Cuba focuses on training to protect human lives and property

[dipsydoodle]

• IN these hard times, when nature is asserting its power without differentiating between rich and poor countries, here in Cuba we have drought, while other peoples face floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and burning jungles, as if the planet were settling accounts. Cuba is preparing, as it does every year before the hurricane season (June 1 – November 1), with the traditional training and practice exercise Meteoro 2011, in order to strengthen organization and the people’s ability to respond to natural disasters.

The Civil Defense General Staff, which is responsible for the activities, announced that participating in the first day of the exercise were Civil Defense Council command and organizational bodies at all levels – provincial, municipal, in defense zones, plus Revolutionary Armed Forces and Ministry of Interior units, institutions and state bodies – in order to evaluate the disaster response plans and other issues.

Sunday, May 22, beginning in the early hours of the day, activities began with exercises intended to provide not only practice, but also information about the level of risk, especially in those communities exposed to particular dangers. Within tourist sites, service and health centers, factories, towns and neighborhoods across the country’s 15 provinces and the special municipality of the Isle of Youth, the organization and cohesion of the response system was tested. In some localities, the management of efforts to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito was reviewed while, in other areas, plans to deal with the accidental release of noxious gases were practiced.

According to reports from Cuban press correspondents, in the eastern, central and western provinces of the island various simulations of dangerous situations were organized. In Santiago de Cuba, chance would have it that a perceptible tremor actually occurred, adding urgency to the need to understand such dangers and the plans in place to protect human lives and property in the event of such natural phenomena.

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/cuba-i/24may-meteoro.html

From what I've read previously on this subject Cuba seems to be the best organised country on the planet when it comes to protecting the lives of their citizens from the effects of natural disasters.

[Billy Burnett]

1. Indeed.

Here's a link to a Mika post i had saved, from OXFAM America ...

OXFAM America: DISASTER PLANNING ESSENTIAL FOR MINIMIZING RISKS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4653650&mesg_id=4653878

[Judi Lynn]

2. Great thread. Absolutely love that photo Mika posted concerning the UN's special recognition

of Cuba's environmental work in the area of desertification.

http://www.iisd.ca.nyud.net:8090/desert/cop6/pix/0825/castkids5.JPG
The little bumble bee at center stage gets me every time. It reminds those of us who have bothered to research that Cuba has been totally invested in inclusion of ALL Cubans in improving their lives, making strides in various therapies and work in schools for young and old disabled Cubans, bringing people from all over the world to study with them, learn their programs, techniques, discoveries. I learned years ago that U.S. American psychology workers had been going there for a long time, studying their music and dance therapies, long before we really commonly heard of it here.

I have seen a lot available concerning Cuba's teachers and their enthusiastic support and investment in helping Cuba's blind students learn what they need for independent living.

http://www.musicfundforcuba.org.uk.nyud.net:8090/news/images/57_53.jpg
In May 2010, the Music Fund for Cuba signed a cooperation agreement with the Abel Santamaría School for blind and visually impaired children in Havana that will strengthen the charity’s long-term support for the institution.

Lying on the outskirts of Havana, the school provides specialised care for 145 children; 47 blind children, 8 deaf and blind children and 90 children with a visual impairment aged between 4 and 14 years. It aims to integrate the children into main stream schools as soon as the child is ready by means of an outreach project which continues to support children at their high schools. There are 64 teachers, including speech therapists and psychologists, and classroom assistants. Some of the teachers are also visually impaired.

The school, which occupies the site of an old army barracks, has several classrooms and they have just refurbished the nursery. The computer classroom includes specialist computers, Braille printers and specialist software purchased with funds raised by the Music Fund for Cuba’s Cycle Cuba Challenge. Sponsorship has also been used to purchase each child a speaking watch and calculator and provide educational and musical equipment in the Art and Music rooms.

The school was named after Abel Santamaría, one of the martyrs of the Cuban revolution who helped lead the attack on Moncada Barracks, Santiago de Cuba, on July 26, 1953. Captured during the attack, Abel was murdered in prison after being brutally tortured. He had his eyes gauged out by Batista’s henchmen. After the revolution, all schools and hospitals for visually impaired children were named after Abel Santamaría in his honour.

http://www.musicfundforcuba.org.uk/news/article/57/Long-term-support-to-school-for-visually-impaired

http://www.havanatimes.org.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/gallery/terry-fox-race/fox%2043.jpg

Terry Fox Run: Cuba
March 25, 2009
By Irina Echarry, Photos: Caridad

HAVANA TIMES, March 24 – Downtown Havana’s Prado Street filled with people last Saturday on the first day of spring, as the Capitolio Building was both the starting and finishing lines for the annual Terry Fox Run.

Despite the rain, or perhaps because of its presence, the event was more touching than in previous years. Prosthetic legs, crutches, wheelchairs, canes – all were wet from the puddles that formed in the street.

Yordan Dueñas was the first Cuban to cross the finish line. “I’m 16 years old, and since I was a little kid I have come here to run. I want to see that sick people are treated. I know I’m not a magician, but my participation gives them support,” he said.

The race is not competitive, but Yordan always runs as if by winning he could save lives.

More:
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=6579

ETC. ETC.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Thanks for re-posting

the link to Mika's post.

Prize goes the one who pointed out they can't have DVD players. Universal healthcare but no DVDs - life's a real bitch sometimes. :sarcasm:

[Billy Burnett]

4. And even that point was factually incorrect.

:rofl:

That was a great thread that Mika got going. It is a keeper for sure.


:hi:

[Billy Burnett]

5. This thread had 3 recs yesterday. Today, none.

Must piss off the Cubaphobes that the Cuban infrastructures do a great job at protecting the Cuban people.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Undoubtedly. It's not so "every teabagger for himself" as it is in some places here!

Most of us WERE taught civility, but it's not the civil ones among us who bully Cuba, and the other countries, either.