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The two incidents were quite different. The first was caused by having to operate under fire (from the Houthis), and the second from having to operate at night.
There has been a general tendency, in the US military among others, to depend on fewer people and more expensive weaponry. So, ethically, the question becomes, "How much is the life of a member of the military worth?"
We should ask Putin and Netanyahu how much a civilian life is worth.
My worry about the US, more and more, is that we are now at the stage Germany was at in the 1930s. Will the USA be the axis power in the next world war? I think it really is possible if the MAGA group can hold onto power. It would require a more intelligent Fuehrer than Trump. Ron DeSantis comes to mind.
I think that if the US navy is so stressed by a bunch of rebels like the Houthis that it can no longer operate effectively they should stay away from any war with a serious enemy by which I mean any actual country.
In war, aircraft are often lost. It's not unexpected. Also, in war, casualties are very often not directly caused by enemy action. E.g., friendly fire has been a threat since forever.
The solution to the dangers of war is to stop having wars.
One way to reduce the number of wars is to stop trying to rule people who don't want to be ruled by you. The Houthis are fighting against rule by the Saudi-sponsored government of Yemen. The Palestinians are fighting against rule by the government of Israel.
Canada is fighting against rule by the government of the USA. Will the USA and Canada once again go to war against each other?
"Yankee, Go Home!" - Canadian Anti-Trump Song
What's our life and freedom worth When a tyrant seeks our earth, Aiming to subdue our land with greedy hand? But we'll stand against his might, Canada won't yield this fight, And we'll shout across our free and sovereign land:
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home! Keep your deals and go back home. Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes, Don't tread on our hopes and dreams. As our anthem proudly sings, Canada stands! Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home! Keep your deals and go back home. Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes, Don't tread on our hopes and dreams. As our anthem proudly sings, Canada stands!
Trump and his cronies proclaim Canada should play their game, "Join us as the fifty-first state", they demand. But our spirit won't be sold, Freedom's worth more than their gold, We'll resist their grasp with every steadfast hand.
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home! Keep your deals and go back home. Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes, Don't tread on our hopes and dreams. As our anthem proudly sings, Canada stands! Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home! Keep your deals and go back home. Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes, Don't tread on our hopes and dreams. As our anthem proudly sings, Canada stands!
Yankee, learn our northern ways, We won't bow to your displays. When looking at our land, close your greedy eyes. Try to force us, and you'll find Canada's not yours to bind. For the True North strong and free will always rise.
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home! (You gotta) Keep your deals and go back home. Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes, Don't tread on our hopes and dreams. As our anthem proudly sings, Canada stands! Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home! Keep your deals and go back home. Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes, Don't tread on our hopes and dreams. As our anthem proudly sings, Canada stands!
Gaza (Quds News Network)- Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza is pushing Palestinians toward conditions that threaten their existence as a group, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned. Reported plans
A number of Palestinian citizens suffered suffocation after Israeli forces attacked citizens on St. George's Day in the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem.
The utilization of mobile jaw crushers in contemporary industry extends far beyond mere material processing; it embodies a critical nexus of innovation and efficiency. These robust machines play a pivotal role in various sectors, including mining, construction, and recycling, showcasing a myriad of applications that enhance productivity and sustainability. In this article, we will delve into the multifaceted role of mobile jaw crusher for sale, exploring their operational mechanics, the diverse industries they serve, and their contributions to environmental stewardship.
Understanding the Mechanisms of Mobile Jaw Crushers
The Anatomy of a Mobile Jaw Crusher
At its core, a mobile jaw crusher consists of two main components: the fixed jaw and the movable jaw. The fixed jaw remains stationary, while the movable jaw exerts force against the material, effectively crushing it. This action is facilitated by a hydraulic or mechanical system that generates significant pressure, allowing for the reduction of large rocks into smaller, manageable fragments. The design of these machines is not arbitrary; it is the result of extensive engineering aimed at optimizing performance and durability.
Operational Efficiency and Innovations
The efficiency of mobile jaw crushers is largely attributed to their design and technological advancements. Modern mobile jaw crushers incorporate features such as adjustable settings for product size and integrated automation systems that enhance operational efficiency. Innovations such as variable speed drives and advanced control systems enable operators to optimize the crushing process, reducing energy consumption and increasing throughput. These enhancements not only streamline operations but also contribute to cost savings and improved safety standards in the workplace.
Diverse Applications Across Industries
Mining and Material Extraction
In the mining sector, mobile jaw crushers are indispensable. They are employed in the initial stages of ore processing, where large boulders are fragmented into smaller pieces suitable for further processing. This primary crushing function is crucial for extracting valuable minerals and metals from the earth. The robustness of mobile jaw crushers for sale allows them to withstand the rigors of mining operations, making them a reliable choice for extracting resources efficiently.
Construction and Demolition
The construction industry also heavily relies on mobile jaw crushers for material processing. These machines are utilized for recycling concrete and asphalt, turning waste into reusable aggregates. This not only reduces landfill waste but also conserves natural resources, aligning with contemporary sustainability goals. In demolition projects, mobile jaw crushers facilitate the breakdown of structures, ensuring that materials can be repurposed rather than discarded. This dual role of recycling and material processing underscores the versatility of mobile jaw crushers in construction applications.
Environmental Contributions and Sustainability
Recycling and Waste Management
As global awareness of environmental issues escalates, the role of mobile jaw crushers in recycling and waste management becomes increasingly significant. These machines enable the efficient processing of recyclable materials, transforming waste products into valuable resources. By facilitating the recovery of metals, plastics, and aggregates, mobile jaw crushers contribute to a circular economy, where materials are continuously reused, thereby minimizing environmental impact.
Reducing Carbon Footprint
Moreover, the operational efficiencies achieved through modern mobile jaw crushers play a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of industrial processes. By optimizing energy consumption and enhancing throughput, these machines help industries move toward sustainability. The ability to recycle materials not only conserves resources but also diminishes the environmental degradation associated with raw material extraction. In this way, mobile crusher plants serve as a vital link in the chain of sustainable industrial practice.
In conclusion, the multifaceted role of mobile jaw crushers in modern industry is a testament to their significance in enhancing operational efficiencies, driving innovation, and promoting sustainability. As industries evolve, these machines will continue to adapt, ensuring their place at the forefront of material processing technologies. Their contributions extend beyond mere functionality; they embody a commitment to responsible and efficient resource management in an increasingly environmentally conscious world.
The Cradle. US President Donald Trump announced on May 6 that Washington had ended its illegal war against Yemen, saying the Ansarullah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) "no longer want to fight."
Karl Marx: Money lowers all the gods of mankind and transforms them into a commodity. Money is the universal, self-constituting value of all things. It has therefore robbed the whole world, both the human world and nature, of its own peculiar value. Money is the essence of man’s work and existence, alienated from man, and this alien essence dominates him and he prays to it. wordsmith.social/protestation/…
Otto Kuusinen: As long as the working class wages only an economic struggle, the bourgeoisie does not see in that any great danger for itself; but when the working class organises politically, i.e., creates a political party which expresses its will as a class, the bourgeoisie begins seriously to fear for its rule. That is why reaction deals its main blows against the political party of the working class. At the same time, trying to undermine the party from within, capitalist propaganda endeavours to persuade the workers that they can do without their own party. One of the manifestations of bourgeois influence on the working class is the anarchist and anarcho-syndicalist denial of the leading role of a political party.
Democritus: Not from fear but from a sense of duty refrain from your sins.
Democritus: Many who have not learned wisdom live wisely, and many who do the basest deeds can make most learned speeches.
Democritus: Fools learn wisdom through misfortune.
Democritus: Strength of body is nobility in beasts of burden, strength of character is nobility in men.
Democritus: Neither art nor wisdom may be attained without learning.
Democritus: It is better to correct your own faults than those of another.
Democritus: Good means not (merely) not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.
Democritus: Fame and wealth without wisdom are unsafe possessions.
Muammar Gaddafi: We will not surrender. We will defeat them by any means. We are ready for the fight, whether it will be a short or a long one. We will be victorious in the end. This assault is by a bunch of fascists who will end up in the dustbin of history.
Democritus: By convention sweet is sweet, bitter is bitter, hot is hot, cold is cold, color is color; but in truth there are only atoms and the void.
Democritus: We know nothing accurately in reality, but (only) as it changes according to the bodily condition, and the constitution of those things that flow upon (the body) and impinge upon it.
Democritus: Medicine heals diseases of the body, wisdom frees the soul from passions.
Democritus: Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man.
Democritus: Men have fashioned an image of Chance as an excuse for their own stupidity.
Democritus: In a shared fish, there are no bones.
Democritus: Education is an ornament for the prosperous, a refuge for the unfortunate.
Democritus: The animal needing something knows how much it needs, the man does not.
Democritus: Moderation multiplies pleasures, and increases pleasure.
Democritus: If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.
Democritus: No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge.
Democritus: In fact we do not know anything infallibly, but only that which changes according to the condition of our body and of the (influences) that reach and impinge upon it.
Democritus: Of practical wisdom these are the three fruits: to deliberate well, to speak to the point, to do what is right.
Democritus: 'Tis not in strength of body nor in gold that men find happiness, but in uprightness and in fulness of understanding.
Democritus: He who does wrong is more unhappy than he who suffers wrong.
Samuel P. Huntington: The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion (to which few members of other civilizations were converted) but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact; non-Westerners never do.
Marjori Palmer: One of the most morale-damaging aspects of the inflation was the "sack of Germany" that occurred at the height of the (1923) inflation. Anyone who possessed dollars or sterling was king in Germany. A few American dollars would allow a man to live like a millionaire. Foreigners swarmed into the country, buying up family treasures, estates, jewelry and art works at unbelievable low prices.
Lionel Robbins: It was the most colossal thing of its kind in history: and next probably to the Great War itself, it must bear responsibility for many of the political and economic difficulties of our generation. It destroyed the wealth of the more solid elements of German society: and left behind a moral and economic disequilibrium, a breeding ground for the disasters which have followed. Hitler is the foster child of the inflation.
Lenin: There is no trace of utopianism in Marx, in the sense that he made up or invented a 'new' society. No, he studied the birth of the new society out of the old, and the forms of transition from the latter to the former, as a natural-historical process. He examined the actual experience of a proletarian mass movement and tried to draw practical lessons from it.
Che Guevara: Many will call me an adventurer - and that I am, only one of a different sort: one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes.
Democritus: The first principles of the universe are atoms and empty space; everything else is merely thought to exist.
Bertolt Brecht: Lenin is enshrined In the large heart of the working class.
"Ukrainian Investigation": Russia has sharply increased production of Kh-101 missiles, while simultaneously experiencing a shortage of critical components en.topwar.ru/264260-ukrainskoe…
According to an "investigation" by a private Ukrainian intelligence company, Russia has significantly increased the production of cruise missiles while simultaneously facing a shortage of critical components due to Western sanctions.
Pyongyang, May 7 (KCNA) — Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, gave field guidance at major munitions enterprises under the Second Economy Commi…
Everyone has the right to make up their own minds about these tensions and the Kashmir Conflict that lies at their core, but they should also know that there’s more to all this than what they might be led to be believe by the organized pro-Palestinia…
Banning geoengineering over Florida makes an important political point, but it doesn’t actual protect anyone. The atmosphere is constantly moving, and geoengineering anywhere affects the who…
Rousseau: Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains. One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they. wordsmith.social/protestation/…
Otto Kuusinen: As long as the working class wages only an economic struggle, the bourgeoisie does not see in that any great danger for itself; but when the working class organises politically, i.e., creates a political party which expresses its will as a class, the bourgeoisie begins seriously to fear for its rule. That is why reaction deals its main blows against the political party of the working class. At the same time, trying to undermine the party from within, capitalist propaganda endeavours to persuade the workers that they can do without their own party. One of the manifestations of bourgeois influence on the working class is the anarchist and anarcho-syndicalist denial of the leading role of a political party.
Democritus: Not from fear but from a sense of duty refrain from your sins.
Democritus: Many who have not learned wisdom live wisely, and many who do the basest deeds can make most learned speeches.
Democritus: Fools learn wisdom through misfortune.
Democritus: Strength of body is nobility in beasts of burden, strength of character is nobility in men.
Democritus: Neither art nor wisdom may be attained without learning.
Democritus: It is better to correct your own faults than those of another.
Democritus: Good means not (merely) not to do wrong, but rather not to desire to do wrong.
Democritus: Fame and wealth without wisdom are unsafe possessions.
Muammar Gaddafi: We will not surrender. We will defeat them by any means. We are ready for the fight, whether it will be a short or a long one. We will be victorious in the end. This assault is by a bunch of fascists who will end up in the dustbin of history.
Democritus: By convention sweet is sweet, bitter is bitter, hot is hot, cold is cold, color is color; but in truth there are only atoms and the void.
Democritus: We know nothing accurately in reality, but (only) as it changes according to the bodily condition, and the constitution of those things that flow upon (the body) and impinge upon it.
Democritus: Medicine heals diseases of the body, wisdom frees the soul from passions.
Democritus: Immoderate desire is the mark of a child, not a man.
Democritus: Men have fashioned an image of Chance as an excuse for their own stupidity.
Democritus: In a shared fish, there are no bones.
Democritus: Education is an ornament for the prosperous, a refuge for the unfortunate.
Democritus: The animal needing something knows how much it needs, the man does not.
Democritus: Moderation multiplies pleasures, and increases pleasure.
Democritus: If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.
Democritus: No power and no treasure can outweigh the extension of our knowledge.
Democritus: In fact we do not know anything infallibly, but only that which changes according to the condition of our body and of the (influences) that reach and impinge upon it.
Democritus: Of practical wisdom these are the three fruits: to deliberate well, to speak to the point, to do what is right.
Democritus: 'Tis not in strength of body nor in gold that men find happiness, but in uprightness and in fulness of understanding.
Democritus: He who does wrong is more unhappy than he who suffers wrong.
Samuel P. Huntington: The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion (to which few members of other civilizations were converted) but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact; non-Westerners never do.
Marjori Palmer: One of the most morale-damaging aspects of the inflation was the "sack of Germany" that occurred at the height of the (1923) inflation. Anyone who possessed dollars or sterling was king in Germany. A few American dollars would allow a man to live like a millionaire. Foreigners swarmed into the country, buying up family treasures, estates, jewelry and art works at unbelievable low prices.
Lionel Robbins: It was the most colossal thing of its kind in history: and next probably to the Great War itself, it must bear responsibility for many of the political and economic difficulties of our generation. It destroyed the wealth of the more solid elements of German society: and left behind a moral and economic disequilibrium, a breeding ground for the disasters which have followed. Hitler is the foster child of the inflation.
Lenin: There is no trace of utopianism in Marx, in the sense that he made up or invented a 'new' society. No, he studied the birth of the new society out of the old, and the forms of transition from the latter to the former, as a natural-historical process. He examined the actual experience of a proletarian mass movement and tried to draw practical lessons from it.
Che Guevara: Many will call me an adventurer - and that I am, only one of a different sort: one of those who risks his skin to prove his platitudes.
Democritus: The first principles of the universe are atoms and empty space; everything else is merely thought to exist.
Bertolt Brecht: Lenin is enshrined In the large heart of the working class.
Cranes drive critical operations, but their performance rests on the quality of their parts. A single failure can lead to costly downtime or safety risks.
Cranes drive critical operations, but their performance rests on the quality of their parts. A single failure can lead to costly downtime or safety risks.
This concise guide outlines how to pick crane parts that deliver reliability and keep your work on track.
1. Identify the Part Accurately
Start by pinpointing the exact part:
Part number or name
Crane make and model
Specs (load rating, size, voltage)
Refer to the manual or manufacturer to avoid errors. Wrong parts cause delays and added costs.
Tip: Send your crane parts supplier a photo of the part and its markings for precise identification.
2. Invest in Quality
Low-cost parts often lead to frequent failures, safety hazards, or downtime. Choose quality Kobelco crane parts with:
Proven durability
Certifications or test reports
Reliable warranties
Certified rebuilt parts can save money if sourced from a reputable supplier. Avoid generic or untested brands.
3. Work With a Trusted Crane Parts Supplier
A reliable crane parts supplier ensures you get the right part. Choose one with:
A deep inventory for fast access
Crane-specific expertise
Support for technical questions
A strong industry reputation
Pro tip: Stick with a few suppliers for priority service when time is critical.
4. OEM or Aftermarket?
OEM parts: Built by the crane’s manufacturer for guaranteed performance.
Aftermarket parts: Third-party options, varying in quality.
Use OEM for safety-critical parts like load sensors or brakes. High-quality aftermarket parts can work for minor components if the supplier is trustworthy.
Ask: Would the supplier rely on this part for their own equipment?
5. Verify Fit and Compatibility
Parts that look right may not be. Check:
Bolt patterns
Electrical requirements
Load and size specs
Incompatibilities can cause wear or void warranties. Confirm with your supplier if unsure.
6. Consider Delivery Times
Delays can be costly. Ask:
Is the part available now?
How long will shipping take?
Are there backup options?
For long waits, explore rebuilt parts or temporary solutions to keep operations moving.
7. Check Maintenance Requirements
High-maintenance parts increase costs. Ask about:
Service intervals
Wear rates
Lifespan expectations
Parts with low-maintenance features, like self-lubricating bearings, can save time and money.
8. Maintain Spare Inventory
Stock spares for high-wear or slow-to-ship parts, such as:
Contactors
Filters
Wire ropes
This minimizes downtime. Monitor usage to reorder proactively.
9. Equip Your Crew
Skilled installation is vital. Train your team to:
Spot wear early
Install parts correctly
Test systems post-repair
Consult your crane parts supplier for advice on new components.
10. Investigate Persistent Failures
Repeated part issues may point to bigger problems:
Gear failures? Check alignment.
Electrical shorts? Inspect wiring.
Brake wear? Review load balance.
Address root causes to avoid recurring costs.
Final Thoughts
Selecting crane parts requires attention to quality crane parts, proper fit, and a dependable crane parts supplier. This ensures your crane performs safely and efficiently.
Questions about parts or suppliers? I’m happy to help.
HL Equipment Pte Ltd is a company specializing in the sales of heavy construction equipment and crane spare parts. Our main focus is to provide a wide range of quality crane spares for customers from all over the world.
SANAA, May 07 (YPA) – The Yemeni armed forces of Sanaa government announced on Wednesday evening conducting military operations targeting the Israeli entity and the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman.In a new statement issued this evening, Sanaa forces
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Day 0 of the Cuba Brigade Wednesday on 2025-04-23 Hannover, Germany (GMT+1)
Today would be the day where we'd all have to finish our preparations, get to know all final info before the brigade, and drive to Frankfurt in order to stay the night and be on time for the flight tomorrow. Nothing really exciting, except for me who just started packing today! But... how did we get here, and what even is a „brigade”?
Unlike previously presented, I am not flying to Cuba to deliver the Mastodon plushie (exclusively). For the past half a year, I've been studying Spanish, going to prep meetings, and learning a lot about Cuban culture, politics, and history as part of a political delegation: a youth brigade through labor day (1st of May). The final preparation meeting was on the 4th of April, just recently: a whole weekend where we even met a Cuban ambassador to have a long conversation with. I asked her how much she believed German politicians in the Bundestag make, she couldn't believe my response (450.000 Cuban pesos a month). The entire conversation was an inner flower picking, as she explained everything she knew with a choice of words akin to that of a poet.
This is organized by Cuba Sí, a work group inside of the political party The Left, which I am a part of. This is the second year where this brigade is also funded by the Leftist Youth Solid (Linksjugend ['solid], the youth organization of The Left) and the SDS – Socialist-Democratic Student Association (Sozialistisch-Demokratischer Studierendenverband), hence we have a lot more people coming! I believe 24 people are joining this year, all from different places in Germany, and a wide age range of rather young people (from 19 to 29).
We have a two week program with a mixture of everything one needs to get to know Cuban culture, the people, politics, and general life! We'll even regularly work on a field! However, visits to the infamous medical university ELAM, El Cano and its city council, a primary school, as well as the labor day demonstration with over 500k people in Havana, and much much more are part of the program too!
Within this mess, I'll have to find time for an appointment with my friend Jorge, who happened to have won the little giveaway we've done last year regarding a Mastodon plushie. Since then, we've talked a lot about what he as a teacher needs, so I managed to also bring a laptop, a bag to hold it, as well as some utensils he asked for. The plushie hence doesn't just arrive as a meaningless gift, but also lots of technology to bypass the horrible international blockade by the United States of America.
You can download a PDF of our schedule in German here, but I'll try to translate it to the best of my abilities:
CIJAM: Campamentamento Internacional Julio Antonio Mela, the camp we will stay at
Thursday, April 24, 2025 Night: Arrival in Cuba. Transfer to your hotel in Havana. Accommodation and dinner.
Friday, April 25, 2025 09:00 a.m.: Meeting at the Cuban Institute for Friendship among Peoples (ICAP) 11:00 a.m.: Visit to the Fidel Castro Center Afterwards: Transfer to CIJAM Evening: Accommodation and dinner
Saturday, April 26, 2025 (From April 26th, the Brigade program will be included in the May Day program until May 2nd) 07:45 a.m.: Departure for the work visit 02:30 p.m.: Exchange with students from Artemisa University.
Sunday, April 27, 2025 07:45 a.m.: Departure to the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) 08:30 a.m.: Work visit and exchange with students at ELAM 02:30 p.m.: Exchange with students from Artemisa University
Monday, April 28, 2025 Morning: Opening of the International May Day Brigade 10:00 a.m.: Presentation on the “65 Years of ICAP” campaign 11:00 a.m.: Regional exchange between brigade members of all countries 03:00 p.m.: Conferences on the culture war and digital warfare at CIJAM 08:00 p.m.: Dinner and "Cuban Night"
Tuesday, April 29, 2025 08:00 a.m.: Departure to nearby communities 08:30 a.m.: Visits to primary schools Lunch: At CIJAM 02:30 p.m.: Departure to nearby communities 03:00 p.m.: Visits to health facilities Evening: Preparations for the "International Night" and May Day parade (painting banners, etc.) 08:00 p.m.: Dinner and "International Night"
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 08:00 a.m.: Departure for Havana 09:00 a.m.: Meeting with the UJC national leadership Lunch: In the city 03:00 p.m.: Film screening at the cinema: "Belly of the Beast"
Thursday, May 1, 2025 03:00 a.m.: Wake up and breakfast 04:00 a.m.: Departure for Havana 07:00 a.m.: May Day parade Afterwards: Free time 05:00 p.m.: Departure to CIJAM
Friday, May 2, 2025 08:00 a.m.: Departure to Havana 09:00 a.m.: Solidarity event at the Palacio de las Convenciones 05:00 p.m.: Accommodation at Vila La Kuka
Saturday, May 3, 2025
09:00 a.m.: Departure for the El Cano project Morning: Meeting with the local government and community members 02:00 p.m.: Visit to a family doctor’s office in El Cano 04:00 p.m.: Meeting at the Casa de la Cultura in El Cano
Sunday, May 4, 2025 09:00 a.m.: Departure for the project in El Cano and community work 11:00 a.m.: Visit to the pottery project and meeting with the workers 12:00 p.m.: Lunch at Vila La Kuka Afternoon: Tour of Old Havana and its main squares, visit to the Museum of the Revolution
Monday, May 5, 2025 08:00 a.m.: Departure for Santa Clara 02:00 p.m.: Reception at the ICAP premises 03:00 p.m.: Visit to a state-owned company (mipymes)
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 09:00 a.m.: Visit to the Che Memorial 11:00 a.m.: Visit to Marta Abreu University
Meeting with students and leaders of the FEU and UJC
Visit to a state-owned company (mipymes) 02:00 p.m.: Departure for Havana Afternoon: Visit to the PCC Ñico López Party School
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 10:00 a.m.: Meeting at ICAP 03:00 p.m.: Visit to the José Martí Monument 06:00 p.m.: Departure to the airport 09:45 p.m.: Departure
Wow, it's quite a lot! Especially since this plan can change spontaneously any time! The past months have been a hassle, especially to get all the documents, insurance, clothing, and everything else in advance to begin. You can also look at the list of recommended / required items to bring, with the Dviajeros-Form, international health insurance documents, sun screen (!!!) and mosquito spray (!!!!), foot wear for field work, etc. I've prepared well, but this morning up until the late afternoon was the exact time where I'd have to put it all into my suitcase.
It took a few hours to pack everything, nothing important from the list was missing, everything else I'd find a way to get it up until the next day. I still had some things to do such as withdrawing cash and sending some E-Mails, but afterwards I said goodbye to my friends in Hannover and left for the train. I left at 16:57 from Hanover and arrived 19:44 in Frankfurt, but I wasn't alone: a friend of mine who will also be joining me on the brigade to Cuba accompanied me on the same train. We also helped one another prepare the whole time and shared info, for example I printed some flight documents she needed and she brought toilet paper which I didn't have spare at home (the CIJAM probably doesn't have much).
Once arrived in Frankfurt, a city I have many memories of (such as getting the servers required to initially build the very Mastodon instance I'm writing this post on), we drove to the city and state party bureau of The Left in Hessen / Frankfurt and got to talking. It was nice seeing almost everyone again. It was an odd feeling to know I'd be intensively spending the next two weeks with them, but the realization of the whole ordeal slowly settles in. Not everyone was here tonight as there was a traffic jam, and everyone coming from Berlin was stuck on the Autobahn.
They had a scale for our suitcase at the bureau, so everyone measured how much we could potentially still store for a few items we would bring to support Cuban schools and hospitals. We also discussed what songs to sing for the international night st the CIJAM, and some repetition of what would be happening the next day.
I adjusted some draft for a social media post we will make about this event on Instagram on labor day, I obviously won't have the internet to do it in Cuba, at least not easily.
After an oddly short amount of time, we all decided to go to a Cuba themed bar (Club Voltaire) in Frankfurt. I don't drink alcohol, so I ordered a virgin Cuba Libre, how original.
We all knew we had a long day, including an intercontinental 10 hour flight, after a four hour flight, ahead of us. So, after a few short heated debates, and one brigade member swiftly completing the first lesson of duolingo, we called it quits and split as a group. Me and my other friend from Hannover sleep at one of the organizer's places! Much more cost effective than a hotel for the night.
I'm documenting all of this as I'm lying in a sleeping bag on the floor at 2 AM. The next two weeks are gonna be a wild ride for sure, and my alarm is already ringn' in three hours. I'll better call it a day, and write a muuuuch longer and detailed briefing on everything happening here on the flight tomorrow! Once you're seeing the next post, I'll be on this one small island in the Caribbean that refuses to back down! 🇨🇺🕊️
Frankfurt, Germany (GMT+1) Thursday, 24th of April 2025 at 02:16 ----END OF DAY 0 OF THE CUBA BRIGADE----
Day 1 of the Cuba Brigade Thursday on 2025-04-24 Hannover, Germany (GMT+1)
06:40 (GMT+1) We just woke up (alarm at 6:35). I haven't slept much since I wanted to finish the documentation from yesterday first! We agreed upon leaving at 7:10 because we wanted to be at the airport at 8:00, as our flight is leaving 10:55.
Let the day of flights begin!
07:22 (GMT+1) We're currently on on a suburban train (S-Bahn) to Frankfurt central station, from there we'll go to the airport! The gate we'll have to be at (Terminal 2, Area E, Level 2 in front of the baker Kamps) is exactly the same where I picked up my American trans friends a month ago when they fled from the USA.
07:35 (GMT+1) We're at a train station waiting for a train to Frankfurt airport.
UX1502 UX51
09:28 At the gate
11:26 in the airplane (for already a longer time, like 30 minutes). Minutes away from take off! We're on the runway now. 11:27. Despite having flown before, my heart is pounding, I think it's exciting every time. Especially as I'm sitting right next to the right wing and hear it roar.
We've taken off. I can't see anything, as it's the thickest hoard of clouds I've seen. Pitch white. Everywhere. The roaring turbine sounds have blended into the background noise, the airplane still at an incline and rising to the right altitude. I would not want to be the pilot, steering through this sea of nothing. I've never seen a kind of white like this before. So bright that it is blinding. The only notice of a exterior world existing is the shadow the airplane is casting upon itself.
11:33 We've just now risen above the clouds. For the first time I can see what is below us, or that there is anything below us, as the pilot is adjusting the direction of the airplane. We're still at an incline as the seatbelt sign turns off.
15:13 (GMT) (Madrid) We're sitting at the gate (B20) and waiting for boarding which started three minutes ago!
16:09 (GMT) Sitting in the final airplane from Madrid to Cuba. I've sent my final messages to friends and family before being probably very disconnected for two weeks! I'm just leaving for such a short amount of time, yet it feels like I'm leaving forever...
16:35 (GMT) We're in the air! This airplane is massive compared. To the other one, once again I'm seated at the wings. I'm prepared for a 9 hour and 15 minutes flight ahead of me to Havana, although, I'm a bit sad: I desperately tried sending an important E-Mail to someone before leaving. I even received WhatsApp messages etc. but the E-Mail just wouldn't send. It's a shame they'll have to wait another 9 hours for it.
21:53 (GMT) I guess the flight is more than halfway done. It's currently just 15:53 in Havana. Once we arrive, it'll be sooner than it is now. So confusing. I've tried sleeping for 40 minutes, it was more like resting. It's not an issue, I've pulled all-nighters before and one could see what I'm doing now as that. A passenger undarkened the window in front of us which awakened my circadian rhythm. I think my sleep cycle can handle a shift of a few hours, it's like staying up super late with the added bonus of not having to get up early in comparison.
01:23 (GMT) It's now 25 minutes to arriving at our destination! We're still at 11.277m high and traveling with 850km/h. I'm looking outside to see the bright sun, and that feels like gaslighting, as to me it's 1:30 in the morning.
1:27 (GMT) We're just now at 9.275m in the air! Falling so quickly, although I'm almost not feeling it (beyond my ears popping).
19:52 (GMT-4) or 01:52 (GMT) WE JUST LANDED! I've rarely experienced a smoother landing. The people clapped, probably because the 9 hour flight is finally over! The clouds before landing were magnificent, I took dozens of pictures. Now, once landed, it's very foggy everywhere.
Before the flight, I had a debate with my girlfriend about whether to bring a sweater. I was of the firm belief that I wouldn't need one, due to the general temperature in Cuba, she said something about the flight possibly being cold, which convinced me, since I remember my first intercontinental flight when I was 15 to San Francisco from Reykjavik to be very, very cold up in the air. This time I had to take that sweater off, I still believe I won't need it for this trip.
20:21 Currently at the D'Viajeros. There's two cameras pointed at everyone walking by, taking pictures of their faces, which are displayed on a laptop screen. It was kind of creepy seeing it so transparently, but at the end of the day most / all airport security systems take pictures of your face, I guess this was the only one that shows it. I was advised to not take pictures, already caused a scene back in Germany when trying to film the TSA. Generally I should inform myself better when it comes to filming in public, as military personnel for example isn't allowed to be filmed.
21:18 (GMT-4) I'm already on a bus! After passing through every check the airport had and getting our luggage quote swiftly, a local guide picked us up who is coordinated by the first of may brigade and in extension Cuba Si. He's known to the organizers of our group who were welcomed by him with open arms.
Once entering the bus close to Havana airport we started driving and got a small introduction about the CIJAM and what we can expect in the coming days. Looking around, it's fascinating seeing many oldtimers (some of them even being Trabbis).
Sadly, due to the very different climate and thicker air (very good idea to take off my sweater, btw) my camera's lense was frogging.
We drove past the Plaza de la Revolución, INDER (Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Educación Física y Recreación de Cuba), and the ministry of defence...
21:32 The longer we stay in the bus, the more the thick and warm air becomes apparent to me.
It started raining, luckily I have my rain jacket in my bag.
21:47 We've arrived at the hotel Deauville in Havana. There's still a buffet and we're all pretty hungry and or tired.
22:44 We got incredible food. Not many vegetarian options, but they were great anyway! Even with dessert. We figured out that we can exchange euros for Cuban pesos at the hotel lobby, which would be smart considering the WiFi here is also 25 CUP / hour. If you're reading this, I've probably paid that amount for some hours.
Once I'm settling down and all things for tomorrow (such as the time to get up and general planning) are sorted, the feeling of “sudden” tiredness overcomes me. It's 5 AM in my original timezone, I've been up for 23 hours already, what a long day...
23:08 I've just exchanged 50€ for 15.000 Cuban pesos, a 1:300 exchange rate, which is better than the official ones, I think. Or maybe I've been ripped off. I don't care, when westerners get scammed in Cuba, they still think they've gotten a good deal. Have a meal for 5€, all Cubans will believe it's overpriced, whilst people like me would be surprised at such a low cost.
Regardless, I've split my money up into several locations because I don't want to be robbed and left with nothing. However, it's also illegal to take Cuban pesos out of Cuba, so I really have to remember where that stuff is in order to not cause a scene. With my newly acquired Cuban pesos I will hopefully be able to afford WiFi.
I've gotten WiFi for three hours, it was actually only 25 CUP per hour for Cubans. Everyone else had to pay 200 CUP / hour of internet, with a credit card as a preferred method of payment.
Some time later we went out and walked around in Havana, at the shore, through the city. I've taken many fascinating photos and have seen a lot.
01:43 Oh man, now I've been awake for over 24 hours. It's been a long day, so much to learn and process. I should get a good night of sleep before being too tired to experience tomorrow!
Havana, Cuba (GMT-4) Friday, 25th of April 2025 ----END OF DAY 1 OF THE CUBA BRIGADE----
I've been in the museum of the alphabetization movement in Cuba! Did you know that the US funded counter-revolutionaries to kill teachers who tried to increase literacy? Some of them were kids! The youngest person joined the literacy campaign by the age of 9!
The same tactic was used by the Mujahideen (also a US backed terrorist organization) when the democratic people's party of Afghanistan had a similar campaign to decrease illiteracy.
Day 2 of the Cuba Brigade Friday on 2025-04-25 Havana, Cuba (GMT-4)
Schedule for Today
09:00 a.m.: Meeting at the Cuban Institute for Friendship among Peoples (ICAP)<br>11:00 a.m.: Visit to the Fidel Castro Center<br>Afterwards: Transfer to CIJAM<br>Evening: Accommodation and dinner<br>
7:15 This is when I set my alarm, however, I've awoken several times at night. Once due to a bad dream, and once due to a dream my hotel roommate from the brigade had. He started talking to me in the middle of the night, asking me if I could remember the word he just thought of, I think we were all a bit shaken by the prior day and being awake 25 hours to travel across the globe. I showered, then got to the hotel's breakfast! We got many fruits (mango slices, dragonfruit, melon, pineapple), an omelette made in front of your eyes, and rice with beans, potatoes, oats and milk — there was lots to choose from!
After breakfast I packed my things and went to the bus. We needed to be on time at 09:00, so I was standing downstairs, luggage and carry on bag in hand at 08:50.
9:15 We're sitting in a bus off to our meeting with ICAP and later at the Fidel Castro Center. I love the ride through Havana, the buildings have a certain style that I haven't seen before.
11:20 We're just now leaving ICAP, it was great! We walked into a palace-like building with a large garden and a small hand-sized statue of Jose Marti on a table at the entrance. Two people were hosting a Q&A event, the person of ICUP responsible for Europe.
We asked the hosts many questions regarding Cuba's history, the political work of ICAP, especially focused on youth work by the party's youth organization. We discussed Cuba's modern problems, the mistakes in its past (such as too much of an economic reliance on the Soviet Union and the failed reform of the Peso) as well as the creation of organizations like Cuba Si in the wake of the fall of the eastern bloc.
We learned that ICAP works with over 2000 organizations across 150 countries, and that Cuba Si is doing excellent work in comparison, especially in the field of agriculture. We talked about options to bypass the blockade, both as individuals, non government organizations, and nations. They discussed how modern support by nations governed by sometimes leftist parties, nowadays focuses on electrical support through solar panels, as this makes Cuba's electricity more independent from crude oil import.
We've discussed the influence of the United States, as well as the debacle of its embassy closing for made up reasons.
The history of ICAP is entangled with the history of the U.S.'s actions against Cuba itself. The organization was founded on the idea that through international solidarity, Cuba would not stand alone when it is being attempted to be isolated.
Shortly after leaving we've arrived at the Centro Fidel Castro Ruz, which is a very modern museum (built only three years ago) to preserve the history of revolution and one of its children, Fidel Castro. The museum documented all of his personal writings, his involvement in historic events such as the Bay of Pigs invasion, and a small scale replica of Castro's boat used in the revolution, as well as detailed explanations of guerilla tactics. The museum also documented achievements in which Cuba helped globally, such as its international doctor program. It had an interactive section where you could look country by country what Cuba is supporting there, the Germany section even included images of and by Cuba Si! This is how we were made aware that our organization is mentioned in this very important museum.
The museum did a good job of portraying Castro as who he was, with no sugarcoating or anything. They managed to showcase his successes without undermining the work of the millions of Cubans that aided the revolution too.
13:17 Once leaving the museum we went to this restaurant (El Aljibe) and were supposed to just have rice with black beans, yet it turns out we got chicken (I didn't eat those since I am vegetarian), omelette, soup, potatoes, salad, then afterwards rice with black beans, I got at the bar a few non-alcoholic drinks, and at the end we got a good coffee and rice pudding. The restaurant had live music and there were cats walking through it. I was told not to pet them, but I did anyway (I thoroughly washed my hands after).
15:03 After leaving the restaurant, we'd drive to the National Museum of the Literacy campaign (Museo Nacional de la Campaña de Alfabetización.). Right after the successful revolution, the communist party of Cuba decided to do something against the illiteracy in the country, and mobilized 107.000 people, a majority of which being women, and also children / teenager aged 8 - 19, to educate the nation's illiterate and teach them how to read and write. This campaign lasted one year, and helped over 700.000 people! This museum documents that. The final test to prove your acquired literacy was to write a letter to either your teacher or Fidel Castro. The museum has every letter ever written to Castro there, some of which displayed.
The campaign wasn't too easy, however, as 42 teachers were killed by US backed contra revolutionaries. It truly shows you're on the wrong side if you have to kill people for the crime of education.
16:36 In a bus to the CIJAM!
It's incredible! Though there was a power outage and we have no WiFi. When we arrived, we sang songs and were welcomed warmly by the other people here. I'm sleeping with 6 people in one room!
19:04 After dinner at the CIJAM in a circle. We discussed the next day, which includes going to a field to work. We'd be woken up by 5:45 AM (or earlier), then we'd have ~1 hour to get ready (shower, eat breakfast), then 07:00 AM we'd collect ourselves at the center of the CIJAM to discuss in what groups we are divided, hence who does what field work, then we're going on a truck and off we go to the fields.
The Americans filled their buckets with the drinking water to shower, now there's no drinking water. There was a scorpion in the women's bathroom, and I seemed to be the only one freaked out about that.
There are beautiful fireflies everywhere, and once the sun disappeared under the horizon, I was able to see the night sky for the first time. The stars looked very different from what I was used to in Hannover.
22:09 Aggressive cicada chirping as ASMR. I hope no scorpion climbs in my bed.
CIJAM, Cuba (GMT-4) Friday, 25th of April 2025 ----END OF DAY 2 OF THE CUBA BRIGADE----
This card was used by the hundred thousand people of the literacy campaign in Cuba as a method of identification. Giving the power of literacy to over 700.000 people in just one year is possible when that is an actual goal, and not just an empty promise.
Accessing the internet through mobile data in Cuba makes you sometimes appear in some city on the border between Ukraine and Poland. It appears that the 4G towers are directly connected to a VPN / proxy to bypass US restrictions, or that's what I assume.
The camp I'm staying at for the May Day brigade has ~120 Americans, many British and even some Australians. If you're from those regions and wish to experience Cuba like I am (with direct contact to farmers and doing field work with them, participating in the May Day demonstration with over 500.000 people in Havana, and actively learning about Cuban politics and their institutions) there must be many, “cheap” options for you!
I've heard from one American that they had to pay ~$800 to come here through Cuba solidarity networks, which is the norm. I think that's really cool!
We may question what our job is, what it is that we can do, not from a white saviorist perspective, but within our own countries to better the conditions for the Cuban people? Well, we're at the belly of the beast. By preventing European nations and the USA from exploiting the global south, we'd create the conditions for the Cuban project (among many others) to flourish!
Day 3 of the Cuba Brigade Saturday on 2025-04-26 CIJAM, Cuba (GMT-4)
4:57 I just woke up, before my alarm (at 5:00) even. Not sure why, but I appreciate it, now I can use the showers and everything before the others wake up.
06:21 The showers were good, water and power worked! I brought an extension cord with multiple outlets, so I could use my one adapter to charge multiple devices. My camera's battery, my phone(s), my power bank(s).
Waking up so early was on purpose, as me and a friend wanted to take a walk before everything starts! We went deep into Cuban nature (30 minutes down a road lol) and it was magnificent. We witnessed the beginnings of a sunrise, saw the half moon (which was huge) and realized the stars in the night sky had pretty similar patterns to what we are used to.
7:29 The breakfast was great, just bread with eggs. I needed two portions as I was pretty hungry. Afterwards I was told I couldn't eat two portions, yet it was our guide Marcos who got me the second one. I'm very confused, yet will refrain from getting a second portion again!
We just finished doing sports at the central place. It was a mixture of army training and Tai Chi. A friend lost a screw in her glasses, so we spent like 15 minutes walking around trying to find it, as it was tiny, it was like finding a needle in a haystack. We obviously didn't find it, she fixed her glasses with tape.
11:36 We just came home from the field work. We sat, cramped in a van with 40 people, drove there, and after three hours we drove back again. We were walked through the farm and shown our place of work. It was a pile of dirt that needed to be turned soft and then put into plastic bags with saplings of a tree the farm had a plantation of.
We made about 2000 small bags and 1000 large ones, which was valued at about 8700 Cuban pesos with our united work force in the three hours we worked there. It's laughably low, but the plants we planted and the fields we worked on help the local economy and rebuild from the damaged of hurricane Katrina. It's mainly supposed to be symbolic to show us what life in Cuba is really like, but it's also good because the workers who usually work here can have a free day!
I'm done, probably have a sunburn (despite showering in level 50+ sunscreen, wearing a Kufiya around my neck, long sleeve shirt AND a hat) and my face looks like I've been stuck in the mines for a decade. What a time, and the day has just started!
13:48 The lunch was good (cooked aubergine with rice, black beans, and potatoes, as well as a pudding jam hybrid as dessert). I'm so tired from work, considered going to sleep “shortly”, but then I realized that representatives from the student organization would come soon!
13:58 The student organization (FEU — Fedéración Estudiantil Universitaria) came, about 20 people. We'll talk with them now! It was a lovely conversation with us asking many questions regarding how their work looks like. Our student organization in Germany (the SDS) primarily focuses on protesting the university administration's decisions, or trying to get better materials, more rights and democratic participation in all of the university processes. They just looked at us funnily, when we explained the differences in opinion between an administration and student council. The fact we needed pro Palestine protest camps in Columbia and many other universities to ask their administration to divest from funding a genocide was something that was very foreign to the Cuban student council FEU, as the administration would simply agree with them, including the specific topic of support for the liberation of the Palestinian people, but all the others too. Any decision in the university is one they're involved in, not just symbolically, but they always have to come to an agreement, and there's rarely a disagreement. I've really pressed the representatives by the FEU to name a specific example of such a process where the administration disagreed with the ideas of the student council, and they couldn't come up with one.
Another question I asked was about this specific process of coming to an agreement, and their response was very eye opening to me, who was used to our civil democracy's solution finding processes.
An embarrassing thing occurred too, however. I often filmed responses, as my limited understanding of Spanish and the rudimentary translation lead to me not understanding many things. A former federal speaker of the FEU was apparently very critical of me doing so, explaining they weren't a human zoo and that recordings can be taken out of context to damage reputation. He said those things in a direct and confrontational way, but in Spanish. So I just smiled and nodded whilst continuing to record, like an idiot.
Afterwards we had another talk where I asked for consent for all the footage (despite me not knowing about my mistake at this point) and we shook hands many times and left in good spirits. In the future, so I've decided we'd not record natural occurrences and conversations (as much as I'd love to do that) but go to people and interview them after.
22:08 Lots happened — we had a good talk with the FEU, we had wonderful dinner, I finally brought the Mastodon plushie (and laptop) to my friend, we had multiple discussions and plenary sessions, and two of my friends and I went on a late night walk around the CIJAM. We didn't go into the same direction as this morning for a walk, so we ended up on a lot more “dangerous” paths. There were scorpions in our way and a huge (dead) spider. We ended up on the path to some farm, and were greeted by five dogs speeding loudly at us with glowing eyes. I didn't keep calm and began running away (which I know is a bad idea, but what was the alternative, dying?), and after a while they weren't after us anymore. We still have no idea what we approached there, there was also a military testing ground in the area, although we don't think we went close to that. What a fascinating evening!
CIJAM, Cuba (GMT-4) Saturday, 26th of April 2025 ----END OF DAY 3 OF THE CUBA BRIGADE----
Day 4 of the Cuba Brigade Sunday on 2025-04-27 CIJAM, Cuba (GMT-4)
04:58 I got up, showered, washed my clothes, and felt sore from yesterday! But I'm really okay. Despite the experience of scorpions, huge spiders, and dogs which hunted me down last night, I felt well rested. I had NO sun burn nor mosquito bites, my methods worked.
07:56 We gotta wait to go to the ELAM and subsequent work day (rescheduled for 45 minutes) as the British people arrived late and we need to go as one group.
I had another walk with a friend of mine and showed him a section of the camp we were never introduced to (we never had a tour of the CIJAM, so basically everything we see needs to be “discovered” by ourselves). It was right next to the entrance where a security guard sits, a grass field with benches, and a memorial in front. The memorial was one of many, all sitting on bright red stars. It read “MUERO POR LA REVOLUCION” or “I die for the revolution” with a sculpture of someone's head on top. The other stars had signs, sometimes, heads, sometimes images on a readable height above them, detailing foreigners who died and showed solidarity to Cuba throughout their lifetime. I felt the importance of this ground and its history eminating from all around.
Right in front of it was a sign of the camp, so me and my friend filmed a small introduction to where we are and what CIJAM stands for: Campamentamento Internacional Julio Antonio Mela.
The breakfast was as yesterday: too little (a singular egg omelette inbetween a palm-sized soft bread). I inquired as to why this was, as I initially assumed there was a cultural reason, such as Cubans not valuing breakfast as much, but the opposite is the case: on Cuba breakfast is much more important than, for example, in Germany where we simply eat bread based food entirely. In Cuba, breakfast is a full warm meal. The reason we are served something that wouldn't suffice in either country as breakfast, is because they have to ration the food, even for us brigadists. I was told this situation was different last year.
Additionally, it turned out to be not so okay for me to ask for another portion yesterday. Technically, I asked our guide Marcos if it was okay to ask, and then he just did and gave the second portion to me, but I was told by the leaders of our brigade that there are no “leftovers”. Even if there is food left, the personnel usually takes it home for them and their families.
We interviewed a man named Greg who worked for Pastors for Peace and organizes Cuban film nights in America. He's been on 8 brigades to Cuba in total, this is his first May Day Brigade.
08:56 Now in the bus, the delay was pretty long. We are escorted by the Cuban police on motorcycles in a caravan of busses with all the other brigadists. Just looking around and seeing nature is such an experience for me. You can't appreciate it when constantly looking on your phone, as I am doing now, which is why I've been more silent on social media lately (next to the power outages causing us to not have WiFi or mobile data). The palm trees and other plant species I've never seen before, the warmth and the way the sun hits the ground, the bird species making sounds I've never heard in Europe, the general hue of the environment at morning or dawn, the mountain range and wavy terrain. Cuba will always hold a special place in my heart!
12:07 We're in a bus from the ELAM (Latin American School of Medicine). We had firery speeches by many of the international students studying there Cuba, right after a quick introduction to the ELAM's history and purpose by its president. She said “We are the United Nations of peace and love.”
The students speaking were formally representing all students from the different regions, it was a semi-official position that was democratically elected. There was one person for South America, one person for the Pacific, another for the Middle East and another for Africa. Additionally, one student representing all of them. While the president representing all students had a strong speech, the fiercest one gaining the most applause was that of the Palestinian student who came here midst genocide and hopes to rebuild Gaza if people are still left when he returns. He ended the speech mocking the US rhetoric claiming Cuba was a terrorist state. He said “it was the terrorists who educated us for free, who sent us aid when nobody would, and ideologically supported our anti-imperialist struggle all the way through” (in Spanish) met with fiery applause. Afterwards, another student sang a beautiful song.
We were about 200 people present from 15 nations, while the ELAM had many more students from over 150 nations throughout its history! The goal of the ELAM is for Cuba to educate world class doctors to go back to their home country to support a medical system (which is often underdeveloped). I find this a fascinating piece of international solidarity, and it once again shows that the success of the Cuban project isn't just important for the Cubans themselves, but the entire southern hemisphere.
After the speeches we went through a small museum like hallway cherishing art pieces from the different cultures participating at the ELAM. At the other side of that hallway was a large street festival like outside underpass with all the different representatives of the regions of the world having a stand displaying their region and culture in different ways.
We interviewed the speaker for the students of the pacific, who herself was from the Philippines. She had a perfect response to our specific questions regarding the meaning of international solidarity to her, as well as what we as parties acting in the west, the core of imperialism, should do. The interview went flawlessly, despite her saying that this was her first time.
We tried to interview the speaker for the middle east, a Palestinian, as well. They took the whole ordeal very seriously, asked us specifically what our questions were, and then regrouped for more than 15 minutes to draft a response. Sadly, just as we would begin filming, a bit before 12:00, we were told that we needed to go. So whatever masterful response these students had democratically come up with, we'll never hear. I've messaged one of the representatives, maybe he'll send what they drafted via text!
12:30 We started driving back, technically there was supposed to be another work shift at the camp today, but it was spontaneously canceled.
13:03 Back at the camp already! I've tried to Google something on the way, but sadly all the results were in Polish. I then went to WhatIsMyIPAddress.com and they told me I got a polish IP located on the border. I find that very interesting. Maybe the information is outdated and the IP address of the public 4G tower serving mobile data to people
Currently we got WiFi and electricity. My life is saved.
16:00 We began the plenary session of the German brigade. Our topics included the discussion of a dossier by the Tricontinental Institute about the Bandung Spirit, especially in relation to what we've learned about internationalism at the ELAM today and BRICS. We wanted to be done 18:00, but ended up finishing half an hour later.
Internationalism to me means understanding decolonial movements globally to be an opposition to imperialism from within the “belly of the beast”, which may lead to conditions that no longer hinder decolonial movements, makes them possible, or optimally supports them. In order to gain that knowledge, I am willing to throw away everything I know or believe in, if it means ridding myself of a deeply rooted thought structure dictated by western chauvinism. To support such movements, without turning to the fallacies of white saviorism or lecturing, should be everyone's goal.
18:24 We had pretty good lunch. Even with unlimited bread this time (not much rationing anymore)! I made an Olive Garden joke, but nobody got it, except the Americans.
21:51 I just finished a Salsa course, we danced for ~1.5 hours. I got pretty okay at it at the end, proud of myself.
Currently sitting at the bar at the center of the camp, not to drink something, but because the WiFi router is located here. Best connection everywhere, and I really gotta upload some images and videos! The electricity and WiFi went out inbetween, but about half an hour ago, mid salsa course, it came back.
22:59 As I'm finishing writing and fleshing out my documentation for today and yesterday, the music playing for the salsa dancing circle next to me accidentally turned to Gangnam Style, and... they... just continued. Dancing Salsa. To Gangnam Style. Truly big things are happening at the CIJAM.
00:05 I'm fully done with writing everything and catching up on some messages. Thank you for reading ❤️🇨🇺
00:17 While posting the results of this day on Mastodon, the power and hence internet went off. As the (no longer just Salsa) dancing crowd was angered by their music suddenly stopping, in complete darkness except for the loud chirping, they began shouting “Cuba Si! Bloqueo no!”.
CIJAM, Cuba (GMT-4) Monday, 28th of April 2025 ----END OF DAY 4 OF THE CUBA BRIGADE----
In 1955, the leaders of former Global South colonies met in Bandung, Indonesia, brought together by a common spirit for national liberation and cooperation. Seventy years later, is there any trace of it left?
Another mural at the CIJAM made during our stay here, commemorating friendship between the nation of Angola and Cuba! Carlota was a memorable leader of the slave uprising in Angola, supported by the Cuban army leaving 2.385 of its soldiers dead.
In Africa we are used to being victims of countries that want to take from us our territory or overthrow our sovereignty. In African history there is not another instance where another people has stood up for one of ours. We also acknowledge that the action was carried out by the masses in Cuba and that those who fought and died in Angola are only a small portion of those who volunteered to go. To the Cuban people internationalism is not only a word but something which they have put into practice for the benefit of large sectors of mankind.
Cuba then recovered all of the remains of its soldiers in “Operación Tributo”. Leaders of Angola and the African continent agreed: this move was unprecedented. Never had another country intervened in Angola, left, and only asked of the remnants of its soldiers, instead of its rich resources, like oil, gold, or gemstones.
In 1991, Nelson Mandela traveled to Cuba to thank Fidel Castro and the Cuban people for helping to end apartheid and colonialism in southern Africa. On July 26, 1991, he gave the following speech.
This is what the nation wide internet cards look like! Next to mobile data, there's a nation wide WiFi, which like 25 Cuban pesos each (~0.083€) and can be accessed in most public areas like parks, hotels, or libraries.
Currently in a health clinic in Caimito, Cuba and the question of trans healthcare came up! It's shocking that it's easier to get a gender reassignment surgery in Cuba than in Germany or the US, but not surprising.
The knowledge and technology isn't here yet, which is why the amount of people who had such a surgery is very small, yet if you're interested it's as free as all other medicine.
They even took the words “man and woman” out of their constitution in 2019 and replaced them with “human”!
Just this moment we've given multiple luggages of medicine to the health clinic in Caimito, bypassing the international blockade that has tried to crush this country and its spirit! ¡Viva Cuba!
There's a fire close to the CIJAM, but I've been told it's under control (fire trucks are supposedly already there)! When I first saw it, I thought it was the sun going down.
Currently in the Memorial de la Denuncia (Memorial of the Complaint) — there's many signs, art and info pieces explaining the state terror by the United States and its effect on Cuba.
Did you know that the United States spread disinformation about fake plans of the Cuban government, claiming they're trying to take away parental rights and send children to indoctrination camps? These claims were completely made up, yet US secret services created the channels and the “care programs” for when these children (aged 8 – 18) arrived in Miami, sent by parents fearing what may happen to their kids and told to do so by local agents.
All of this was in collaboration with the catholic church, which is why the relation between the Cuba government and the church has only become better much later.
On the topic of LGBTQ+ rights: I've seen signs like these all across Cuba by the national center of sex education (CENESEX), saying people should be against homophobia and transphobia!
I've been awake since 1:00 AM (17 hours at this point), only slept 2 hours last night, met Raúl Castro today, climbed up a mountain in Havana, was at an underground market, and bought fruit. I want to go to bed
I for some reason could not stop laughing when peeling this mango. I do not recall anything that happened after this image was taken — I was told I just went to bed without a comment
The full name of the conference is called International Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, Anti-Imperialism, and against the Resurgence of Fascism, I can see why they just wrote “Solidarity Conference” on our papers.
A speaker from South Africa delivered such beautiful words at the solidarity conference it made me cry. I will publish the speech in full if I get my hands on it.
The president of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez is now spontaneously speaking, despite it not being announced. He calls this surprise speech an “ambush” by him on the conference!
Parts of the Cuban Five are also here — I've met two of them yesterday on the May Day Parade. They were Cuban intelligence agents trying to infiltrate the CIA, I believe that's something heroic.
They began pointing their camera at me and showing me on the big screen to the whole conference after someone finished their speech, so I threw my phone away and began clapping 😂
From CubaDebate: The National Center for Sexual Education (CENESEX) launched this Monday the 18th edition of the Cuban Conference against Homophobia and Transphobia, which, under the motto "Love is Law," will run until May 18 in Cuba.
During the inauguration of the initiative, CENESEX Director Dr. Mariela Castro Espín commented that Cuban LGBTIQ+ activism cannot be disconnected or oblivious to current global circumstances; therefore, these conferences are dedicated to anti-fascist and anti-imperialist struggles.
The thing I remember from showering in Cuba was not an issue with water, but electricity. It went out fairly often, and the showers all had individual electric coil heaters, which had janky and dangerous hand-wired switches. I loved standing in a wet shower stall, fumbling to connect live wires.
hmm, why do Cubans have their own water tanks? Could it be it is because in many regions water is only available for a few hours once or twice a week? Even state TV admits that the situation could be better because the water net is in bad state.
Mangos schneidet man am besten in drei Scheiben: links und rechts am Kern entlang. Die beiden Außenteile werden dann "umgestülpt". Wenn die Mango reif ist, kann man dann die Schale einfach abziehen. Die Mittelscheibe schält man dann wie eine Kartoffel und schnitzt das Fruchtfleisch vom Kern.
Nothing ensures proper spirit better than making presence on the 1st of May parades mandatory and threatening people with workplace repercussions for the wrong attitude.
Yes, revolutions and counter-revolutions are dangerous for everyone who disseminates knowledge, since various ideologies want to control the grand narrative, just take a look at the US now.
During the Cultural Revolution in China, thousands of teachers and professors were beaten, arrested, tortured and killed. The Khmer Rouge burned books, destroyed libraries and murdered the entire intellectual elite, which sometimes meant all people wearing glasses, often torturing them to death.
"like staying up super late without having to get up early" - that's exactly how I think of it. The trouble is, in the other direction, it's like going to bed then being awakened five hours early with the sun and everyone else behaving as if this is normal.
Hoffentlich kriegen die es nicht zu früh mit, also mach kein Scheiß. Ahmad übernimmt das nach dem Feuerwerk. Wahidullah hat eine Wette gestartet ob du dich traust. Denk dran was du im Sommercamp gelernt hast sonst verlieren viele Leute viel Geld und das wollen die dann wieder haben, du verstehst. Du hast das Ei hoffentlich im Handgepäck?!
We are living in times where security can be high jacked, and breaches can be easily open, stealing sensitive information from an individual. What some people do not know is that by sharing your…
Bisschen aufpassen beim Posten von Ticketnummern und Reservierungsnummern - es gibt viele Airlines, denen das als Autorisierung zum Umbuchen etc. reicht. 🫠 Gute Reise!
Congratulations! I spent several weeks in Cuba some years back, and it was a transformative experience. I know you have an elaborate agenda, but try to find time away from the handlers, away from the city. The further you get from Havana, the less you will have to deal with police, hustlers, and party operatives.
Trudeau's Liberal govt promised to enact an arms embargo against Israel … But to this day, made-in-Canada military equipment continues to flow to Israel.
PM Carney has yet to clarify whether he intends to honour the Liberals’ original commitment to implement a full arms embargo.
Just now, I signed a #LeadnowCA petition telling PM Carney to do so without delay.
i alawys assumed it would come for the low skill retail jobs, restaurant work, and so forth long before it came for software development, but that turned out to be dead wrong
Child star Millena Brandão died on May 2 at age 11. She was hospitalized with an unknown illness days before her death, suffering cardiac arrest 13 times.
A horde of extremist Jewish settlers set fire to swaths of agricultural land in the northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, provoking clashes with local residents on Tuesday.
A Pittsburgh man was sentenced to life in prison without parole for executing an Uber driver who was seen begging for her life in a disturbing dashcam video.
Indian Armed Forces claimed it targeted 9 sites containing terrorist infrastructure within Pakistani territory as part of the announced 'Operation Sindoor'.
Laith Marouf & Hadi Hotait report from Houla on the border of Lebanon and occupied Palestine, after the Zionist military targeted a gas station and mobile homes delivered by charities to help the locals returning to the devastated village.
OKies caught their state government colluding with the federal government and chamber of commerce to railroad workforce development. Glad to see other people are noticing this shit. youtu.be/5RzjkJrMLD8
SB224 is an Oklahoma bill that has created incredible controversy. We reported on the fact that it was brought up for a vote 3 times on the House floor on Th...
Fun fact Sept 11 was also groundbreaking of Pentagon & Pinochet coup - A Speech by George H. W. Bush, President of the U.S.A. Given to a joint session of the United States Congress, Washington D.C. on 11 September 1990. (aka The New World Order speech) web.archive.org/web/2009021319…
Help Declassified expose the powerful by joining us: https://www.declassifieduk.org/join/A former Israeli army spokesman was invited to speak at a military t...
Rather than cheering the looming closure of the USAID mission and the termination of assistance projects to Palestinians, Israel and its supporters in the U.S. should recognize this immense loss and advocate its return
Located along the scenic shores of Ryongyon County in South Hwanghae Province, the Monggumpo Elephant Rock is one of Korea’s most fascinating natural wonders. With its lifelike shape sculpted by...
The gay pride flag is now the official flag of Boise, Idaho. Mayor Lauren McLean, a far-left Democrat, pushed the flag change in response to a new state law. That law regulates which flags local governments are allowed to display.
REMINDER: do NOT sign up for protests. No matter how 'innocent' it seems. No matter how trustworthy the signup sheet. No matter what. Nazis are going to get their hands on these lists. They are already surveilling these protests, recording license plates and photos, using fake cell sites to capture phones, and building lists of opponents to send to the concentration camps. Practice good security.
Jonggwangsa Temple, located in South Hamgyong Province after being reconstructed in 1679, has undergone several rounds of preservation and maintenance throughout the centuries. Today, it remains a significant testament to...
The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators.
An event was held on May 5 at the Taedonggang Diplomatic Club in celebration of the 2025 International Day of the Midwife. Attendees included officials from the Ministry of Public...
Republicans want to shift safety-net costs to states. It’s not going over well.
Plans to finance the GOP’s domestic policy megabill are vexing Republican lawmakers who are not interested in addressing Washington’s fiscal woes by creating them in state capitals.
Under some House GOP proposals, states would have to assume a greater share of the cost for the #Medicaid expansion while also bearing a portion of #SNAP costs for the first time.
But millions of low-income families in red states rely on the programs for health care and food, and some of the latest #GOP plans would actually hurt deep-red states more than others.
GOP leaders have pulled back from the farthest-reaching proposals. But others remain on the table, and so far pushback in the House has been relatively limited. That’s not true in the Senate, where most Republicans hate the idea of saddling states with billions of dollars in new financial burdens.
Early this morning, the Pakistani government claimed the Indian military had launched missiles at several sites in Pakistan and the Pakistan-administered Kashmir region. India confirmed this story,…
Any #OT / #ICS #cybersecurity folks here who would be able to give me an idea about compensation for roles in the field? I'm working on something that might lead to some OT/ICS security work, but I need to know what's a "good" hourly rate for pros in the US and abroad. Thank you!!
The “President of the Supreme Political Council” in Sana’a, Mahdi Al-Mashat, affirmed that support for Gaza “will not stop no matter the cost,” noting that the strikes carried out by the Yemeni forces are “painful and will continue.”Sana’a – Al-Khab
On May 3, Israeli state broadcaster Kan reported that the IDF was preparing to mobilize tens of thousands of reservists in the next two days in order to expand the ground operation in the Gaza Strip and increase military pressure on...
i didn't bring up as not to poison the well, but that fellow went as far as #notallwhitepeople just to save their own ass from a modicum of responsibility. Which was funny at the time.
They either committed so hard to be a nominal anarchist working for the pig empire, or has family at Israel. Either way, Fuck Camus, Fuck them, Fuck all of you if you care about your own ass enough to sell out to pig empire.
In this installment I turn attention to what was always a mainstay of my reports on visits to Russia since the onset of the Special Military Operation: the household shopping basket and, more broadly, how the consumer is faring in a country subject t…
Música de Ida y Música de Vuelta by @Langile@ibe.social Hay música por todas partes, pero dónde y cuándo se va convirtiendo en algo nuestro. Para mí la alquimia se produce en el camino entre mi barrio y el trabajo.
A second F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Harry S. Truman has crashed in the Red Sea, intensifying scrutiny of US Navy operations amid tensions with Yemen.
"Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla carsWell I’ve got thi...
So Ghislaine Maxwell's father got six or seven FREE name changes, but it's a huge hairy problem when trans people want to change theirs, and the republicans only want people to vote if their name hasn't changed since it was printed on their original birth certificate.
BRICS member Russia is hoping to be able to use local currencies when trading with Indonesia one day, although Moscow has not set a target for when the use of rupiah and ruble in bilateral commerce could take place
Khurram Wadee
in reply to anonymiss • • •David
in reply to anonymiss • • •The two incidents were quite different. The first was caused by having to operate under fire (from the Houthis), and the second from having to operate at night.
There has been a general tendency, in the US military among others, to depend on fewer people and more expensive weaponry. So, ethically, the question becomes, "How much is the life of a member of the military worth?"
We should ask Putin and Netanyahu how much a civilian life is worth.
My worry about the US, more and more, is that we are now at the stage Germany was at in the 1930s. Will the USA be the axis power in the next world war? I think it really is possible if the MAGA group can hold onto power. It would require a more intelligent Fuehrer than Trump. Ron DeSantis comes to mind.
anonymiss likes this.
Jamie
in reply to anonymiss • • •David
in reply to anonymiss • • •The Truman is still there. Still operating.
In war, aircraft are often lost. It's not unexpected. Also, in war, casualties are very often not directly caused by enemy action. E.g., friendly fire has been a threat since forever.
The solution to the dangers of war is to stop having wars.
One way to reduce the number of wars is to stop trying to rule people who don't want to be ruled by you. The Houthis are fighting against rule by the Saudi-sponsored government of Yemen. The Palestinians are fighting against rule by the government of Israel.
Canada is fighting against rule by the government of the USA. Will the USA and Canada once again go to war against each other?
"Yankee, Go Home!" - Canadian Anti-Trump Song
What's our life and freedom worth
When a tyrant seeks our earth,
Aiming to subdue our land with greedy hand?
But we'll stand against his might,
Canada won't yield this fight,
And we'll shout across our free and sovereign land:
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home!
Keep your deals and go back home.
Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes,
Don't tread on our hopes and dreams.
As our anthem proudly sings,
Canada stands!
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home!
Keep your deals and go back home.
Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes,
Don't tread on our hopes and dreams.
As our anthem proudly sings,
Canada stands!
Trump and his cronies proclaim
Canada should play their game,
"Join us as the fifty-first state", they demand.
But our spirit won't be sold,
Freedom's worth more than their gold,
We'll resist their grasp with every steadfast hand.
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home!
Keep your deals and go back home.
Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes,
Don't tread on our hopes and dreams.
As our anthem proudly sings,
Canada stands!
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home!
Keep your deals and go back home.
Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes,
Don't tread on our hopes and dreams.
As our anthem proudly sings,
Canada stands!
Yankee, learn our northern ways,
We won't bow to your displays.
When looking at our land, close your greedy eyes.
Try to force us, and you'll find
Canada's not yours to bind.
For the True North strong and free will always rise.
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home!
(You gotta) Keep your deals and go back home.
Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes,
Don't tread on our hopes and dreams.
As our anthem proudly sings,
Canada stands!
Go home, Yankee! Yankee, go home!
Keep your deals and go back home.
Say "goodbye" to your grand schemes,
Don't tread on our hopes and dreams.
As our anthem proudly sings,
Canada stands!
David
in reply to anonymiss • • •Oh! Also.
《願榮光歸香港》交響樂版《Glory to Hong Kong》Symphony Edition
David
in reply to anonymiss • • •youtube.com/embed/ZnYhbrxHcOY
YouTube
www.youtube.comJamie
in reply to anonymiss • • •