Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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Cuba is living proof that a different world is possible
LAUREN HARPER reports from a young trade unionists’ May Day brigade visit to Cuba
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
THE first thing that struck me about Cuba was the language in which they refer to their healthcare professionals. They are constantly referred to as “heroes” and they genuinely mean it all the time — not like how we were encouraged to clap for the NHS during Covid, only to be told healthcare staff don’t deserve a pay rise today.
Additionally, the language they use is always collective. Never once were we told “I designed this vaccine” or “this team designed the vaccine” — it was always “we created five vaccines against Covid-19.”
Rightfully, the country is incredibly proud of the work it completed during the pandemic to save lives, all in the face of a brutal blockade enforced by the imperialist US.
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ADRIAN WEIR charts the intercontinental trade union solidarity with Cuba and its desperate predicament
CLAUDIA WEBBE says the US is tightening the noose to destroy Cuban socialism — the need for immediate, international solidarity is urgent
While ordinary Americans were suffering in the wake of 2005’s deadly hurricane, the Bush administration was more concerned with maintaining its anti-Cuba stance than with saving lives, writes MANOLO DE LOS SANTOS