Our Aim
Our material aid collection for Cuba starts from the premise that any aid we raise will always be tiny in relation to the needs of the Cuban economy and therefore the best material aid we can give is political assistance in achieving the lifting or the breaking of the US economic blockade. This means building the broadest possible solidarity campaign and wider movement against the blockade
Secondarily through material aid appeals we aim to build solidarity with Cuba amongst particular sectors of the population and to encourage direct links between those sectors, such as trade unions and other organisations in this country, and their Cuban counterparts.
Within Cuba the aid alleviates some shortages but perhaps more important is the morale building effect amongst the Cuban people of knowing that aid is coming from over 100 countries around the world including the solidarity movement in the US itself.
What we send
Our main material aid campaign is an annual Container for Cuba Appeal. This is a political campaign to raise awareness about the US blockade amongst as wide a layer of the British people as possible, which also asks them to donate goods or money to send several 40ft containers of material aid to Cuba each summer.
The aid sent is principally:
Who sponsors our appeal
In 1997 the appeal was sponsored by 70 MPs/MEPs and 5 major trade
unions. Aid was collected in 35 cities throughout the British Isles
and loaded into containers travelling round the country one weekend.
Several regional send-offs culminated in a final Cuba Lives fiesta
in London attended by 8,000 people.
We sent the equivalent of 3.5 containers with goods valued at
£250,000, some of it to Cuban government ministries for
distribution, some to specified destinations as part of a union to
union, school to school etc. direct linking. Accompanying the aid
went a delegation of CSC and trade union activists to observe the
arrival and impact of the aid and report back widely on their return
Other types of aid
We also have two ongoing material aid appeals, for
Medical aid and Educational Aid.
These have received wide sponsorship by trade unions and
professionals in the relevant fields. Their aims are to raise both
cash and goods to send to Cuba, build support for Cuba in those
sectors, and to foster direct links between health/education workers
& professionals in Britain and their Cuban equivalents.
Finally we recognise that other local and national organisations
occasionally send material aid to Cuba out of a mixture of political
solidarity or humanitarian motives. Where appropriate we offer advice
and support to these initiatives. [On line protest] [Events] [Material Aid] [Membership form] [Brigades] [Facts File on Cuba]
[Cuba Si! index]
[Other Cuba links]
[CSC Contact]
[Web contact]
[Sponsors] [contents overview]