Proposals for a Possible Cuba

Proposals for a Possible Cuba
March 18, 2013

HAVANA TIMES — A group of Cuban researchers have just released a
document containing a list of 23 proposals "for our immediate future."

While the Cuban economy remains in crisis and with the death of Hugo
Chavez in Venezuela, the consideration of measures that can inject new
optimism and dynamism to the process of change in the country become
ever more urgent.

President Raul Castro has voiced the need to modify the Cuban
Constitution but to date there has been no indication of how to do that.
For that reason, this set of proposals strives to fill the void.

The following is the document with their proposals.
A Dreamed of, Possible and Future Cuba

The sovereignty of the country is only the unrestricted exercise of all
the rights of human dignity throughout the territory of our country for
all Cubans.

Cuba is experiencing a new era. This imposes on us the urgency of
ensuring the sovereignty of our country. Concerned about the present and
the future, we wish to make proposals to be studied and debated
publicly, about how a process of economic renovation might develop
alongside a renewal of the Cuban social order.

We in the Laboratorio Casa Cuba*, of dissimilar ideological provenance,
start from a consensus on five pillars that we deem crucial and
indispensable for the present and future of Cuba: Advocate the
realization of human dignity, which is specified by non-violent exercise
of freedom, equality and brotherhood, for the socialization of spiritual
and material wealth to be able to create, for the achievement of full
democracy, for the pursuit of greater stability in this process of
change and solved by the rejection of foreign powers meddling in the
affairs of Cuba.

In proposing (never imposing) a minimal definition of Republic and some
possible tools to achieve it, we don't want to promote private agendas,
but Cubans', with different opinions and beliefs, among all of us to
realize, broaden and deepen these criteria, we aspire to be the basis of
our coexistence in the near future.

Photo: Caridad

Republic:

A public order with a universe of attitudes, commitments and rules
guaranteed to every human being to enjoy all the capabilities needed to
perform their share of sovereignty. The exercise of citizen sovereignty,
which requires a democratic order must be based on human virtues, as the
principal means mutual support, and the goal of building justice.

Instruments to strengthen the Republic of Cuba today and tomorrow:

I. Ensure the enjoyment of civil, family, political, cultural, social,
labor and economic rights.

II. Implement effective mechanisms through which every citizen can
equally enjoy these rights, and to empower the disadvantaged.

III. To ensure the right to universal information that is free and
diverse, broad and deep, interactive and critical, without censorship or
monopolization. This is especially essential to ensure transparency in
governance and participatory mass access to the Internet.

IV. Ensure the social and political multiplicity of the nation the right
to choose different ways to self-organize in order to promote their
goals, influence opinion and act in society and participate in governance.

V. Allow believers and practitioners of different religions,
spiritualities and worldviews that exist in Cuba to publicly promote
their identities, feel respected, and self-organize into communities
with legal status.

VI. Establish diverse ways to enable citizens to actively monitor
compliance with the Constitution, and the performance of all official
institutions.

VII. To seek the greatest possible autonomy for local institutions,
understood as community spaces, resources and decision-making
capabilities on these, to exercise the role of solidarity and citizen
sovereignty.

VIII. When a problem can be solved at the grassroots level, locally,
community wise or in the workplace, the higher courts should not
intervene in the solution; communities, associations, companies and
groups of workers must be able to freely cooperate with each other to
solve their problems together.

IX. Repeal all rules that establish discrimination between citizens
according to their places of origin or residence, including those that
favor foreigners' over Cubans. Likewise, laws providing the possibility
of criminal sanctions for those who didn't commit criminal acts (charged
with pre-criminal dangerousness: the "dangerousness" and "pre-criminal
security measures").

X. Establish mechanisms of mutual control between the various public
functions. Separate legislative, executive, judicial and electoral
functions and outline the cooperation that should exist between them.

XI. Each taxpayer should be involved in the development and approval of
the use of funds coming into the treasury, and accountability for use in
well-defined social purposes.

XII. Choose any public office representative, through direct elections,
free, secret and periodic and competitive among candidates nominated
directly by citizens.

Foto: Caridad

XIII. Likewise, the above rules should apply to the election of the
highest executive positions of the Republic and of each locality.

XIV. Limit to two periods remaining in the popularly elected executive
positions, and set age limits for such functions as well as determine
the incompatibility of positions to be held by the same person.

XV. Enforce the periodic interactive public accountability of all public
officials.

XVI. Ensure the right of the people to revoke all mandates.

XVII. Make full use of the referendum and the plebiscite, in all areas
and dimensions.

XVIII. Effectively ensure the right to work and employment guarantees,
as well as the needed economic freedoms, and make the management of the
economy subject to enforceable social and environmental commitments.

XIX. Keep as law, universal and free access to health care, through
various forms of social organization as well as fair remuneration
according to professional performance.

XX. Ensuring universal and personalized access to a democratic,
humanistic and diverse education, with fair pay for educators and the
active involvement of teachers, students, families and communities in
the management of the school facilities and the definition of curricula
as well as a free and responsible cultural development.

XXI. Academic and university autonomy, with academic freedom and of
research, and an active participation of all stakeholders.

XXII. Ensure effective ways to ensure a balanced participation of the
Cuban diaspora in the country's life.

XXIII. All social activity must comply with the principles of legality,
justice and constitutional supremacy. Constitutional provisions should
be developed and adopted with the participation of the general population.

With this we add our modest effort to the unforgettable efforts of those
who have fought and worked for the triumph of love in our land, a choir
of plural and diverse voices, which we join in a common redemptive password.

Comments, analysis and proposals can be sent to the following email
address: labcasacuba@gmail.com
—–

(*) The Laboratory Casa Cuba is a newly created team for social and
legal research, recently created by Espacio Laical, a publication of the
Roman Catholic archbishopric of Havana. It includes professors and
researchers of diverse ideologies (Catholics, critical Marxists,
republican-socialists and anarchists), whose critical contribution will
attempt to provide tools that can help to continue the dialogue and
consensus building for a Cuba with dignity, solidarity and citizen
participation.

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