"The Cuban leadership has confidence in its youth," Cantero explained, pointing to how the campaign to defend Elián González had started with the activities and projects among young people. The U.S. government refused to simply return González to Cuba for seven months after he was rescued at sea. Massive mobilizations in Cuba during the entire time showed the Cuban people's determination to not let Washington get away with this affront to its sovereignty.

The February 17 meeting, which drew about 50 people, was held at the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) headquarters. Cantero was welcomed by Andrew Ferguson, New South Wales president of the CFMEU, and also by Castro Abdullah, a visiting construction workers' union leader from Lebanon. Greetings were also given by Luis Almario, from the Colombian Solidarity Committee and the Simon Butler from Resistance, which organized the UJC leader's tour to Australia.

In her talk, Cantero said one of the main projects of the UJC is to increase the cultural level of all Cubans. One example she pointed to is the broad number of courses available through the University for All--a televised school aired three times a day so that workers and students can study according to their schedules.

Another initiative is establishing schools to train revolutionary social workers who collaborate with youth and working people in their community to tackle various problems that need addressing. This includes everything from eradicating the sources of dengue fever to questions about jobs, housing conditions, and alcoholism.

Cantero said the UJC is campaigning to defend five Cuban revolutionaries who were arrested in Florida, framed-up by the U.S. government on charges of conspiring to "commit espionage" and "murder," and sentenced by a federal judge to jail terms of between 10 years and life. The UJC leader said the five had been working to inform the leadership of the Cuban Revolution of terrorist activities being organized against the country by Cuban counterrevolutionaries in the United States.

During the discussion a student asked what can be learned from the Cuban Revolution about how to organize youth who are "apathetic" in Australia. "The most important thing is not to get tired," Cantero said. "Everyday there are meetings of students: it is a political and ideological battle."

In Cuba today, "mass mobilizations are a habit," she said, and Cuban youth are well informed about what is happening in the world through their access to a range of newspapers and news programs. "When mobilizations are called, we understand what the action is about."

Cantero said the delegation from Cuba that participated in the 15th World Festival of Youth and Students last August in Algiers was very broad and multinational. "There were young people studying in Cuba from 52 different countries who participated in the delegation and helped increase solidarity with other countries," she said.

Linda Harris is a member of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union.  
 
 
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