Over a thousand people from around the world attended a Havana, Cuba Conference to share their concerns and hopes for a healthy future. Nora Gallardo attended the“6th International World In Balance Conference”, January 28-31, 2025. She will discuss:
-The reasons, goals, and underlying principles of this conference.
-Comments made by speakers during the plenary sessions and several workshops emphasizing the challenges relating to water access. https://youtu.be/dUKf1XpuIb0
The sermon can be read below:
Overview Of The 6 th International World In Balance Conference, Havana, January 28-31, 2025
Nora Gallardo
I attended this Cuban conference because I was impressed by its purposes and principals. Will
discuss:
-The reasons, goals, & underlying principles of this conference.
- Comments made by speakers during the plenary sessions & several workshops.
Since there were many workshops, I choose mainly the challenges to water access.
The reasons for these conferences came from scientific warnings, and visible facts that show
humanity is at risk. These conferences were planned to increase: - world-wide awareness, communication, strategies, and form coalitions.
Risks include severe climate changes, selfishness of a few rich and powerful individuals,
increasing warfare, & attacks on basic human rights (health care, housing, etc.).
The conference goals included achieving increasing unity of action among people from:
diverse cultural backgrounds, political trends, and religious beliefs to change the course of
current events and build a balanced world.
The underlining principals of this conference included that all countries should work toward
becoming truly: Democratic, ecologically sustainable, increase dignity, and respect b/w people.
To develop cultured people, and ecologically sustainability (like UU principal of caring for our
earth).
The conference was dedicated to Jose Marti, journalist, poet, and martyr of the late 1800s as it is
the 130 th year since his death. His many words were repeated during the conference.
During the plenary large screens, images and words of invited speakers set the tone of the
conference: - A representative from the island nation of Granada said “social inequalities are increasing, as
the world drowns and burns. South Africa had apartheid; we now have global apartheid”
-A Belgium called for a world-wide general strike saying: “There is no war in Palestine, there is
a genocide.” The people who arm Israel, are the same who terrorize Cuba. He repeated what was
overheard from a high NATO official. “We need funds,” the official said and suggested these
funds could be raised by taking money “from pensions and social security.”
The keynote speaker was Brazilian intellectual, Carlos Christo, nick named Father Betto,
who reflected “peace will only come as a daughter of justice. Daily ethical practices are
indispensable to achieve a balanced world. Father Betto, said the nature of Capitalism has
changed, traditional corporate power has now been transformed into oligarchic power. This
power seeks the deconstruction of the “administrative state.” This oligarchic power needs a
buffoonish political class that hypnotizes and diverts the struggles of peoples seeking their rights.
He added that scapegoating is used to increase negative attitudes against, for example, migrants,
& Muslims
President Miguel Diaz-Canel also referred to the threat by certain people who have
concentrations of wealth, and quoted Jose Marti
“I am already in danger every day of giving my life for my country, but it is my duty. I have the
courage to carry it out, but after the independence of Cuba, to prevent, in time, the United States
from expanding throughout the Antilles and onto our land.
Conference speakers addressed their environmental challenges in various of ways including
through:
-Petitioning their government
-Educating the public
-Legal means
-Street & other protests
I will provide examples of each”
Petitioning their government:
- Writing proposals to government officials, A Columbian professor, Mauro Guerrero, and
member of “Unidad Nacional de Proteccion” spoke of increasing social growth by inclusion of
ethnic groups (indigenous, Afro-Latinos and women), and de militarization. - Also, using proposals, a Peruvian women spoke of her organization called FLARE whose
mission is to create and nurture a sustainable future for people who get their livelihoods from
forests
-An Argentinian professor, Dr. Boron, spoke of the challenges of seeking cooperation of some
wealthy folks, even with governmental policies which support sustainment development. He
addressed the thousands of acres owned by the few wealthy who use their lands that counter
sustainable development (example in extensive cattle raising & use of agrichemicals).
-In 2024, two activist groups in Costa Rico have supported Bill 24.412 that will restrict foreign
residences’ influence on water boards (ASADAS), because of their support of water
privatization.
Education of the Public
-A humanist basis for the way they educate their children including environmental education are
provided at the earliest Cuban grade level. Mother & grandmothers are primary teachers.
-An Italian stressed education for the use of Mediterranean diet with less meat consumption.
-A Mexican speaker stressed education to reduce use of plastic bottles, and to change individual
perceptions, such as to internalize the concept that “less is more and stress the concept of “what
type of person am I when considering nature.”
Irene Abra represents “Voices of Tomorrow” who fund community organizations in East Africa
and Seattle, USA.. East Africa children, birth -five, displaced by war, climate change, for ex. are
resettled and the organization educates care givers, and funds pre-kindergarten programs so these
children do not lose their language and preserve their culture.
In a session entitled: Waters: resource and conflict
In Guatemala there are educational programs to teach the dangers of plastics now polluting
the 302-mile Motaque River. Amounts to 2% of plastic pollution world-wide. this river empties
into Caribbean Sea harming marine environment. A question: who is pushing the use of plastics?
Legal Means
A Peruvian attorney, Gilberto Canchari, uses his legal powers as part of the group “Indigenous
Peoples of Peru in Defense of Water Resources”. They are still involved in a 2009 case where
indigenous people and policemen were killed during demonstrations against exploitation of
water where the government by-passed laws to protect Indigenous groups, order to satisfy a Peru
and U.S. company trade agreement.
Street & Other Protests
Black Alliance For Peace representative, Ajamu Baraka warned since South America has
32% of world water sources vs 24% in the U.S, this may be a cause of future exploitation and
conflict. Baraka said the U.S. is the number one in the sales of arms (37% of global arms
export). There are 800-1000 U.S. bases worldwide. Pollution has resulted.
On this panel was Coronel Ann Wright, a former State Dept. official. On the Board of
Directors of Veterans for Peace, and “Code Pink”, she suggested the U.S. public not vote for
politicians who want wars. She assists in international conferences against weapons of mass
destruction, calling such companies as Boeing, and Lockey, “merchants of death”. She has
joined international crews on flotillas to bring food, and aide to Gaza.
In conclusion, beliefs of representatives from many countries were shared.
Representatives from India, Germany, U.K., etc. spoke in meeting future wide-wide goals and
principals one needs to: listen and learn from others and within one’s community despite
historical and cultural differences, for example:
- Instead of tearing down abandoned buildings in Scotland, local folks are hired to rehab.
building, then use structure for needed housing, an art gallery, community center, etc.
-Playback theatre had a workshop at this conference. Their missions are shared by about 70
countries. Theatrical groups are invited to clinics, workplaces, nursing home, etc. and act out
stories and feelings of those in attendance to share and understand common challenges. - “Anthropocentrism” beliefs, found in Western thinking where humans’ dominant nature.
Nature is the central resource for all humans to use as opposed to “Biocentrism” where humans
do not dominant nature -all living organisms without exception have value, we humans are but
one of these. - A world goal is called “Ecological Civilization.” “A world in which human communities,
systems of economics, agriculture, education, production, and consumption, etc. are
designed to promote the overall well-being of the planet”.
Quite a challenge!!!
“The world sheds sincere blood for the crimes committed against nature” Jose Marti
FYI: U-Tube Video: “For A Better World: The Sixth Conference for World in balance in
Havana, Cuba” filmed by Ms. Ansara, Mass. Peace Group)