 provinces will take place. NEW BOOK ON ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA TO BE LAUNCHED IN HAVANA Havana, August 8(RHC)-- The Casa de las Americas cultural institution will soon launch the book "The African Dream of Che" by William Galvez. The author was the recipient of the main award in the category of Testimony at the prestigious Casa de las Americas Annual Literary Contest in 1995. The book reveals, for the first time, the experiences of Heroic Guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara, as he assisted liberation struggles in the Congo and other African countries. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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