PEOPLE IN NEED ANNUAL REPORT 2007

22
CUBA
Despite the fact that 2007 was Cuba’s first year since the
revolution without Fidel Castro as Head of State, daily life
remained unchanged for Cubans. According to plan, Fidel
was replaced by his brother Raúl and the island continued
to suffer economic hardship, disregard human rights and
suppress human dignity. Most Cubans continued to spend
most of their time in never-ending queues due to shortages,
were denied access to uncensored information and were
forbidden to travel abroad. Furthermore, around 250 political
prisoners are still kept behind bars and the activities of
independent Cuban civil society groups are constantly
disrupted.
DIRECT SUPPORT IN CUBA
In 2007, PIN continued to directly support the families
of political prisoners and independent Cuban civil
society groups. In addition to financial help, PIN’s couriers
distributed books, medicine, and technical equipment
(memory sticks laptops, cameras etc.). PIN focused on
Cuba’s independent journalists this year, providing them
with financial and technical help and bringing them into
contact with European journalists for mentoring, protection
and professional assistance. PIN also supported several
independent human rights groups and their activities,
organizing professional seminars for them on project
preparation, administration, reporting and implementation.
INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
FOR DEMOCRACY IN CUBA
PIN continued to serve as secretariat for the International
Committee for Democracy in Cuba (ICDC), coordinating
the agenda, communicating with members and organizing
activities. The ICDC’s most important event in 2007 was
the Berlin conference, where all its members met to
discuss the current situation in Cuba, the EU position
towards Cuba, as well as relevant activities of European
institutions, diplomatic missions and NGOs.
Members of the Europe-Cuba NGO Network met at
the Berlin Conference to coordinate the year’s activities.
In 2007, PIN focused on finding new NGO partners from
Central and Eastern Europe looking to implement projects
in Cuba and has already provided several organizations with
the know-how needed to successfully carry out activities.
INFORMATIVE AND PUBLIC ACTIVITIES
In 2007, PIN continued to publish “Cuba-Europe
Dialogues” in English and Spanish. The bulletin offers
professional analyses, information, expert reports
and provides a forum for discussing Europe and
Cuba’s relationship. It also functions as a platform where
our NGO Network partners can present their Cuban
projects. The bulletin works in tandem with the website
www.cubalog.eu, providing current information on the
situation in Cuba by uploading daily world press clippings,
translating articles from independent journalists, and
publishing original feature articles.
Ramon Colas, a Cuban dissident currently living in exile
and founder of the Cuban independent libraries network,
visited Prague and served as a member of the jury at the
One World Documentary Film Festival.
SYMBOLIC PRISON CELL IN PRAGUE
People in Need commemorated the fourth anniversary
of the brutal crackdown on the democratic opposition in
Cuba on March 18, 2003, by organizing a symbolic prison
cell demonstration in the Czech capital.
Financed by: Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PIN’s Club of Friends, NED,
CFC, SOS Cuba public collection, and the US Department of State
Q Photo: © L. Kotek, Berlin, Germany 2007 / Frank Calzón, Director of the Washington Center for a Free
Cuba, attended the Berlin conference of the International Committee for Democracy in Cuba.
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