This article appeared in today's edition of JUVENTUD REBELDE. It takes up a question of particular importance in a society where social and political leadership is consciously organized through a single political party, the Cuban Communist Party. It's a good sign that the organization can address problems of this type openly, and through articles like these readers can learn that problems of which activists are aware are NOT being ignored or swept under the rug.
The Young Communist League is an organization through which individuals can participate in the society's many challenges, and can learn whether or not she or he will want to become a member of the Communist Party. The party, as well, can learn through time and experience, whether a person can or should belong to the Party. As this discussion indicates, not every candidate for membership in the youth necessarily makes the decision to join for pure or disinterested reasons.
Those of us who have belonged to self-described revolutionary groups, particularly in the advanced capitalist countries, came to join through a mixture of activity and learning the organization's political program, and then making a commitment to try to carry that out. In Cuba, where important decisions about career prospects include an assessment of the person's political understanding and committment, such decisions take on a more important meaning. This article shows readers what can happen, both for the individual, and for the organization as well, when membership decisions aren't made on the most deliberate, open, clear and conscious basis.
Building, and even more, sustaining a revolution is never an easy process, but requires constant practice and development. Above all, it requires a great deal of consciousness, all around, for the process to keep working over the long haul.
Walter
Lippmann
Havana, Cuba
October 20, 2007
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UJC Municipal Evaluation Assemblies
The UJC militant card is not a passport
For young men and women membership in the organization should always be a reason to be proud of and never a means to satisfy personal needs.
By: Odalis Riquenes Cutiño
Email: digital@jrebelde.cip.cu
October 20, 2007 01:07:23 GMT
A
CubaNews translation by Ana Portela.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.
ORIGINAL:
http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/cuba/2007-10-20/el-carne-de-militante-de-la-ujc-no-es-un-pasaporte/
Santiago de Cuba.— Forceful, polysemic, the example went deep. Two students of medicine who were brilliant in their specialty were offered the opportunity to join the UJC and made all kinds of excuses…But when they reached the final years of the career, when evaluations had to be made regarding integrality then they suddenly expressed interest in the organization…
Yanet Sánchez, militant of UJC Committee of the Juan Bruno Zayas hospital told the story in the evaluation assembly of the youth organization in the municipality of this province.
“At this time the Base Committee is not interested in growing with these young persons. We need militants that consider entering the organization something to be proud of, a merit, not a means to satisfy personal necessities.
“We must say we grew with thousands of militants, but militants willing to combat and sacrifice,” Yanet explained.
Confronting the dichotomy of growing or not growing with these young persons, their ideas found echo in many delegates for whom quality of membership to the organization has a direct repercussion in the functioning of the base structures and exemplary nature that later becomes a mirror and inspiration to incorporate others.
The lack of rigor that sometimes accompanies the selection of new members of the UJC has a basic flaw which later are serious expressions of militants who do not fulfill their duties and refuse to represent their organization or assume responsibilities.
An unworthy militant becomes a candidate to receive punitive sanctions – a delegate of Oriente University reasoned – someone incapable of confronting problems with the view of doing first and asking later, or wholeheartedly involving their initiative in function of social interests.
Other opinions point to the inner workings of the organizations where some young people join it and live without knowing its history, rules and statutes, without having a clear idea of why they pay dues.
The possibility of transforming these realities is in the hands of the Base Committees. As explained by Roberto Sánchez Figueras, member of the National UJC Committee and first secretary of the province, main responsibility falls on those responsible for the quality of the militants themselves because it is the base structure that approves them.
The instruments to defend the organization are in the hands of its militants as well as the elements to grow a conviction: today as never before the Revolution needs its young people, but this can be achieved with militants who are aware and proud of their organization.
Asambleas Municipales de Balance de la UJC
El ingreso a la organización debe siempre motivo de orgullo para los jóvenes y nunca un medio para satisfacer necesidades personales
Por: Odalis Riquenes Cutiño
Correo: digital@jrebelde.cip.cu
20 de octubre de 2007 01:07:23 GMT
http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/cuba/2007-10-20/el-carne-de-militante-de-la-ujc-no-es-un-pasaporte/
Santiago de Cuba.— Contundente, polisémico, el ejemplo caló. Dos estudiantes de Medicina, brillantes en sus especialidades, reciben la propuesta del Comité de Base para integrar la UJC y dan excusas de todo tipo... Al llegar a los años finales de la carrera, a la hora de las evaluaciones de integralidad, entonces manifiestan un súbito interés por la organización...
La anécdota, contada por Yanet Sánchez, militante del Comité UJC del hospital Juan Bruno Zayas, puso en el camino de las esencias a los asistentes a la asamblea de balance de la organización juvenil en el municipio cabecera de esta provincia.
«A esa hora al Comité de Base no le interesa crecer con esos jóvenes. Necesitamos militantes que vean en el ingreso a la organización un orgullo, un mérito; no un medio para satisfacer necesidades personales.
«Debemos decir: crecimos con miles de militantes, pero militantes dispuestos al combate y el sacrificio», acotó Yanet.
Más allá de la dicotomía sobre si crecer o no con esos jóvenes, sus ideas encontraron eco en muchos delegados, para quienes la calidad del ingreso a la organización tiene repercusiones directas en el funcionamiento de las estructuras de base y en la ejemplaridad, que luego es espejo e inspiración para incorporar a otros.
En la falta de rigor con que a veces se asume la selección de los nuevos miembros de la UJC hay un mal de origen que más tarde tiene caras expresiones en militantes que incumplen con sus deberes y se niegan a representar a su organización o asumir responsabilidades dentro de ella.
Un militante sin condiciones es luego un candidato a ser sancionado —razonaba un delegado de la Universidad de Oriente—, alguien incapaz de abordar los problemas desde la óptica de hacer primero y luego pedir, o de volcar su iniciativa en función de intereses sociales.
Otros criterios apuntaron hacia el interior de la propia organización, en la que algunos jóvenes ingresan y hacen vida sin conocer de su historia, reglamentos y estatutos, o sin tener claridad ante aspectos tan claves y cotidianos como el por qué cotizan.
La posibilidad de transformar estas realidades está en manos del propio Comité de Base. Como lo explicó el integrante del Comité Nacional de la UJC y primer secretario en la provincia, Roberto Sánchez Figueras, los principales responsables de la calidad son los propios militantes, pues es la estructura de base la que aprueba el ingreso.
Los instrumentos para defender la organización están en las propias manos de sus militantes, y también los elementos para hacer crecer una convicción: hoy como nunca la Revolución necesita de sus jóvenes, pero ese aporte solo es apreciable con militantes conscientes y enamorados de su organización.