Report on Panel Discussion : 19th September 2006
Dear Friends;
On September 19th 2006 the recently formed organisation called the Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five held a panel discussion at the College of the Bahamas titled " A Question of Justice."
The group promised that they would continue to inform the public of the injustice surrounding the issue of the Cuba Five despite the anti- Cuba propoganda in the media and that for them the issue was not one of "Anti-americanism" but instead it was a "Question of Justice".
The panel discussion was held in front of a small group of interested students from the College of the Bahamas. The panel consisted of four members of the Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five; Mr. Felix Bethel, Mr. "Bumpy" Watkins, Mr. Tamico Gilbert and Mr. Dion Hanna.
Mr. Felix Bethel, a popular and long standing lecturer at the College of the Bahamas played the role of the moderator for the panel discussion. In Mr. Bethel's opening address he reminded the audience in attendance that since its very beginning the Cuban Revolution has been under attack in the form of an economic embargo and terrorism. He also stated that the Bahamas has always tried to maintain good diplomatic relations with its "neighbour"; Cuba.
Mr. Bumpy Watkins then took the podium and spoke in regards to the history of terrorist attacks that Cuba has had to deal with over the last forty years. In his remarks he mentioned terrorist groups in the US who have been attacking the sovereignty of the Cuban nation; groups like Alpha 66 and Brothers to the Rescue.
Mr. Tamico Gilbert, who is also a member of Amnesty International, stated that groups like Amnesty International and the United Nations working body on arbitrary detention had also written about the injustices surrounding the case of the Cuban Five. Mr. Gilbert urged all the students in attendance to read about the Cuban Revolution for themselves and that they could make up their minds about how Cuba should be viewed. Mr. Gilbert also mentioned that the issue of the Cuban Five was an international human rights issue and that: "the war on terrorism did not just start on September 11th." Mr. Gilbert reminded the audience about the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airplane over Barbados that killed 73 persons. He closed his presentation by reading an English translation of a letter written to supporters of the Cuban Five by Gerardo Hernandez, one of the five.
The last panel speaker for the night was Mr. Dion Hanna, a prominent lawyer, who spoke about the fact that oppressed peoples have always viewed the world through an "inverted looking glass". Mr. Hanna emphasised the importance of oppressed people viewing the world through their own eyes and experience and that the issue of the Cuban Five was about the right to life.
All members of the panel resolved that they would continue to bring the issue of the Cuban Five to the Bahamian people with all the facts surrounding the case so that all persons could make up their own minds about the issue. The group promised to push on with their efforts despite any media backlash.
Yours Sincerley
Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five
On September 19th 2006 the recently formed organisation called the Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five held a panel discussion at the College of the Bahamas titled " A Question of Justice."
The group promised that they would continue to inform the public of the injustice surrounding the issue of the Cuba Five despite the anti- Cuba propoganda in the media and that for them the issue was not one of "Anti-americanism" but instead it was a "Question of Justice".
The panel discussion was held in front of a small group of interested students from the College of the Bahamas. The panel consisted of four members of the Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five; Mr. Felix Bethel, Mr. "Bumpy" Watkins, Mr. Tamico Gilbert and Mr. Dion Hanna.
Mr. Felix Bethel, a popular and long standing lecturer at the College of the Bahamas played the role of the moderator for the panel discussion. In Mr. Bethel's opening address he reminded the audience in attendance that since its very beginning the Cuban Revolution has been under attack in the form of an economic embargo and terrorism. He also stated that the Bahamas has always tried to maintain good diplomatic relations with its "neighbour"; Cuba.
Mr. Bumpy Watkins then took the podium and spoke in regards to the history of terrorist attacks that Cuba has had to deal with over the last forty years. In his remarks he mentioned terrorist groups in the US who have been attacking the sovereignty of the Cuban nation; groups like Alpha 66 and Brothers to the Rescue.
Mr. Tamico Gilbert, who is also a member of Amnesty International, stated that groups like Amnesty International and the United Nations working body on arbitrary detention had also written about the injustices surrounding the case of the Cuban Five. Mr. Gilbert urged all the students in attendance to read about the Cuban Revolution for themselves and that they could make up their minds about how Cuba should be viewed. Mr. Gilbert also mentioned that the issue of the Cuban Five was an international human rights issue and that: "the war on terrorism did not just start on September 11th." Mr. Gilbert reminded the audience about the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airplane over Barbados that killed 73 persons. He closed his presentation by reading an English translation of a letter written to supporters of the Cuban Five by Gerardo Hernandez, one of the five.
The last panel speaker for the night was Mr. Dion Hanna, a prominent lawyer, who spoke about the fact that oppressed peoples have always viewed the world through an "inverted looking glass". Mr. Hanna emphasised the importance of oppressed people viewing the world through their own eyes and experience and that the issue of the Cuban Five was about the right to life.
All members of the panel resolved that they would continue to bring the issue of the Cuban Five to the Bahamian people with all the facts surrounding the case so that all persons could make up their own minds about the issue. The group promised to push on with their efforts despite any media backlash.
Yours Sincerley
Bahamian Friends of the Cuban Five
posted by teekoe at 6:47 AM
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