Cuba's Public Health Society: Open Letter to US Colleagues

Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit

Received Nov 15, 2001 from Aram Alvarez in Havana


The Cuban Society of Public Health on the Events of September 11th

Many members of the American Public Health Association have asked us
to post the following Open Letter from the Cuban Society of Public
Health, concerning the tragic events of September 11th.


15 September, 2001

An Open Letter to the Members of the American Public Health
Association from The Cuban Society of Public Health

Dear Colleagues in APHA, 

Terrorism has always been an instrument of the worst enemies of
humanity, a vile weapon to intimidate, crush and repress entire
populations.  It is one of the covert and cowardly forms of
exercising vengeance, and one of the most dramatic manifestations
today of disasters provoked by human beings themselves.

On Tuesday, September 11, the world was shocked by the demented
terrorist attack against the people of the United States, and became
fully aware of the need to eradicate terrorism from the face of the
earth.

How many lives lost; how many families destabilized and in mourning. 
How much panic, horror, desperation and impotence was felt by the
people of New York, the country and the world.

The act in itself--its repercussions for the lives, health,
well-being, security and peace of the U.S. people¾has become a true
human and social disaster.  And a grave and lamentable problem for
public health in the United States and the world over.

The Cuban Society of Public Health, as a scientific society composed
of Cuban health workers devoted to service, teaching and research,
fully agrees with the declarations made by our country a few hours
after the abominable crime.

Our people, as many other peoples in the world, have been the victims
of innumerable terrorist actions.  We have also suffered political
and military coercion, and for over 40 years, a terrible economic
blockade.  These actions have taken thousands of human lives;
families have been destroyed; and the population has been constantly
threatened, attacked and morally offended.

This is why, perhaps more than any others, we understand and feel as
our own the pain and sentiments of the U.S. people and public health
organizations, with APHA at the forefront, with whom we share these
moments of grief and mourning.

For these reasons, our Cuban Society of Public Health:

 - Convinced that the current problems of the world cannot be
resolved by force and violence;

 - Convinced that the world's only chance at survival is along the
road of peace, humanism, solidarity and international cooperation;

 - And conscious of the values acquired and shared during centuries
of practice and sacrifice to improve the health of our peoples,

Joins the international scientific community to condemn terrorism and
its repercussions on society.

But with the same energy, we condemn all promotion or practice of
violence, vengeance or war that threaten peoples and innocent lives
in any part of this world we all share.

Let us eliminate terrorism at its root; save peace and solidarity
among peoples; condemn war and violence; and struggle together for a
more just and equitable world.

These are the feelings of the members of the Cuban Society of Public
Health, which we share with other public health societies worldwide
and in particular with the American Public Health Association and its
affiliates. It is our hope that these thoughts, transformed into
practice, will help guide our actions, more united and forceful than
ever.

Dear colleagues and friends,

The members of the Cuban Society of Public Health, heart-to-heart and
shoulder-to-shoulder, are with you.

Jorge Hadad Hadad, M.D., M.P.H.
President

 
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