From: "michael a. lebowitz" <mlebowit@sfu.ca>

Dear Friends,

Last week in Havana, foreign participants at the conference 'Karl

Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century' agreed that we could not ignore

the current situation in which Cuba finds itself due to the actions of the

United States. We heard from many Cubans (including Fidel in a dialogue with

us) and then put together a statement of solidarity which reflected the

various concerns of the participants and which we think reflects the

concerns of many on the Left. We hope that you will read this statement,

will agree to support it and will circulate it widely. The initial signers

are listed below, and additional signatures can be sent to

marxdreams@hotmail.com.



Dreams and Nightmares

Communique of Solidarity by Foreign Participants in the international

conference ´Karl Marx and the challenges of the 21st century'´

1. Humanity has always dreamt of a better world, one marked by equality,

solidarity, and the ability of all people to survive and develop their human

potential. Today we are living through a nightmare, in a new era of world

domination: that of armed neoliberalism.

2. The series of interventionist wars, from Yugoslavia to Iraq, traversing

Afghanistan, constitutes what seems to be only the beginning of a longer

process.

3. But fortunately the recent and immense protest against the war and in

favor of peace has demonstrated that the people of the world , including

significant sectors of the North American people, reject this nightmare.

4. This project is led by a group of leaders from the United States who

don't only look to control the resources of the planet, but also to

establish a universal juridical, political and moral order under their

cynical hegemony.

5. These leaders are militarizing the world and are initiating what they

call cynically "preventive wars". They do not hesitate to violate

international rights and to generalize the inhuman practices inaugurated at

Guantánamo. Further they do not hesitate to reduce the civic liberties of

their own citizens and to destroy the democratic tradition of their own

people.

7. They do not hesitate to adopt attitudes and actions with hegemonic

and racist characteristics.

9. Cuba is at the doorway of the empire and it fears, not without reason,

that it can be one of the next targets. There are many signs that support

this fear: the growing media offensive, the accusations of terrorism,

diverse type of provocations, an increase of the extent of the blockade, the

financial support of opposition and of subversion, the announcement of

future attacks on the country by government spokesmen.

10. Today Cuba is trying to realize those dreams of a better world. No one

knows better than the Cuban people themselves how far they have to go yet to

realize their dreams. But the political and social achievements of the

revolution, the result of their socialist project, demonstrate that dreams

can be realized. Those achievements and hopes for a better world are

threatened by a power based in inequality, force and war.

11. Despite our pain about the recent use of capital punishment in Cuba, a

pain we know is shared by the Cuban government itself, we understand that we

must fight against the nightmare that threatens Cuba and all our dreams for

a better world. We denounce the current process of violence on the part of

the U.S. government. We oppose turning Cuba into another Iraq, and we

reaffirm our solidarity with the Cuban people and their revolution.

May 8, 2003

Listado Firmantes Declaración Conferencia Carlos Marx y los Desafíos del

siglo XXI.

Nombre País

Alarcón C., Sandra Colombia

Albritton, Robert Canadá

Alcaraz, Vicente España

Alnasseri, Sabah Irak/Alemania

Alzaga, Luciano Suecia

Amezcua, Cuauhtémoc México

Amin, Samir Senegal

Bienefeld, Manfred Canadá

Bond, Patrick Sud Africa

Boulavka, Liudmila Rusia

Brückner, Gerhard Alemania/España

Burkett, Paul USA

Campbell, Al USA .

Chelala, Santiago Argentina

Chernomas, Robert Canada

Clarke, Simon UK

Cole, Ken Inglaterrra

Comellas Carrizo, Carmen España

Cooney, Paul USA

Cordero, Teresa México

Cottrell, Allin USA

Diaz Díaz, Julio España

Edwards, Seán Irlanda

Egan, Daniel USA

Escobar, Heron México

Fainman, Fagie Canadá

Fernández G., Javier México

Ferrer, Salvador México

Foley, Barbara USA

Gallardo, Helio Costa Rica

Gil De San Vicente, Iñaki Euskal Herria

Guerrero, Diego España

Harnecker, Marta Chile

Hart-Landsberg, Martin USA

Hodson, Diana Canadá

Houtard, François Bélgica

Jiménez, Lola España

Kohan, Néstor Argentina

Kotz, David USA

Labica, Georges Francia

Lebowitz, Michael Canadá

Lynch, Colin Canadá

Marín, Michelle UK

Masondo, David Sud Africa

Mavroudeas, Stavros Grecia

Mcdonough, Terrence Irlanda

Mészáros, Donatella Inglaterra

Mészáros, István Inglaterra

Miller, Nchamah Colombia

Milonakis, Dimitris Grecia

Monereo, Manuel Espana

Morales, Manuel Bolivia

Moseley, Fred USA

Natarajan, J. India

Nayeri, Kamran Iran/USA

Ngwane, Trevor Sud Africa

Orellana, María de Lourdes México

Ortiz, Dante Rep. Dominicana

Rauber, Isabel Argentina

Rolein, Strennie Belgica/Cuba

Salem, Bassel Ismail Palestina

Sánchez R. De Zapata, Matilde México

Skalon, Ana de Argentina

Spassky, Andrei Rusia/Cuba

Stanford, Mark UK

Stein, Philip USA

Suárez, Federico España

Torres, José España

Vogel, Lise USA

Ware, Robert Canadá

Yañez, Gonzalo México

Yeu, Marian Canadá







---------------------

Michael A. Lebowitz

Professor Emeritus

Economics Department

Simon Fraser University

Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6