Radio Havana Cuba, July 1, 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 The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Thursday, July 1, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CHANGE EXISTING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WORLD ORDER IF HUMANITY IS TO SURVIVE 2.- 9th IBEROAMERICAN CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION MINISTERS UNDERWAY 3.- REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF UNICEF ARRIVES IN HAVANA 4.- GENERAL SECRETARY OF ANGOLA'S RULING MPLA PARTY VISITS CUBA 5.- CUBA INVESTS MILLIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS 6.- TOBACCO PRODUCERS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WANT TO SELL CUBAN PRODUCTS IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CHANGE EXISTING ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL WORLD ORDER IF HUMANITY IS TO SURVIVE Havana, July 1(RHC)-- During his on-going visit to Brazil, Cuban President Fidel Castro has insisted that it is "imperative to change the existing economic and social world order if humanity is to survive." The words came late Wednesday evening in a four- hour speech before thousands of people shouting slogans of solidarity with the Cuban Revolution at the Rio De Janeiro State University. Referring to the vast control exercised by the United States over cinema, television and other means of communication worldwide, the Cuban leader said that this powerful industry "is at the service of an ideology and model of consumption that, if allowed to run its present course, will mean the end of history." With his traditional optimism, however, Fidel Castro said it's still possible to fight this tendency with the power of clear and just ideas, and that the people conveying these ideas should not allow themselves to be crushed by the owners of today's world. Along with economic globalization, said Fidel Castro, there has also been a globalization of lies. He said it was very difficult for Cuba to maintain its position at the Latin America-Caribbean- European Union Summit due to those who do not stop in their efforts to deceive the world about Cuba. But, quoting a famous saying by 19th century U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, the Cuban leader said "you can't fool all the people all the time." Fidel Castro said the solidarity of the thousands of people present give credence to that saying. The leader of the Cuban Revolution received several awards and distinctions from local political, labor and student leaders during the event. On Thursday, he was expected to travel to the Brazilian state of Belo Horizonte, where he was invited to participate in Brazil's National Students Congress. 9th IBEROAMERICAN CONFERENCE OF EDUCATION MINISTERS UNDERWAY Havana, July 1(RHC)-- The 9th Iberoamerican Conference of Education Ministers got underway at Havana's Hotel Nacional on Thursday. The two-day meeting will draw up the Declaration of Havana, which will be presented to the heads of state and governments at the Iberoamerican Summit, slated for November in the Cuban capital. The main issue to be discussed today and tomorrow among delegates from 20 countries is the quality of education, development and integration before the challenges of globalization. During the opening ceremony at Havana's Hotel Nacional Thursday morning, Cuban Education Minister Luis Ignacio Gomez focused on challenges faced by education today. REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF UNICEF ARRIVES IN HAVANA Havana, July 1(RHC)-- The Regional Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Per Engebak, told reporters in Havana that Cuba is the country with the most educational advances in the region. During a news conference in the Cuban capital, the United Nations official stated that during next November's Iberoamerican Summit, UNICEF's goals for the year 2000 should be prioritized in relation to the democratization of education. The UN agency wants to re-introduce the issue of children and teenagers on the agenda of the Iberoamerican leaders next November. The regional UNICEF official said that 130 million children from Latin America and the Caribbean do not have adequate education and over 70 percent of the students have to repeat the first or second grade due to a lack of good quality education. GENERAL SECRETARY OF ANGOLA'S RULING MPLA PARTY VISITS CUBA Havana, July 1(RHC)-- The General Secretary of Angola's ruling MPLA Party, Joao Lourenzo, arrived in Havana on Wednesday at the official invitation of the Central Committee of Cuba's Communist Party. In statements to AIN News Agency, the visiting Angolan official said that he is heading a delegation from his Party "to a sister nation that has deep and friendly relations with Angola." Referring to relations between the Cuban Communist Party and the MPLA, the Angolan leader said that those relations are even better than bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries. The general secretary of the ruling MPLA party in Angola also talked about the current situation in his country, calling it "critical" due to the intransigence of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, who wants power by military force. Joao Lourenzo added that the Angolan people must find a definitive solution to the conflict, which has caused great suffering in the African country for more than 20 years. CUBA INVESTS MILLIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS Havana, July 1(RHC)-- Cuba will invest some 340 million dollars this year in environmental programs -- in compliance with agreements adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Among the objectives of the environmental programs is the elimination or reduction of contamination, reforestation and application of conservation measures to stop soil erosion. Cuba will also include environmental education for children and teenagers with the support of the British non-governmental organization "Save the Children" -- in an effort to prepare a new generation for the challenges of the future. TOBACCO PRODUCERS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WANT TO SELL CUBAN PRODUCTS Santo Domingo, July 1(RHC)-- The Association of Tobacco Producers from the region of El Cibao in the Dominican Republic has requested a license to sell Cuban tobacco. The Dominican tobacco producers feel that Cuba could offer its technicians and market experience, while the association would contribute the earnings from some of more than 75 tobacco factories that have closed due to financial problems in the Dominican Republic. According to the Dominicans, one of the causes of the current crisis in tobacco is that large producers have saturated the U.S. tobacco market. [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-14204 1999-Jul-01 21:08:01