Radio Havana Cuba, August 10, 1999 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org (NY Transfer Note: No Report in English was received from RHC on Monday, Aug 9, 1999) The following news items were taken from Radio Havana Cuba's English language service which broadcast on Tuesday the 10th August 1999. 1. CUBAN PRESIDENT SAYS CUBAN MEDICINE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE REVOLUTION'S CREATION OF VALUES 2. CUBA-COLOMBIA CULTURE WEEK INAGURATED ON MONDAY IN THE COLOMBIAN CITY OF CALI 3. JAPANESE SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA BRIGADE VISITS THE ISLAND 4. LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN CONTINENTAL STUDENTS ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO MEET IN HAVANA 5. CUBA'S CIENAGA DE ZAPATA WETLANDS MAY BECOME A MEMBER OF THE RAMSAR CONVENTION CUBAN PRESIDENT SAYS CUBAN MEDICINE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE REVOLUTION'S CREATION OF VALUES Havana, August 10 (RHC)-Cuban President Fidel Castro said that Cuban medicine is an example of the Revolution's creation of values. The statement was made during the graduation ceremony in Havana, of over four thousand health professionals and technicians. The Cuban leader spoke about the human impact of the work of the Cuban doctors currently offering their services in other countries. He pointed out that Cuban medicine is an example of what could be done for the world's health. The Cuban President stressed that the island does not have financial capital, but it does have human capital and recalled that last year the Cuban government offered Central American and Caribbean nations two thousand doctors to aid the victims of Hurricane Mitch and George through the year 2002. During Tuesday's graduation ceremony the Cuban President outlined that the Cuban doctors do not run private practices or do business with health services, they receive most of what they need and the Cuban leader stressed that each year they will receive more as the country continues with its economic recovery and advances. He added that private medicine only benefits those that can afford it and pointed out that this method is unjust. The Cuban leader said that societies that apply this method are the ones that talk most about human rights, those that are most inhuman, selfish, and individualist . 2,390 doctors will enroll this year at the School and at the Higher Institute of Medical Science as well as over two thousand nursing, dentistry and health technicians. With this graduation the number of health professionals on the island adds to 65,000 making Cuba top the list with the most number of doctors per capital in the world. CUBA-COLOMBIA CULTURE WEEK INAGURATED ON MONDAY IN THE COLOMBIAN CITY OF CALI Cali, August 10 (RHC)-A Cuba-Colombia culture week was inaugurated on Monday in the Colombian city of Cali as part of the 8th meeting of organizations and committees in solidarity with Cuba. Speaking to hundreds of people at Cali's Municipal Council, the President of the Solidarity Committee, Gustavo Rojas outlined the friendship ties with the Cuban people and urged for systematic work in an attempt to strengthen bilateral ties. The Cali City historian, Rolando Rodriguez, will offer a master conference on independence leader Simon Bolivar and Cuba. Among some of the other activities programmed for the week in Cali is a showing of some of the best of Cuban films during the last 40 years. JAPANESE SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA BRIGADE VISITS THE ISLAND Havana, August 10 (RHC)-The President of the Japanese Solidarity with Cuba Brigade, Nami Yamamoto characterized his visit to the island as successful and explained that it has been a positive experience having learned the Cuban reality and praised the Cuban people. Yamamoto heads a group of 13 Japanese that visited the island for two weeks as part of a solidarity project which toured various provinces, and did voluntary work in sugar cane fields as well as citrus plantations in Havana. LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN CONTINENTAL STUDENTS ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO MEET IN HAVANA Havana, August 10 (RHC)-The Latin American and Caribbean Continental Students Organization continues its sessions in Havana with close to 50 delegates. During the meeting, which will run until Friday, the participants will analyze the role of student movements before the advance of neoliberalism. The debates will permit the member nations of the Latin American and Caribbean students Organization to assume a common position to be presented in the Youth Seminar on Neoliberalism to take place in Havana next Monday with the participation of over 800 delegates from almost 70 countries. CUBA'S CIENAGA DE ZAPATA WETLANDS MAY BECOME A MEMBER OF THE RAMSAR CONVENTION Havana, August 10 (RHC)-Cuba officially presented its technical entry to have the Cienaga de Zapata Wetlands join the Ramsar Convention . The Ramsar Convention was created in 1971 for countries, institutions and people interested in the preservation of wetlands. The delegate from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in Matanzas province, Angel Alfonso Martinez, said that once accepted as a member of the Ramsar Convention, the Zapata wetlands will have financial access for community projects, research, environmental issues and others. He added that other Cuban areas would also be included among the list of the world's most important wetlands. The Cienaga Zapata Wetland is the largest and best conserved in the Caribbean. Located in Cuba's central southern region, it has some 4,500 square kilometers, over 900 vegetable species and 160 birds, many of them using the wetlands as a migratory corridor. [c] 1999, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org rhc-eng-1747 1999-Aug-10 18:16:56