MATERIAL AID COLLECTION

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.

Therefore our main material aid campaign is an annual Container for Cuba Appeal which is a political campaign to raise awareness about the US blockade amongst as wide a layer of the British people as possible, and which also asks them to donate money or goods to send several 40ft containers of health and educational materials to Cuba each summer.

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.

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. As a result of this work unions such as the NUM and UNISON have for several years been sending containers of aid to Cuban copper miners and Cuban health workers. In 1999 trade unionists set up their own appeal Salud! which was supported by the CSC and culminated in the despatch of 1000 tons of aid on a Cuban boat - ambulances, buses, powdered milk, medical equipment, computers, paper etc.

In the year 2000 our minimum material target is to send 500 computers in a container for Cuban colleges and schools. In this we hope to be collaborating with some of the British teaching unions Large amounts of medical equipment and materials, including a number of
ambulances. In this we will be collaborating with the Salud! project whose prime goal this year is to send ambulances and equipment to help rebuild the
Cuban ambulance service.

You can assist the Container Appeal by:

• Making a cash donation - cheques payable to CSC at Cuba Solidarity Campaign, 129 Seven Sisters Road, London, N7 7QG. £15 for instance would sponsor the sending of a computer.
• Donating medical supplies/equipment or working second hand computers (pentiums or ‘486’ machines only), via your nearest CSC local group.
• Joining in with the campaigning activities of your nearest CSC local group.

Details of your nearest local group can be obtained from the CSC office.

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