Evidence of meeting #19 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cuban.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:25 p.m.
As an Individual
It almost happened, but it was cancelled on Cuba's part at the last moment. There were a number of good people in reasonably senior positions, I know, in the Cuban government at the time who were in fact encouraging this, but it didn't happen.
It seems to me something, again, that maybe the Government of Canada could promote. The political idea behind it, if I can put it that way, is that it would enable the Cubans to talk frankly. As the ambassador said, no country, including Canada, is free from human rights concerns—the socio-economic rights of our first nations people, or a number of other people in our urban cores. No democratic society has a perfect record, but it would enable the Cubans. Part of this was that they like to say they have solved all the problems. On the economic and social rights, I don't think they've solved all the problems, but compared to most Latin American countries they've made a lot of progress.
An idea I put forward is that the Government of Canada, as part of its dialogue, could ask for such a conference and ask the Cubans to participate. Have three days in Havana and three days in Ottawa over a one-week period. The conference could begin in one city with the participants and then continue in the other city with the same participants, and with local people in the two countries encouraged to take part.
Again, I stress that it would be within the UN framework of rights, that in principle, it seems to me anyway, the Government of Cuba should not oppose.
That's one particular idea, Mr. Chairman.
12:25 p.m.
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
I think, Mr. Ambassador, you had something, quickly, and then I have some questions.
12:25 p.m.
Pavel Vosalik
I still feel that the previous question wasn't answered totally, because there is as well the part about the possibility of using offshore development assistance as a tool in promoting human rights and democracy.
Yes, I agree with Mr. Broadbent that it's quite difficult on a bilateral basis to interlink business and economic cooperation with human rights and democracy, but the official development assistance is the best tool, where we not only can, but when we have to, interlink these two fields. This may be exactly the way to help in countries such as Cuba in fields where really it's necessary to help deliver the financial support or other support directly to the population, not to the regime.
So I would like to encourage you to think as well about maybe extending the official development assistance to Cuba, but designed according to you, designed in accordance with the protection of human rights and to focus it on the people in need in Cuba.
What I would maybe discuss is, if the elimination or some restriction of the official development assistance is the way to promote human rights, I would say, in the opposite way, extend this cooperation with the country and deliver this assistance more to the people directly, to the local communities, and to support the civil society in the fields where the civil society feels the need to be supported.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.
It's good to have the ambassador here. I certainly enjoyed the meeting we had a number of weeks ago.
As well as Mr. Broadbent.... Welcome back.
I have about four questions, and I realize now, because of the time, that I'm going to ask them all together, and then maybe you can reflect on them. Then I want to go back to something Mr. Broadbent said.
This is to our two guests here.
I commend you for being here. To be quite honest, there are a few memories I have as a child—and I'm not that old. One of the things I was always brought up with in my home was to fear communism. They had been through the war--my father--and they were always very afraid of communism. They were very afraid when the conflict in the sixties...with Cuba playing a role in it, and I remember a fear in my home of that. It's something that's very profound and it's had a lasting memory. I have that memory.
My question to you is this. Do you know of any one thing that Canada is doing in Cuba? You mentioned that it was because of Canada that you were able to be brought here. On the different programs that are going on, do you understand any one being Canadian, with a Canadian role there? Yes, this is a United Nations initiative. Are you aware of any initiative that is specific to Canada? Is there one key initiative that Canada could do?
Mr. Broadbent has come with this idea now of some type of symposium or conference, where we could bring these people together. I think that may be a positive thing, although our friend over here, Mr. Aguilera, had a few opinions, and then all of a sudden he found himself in jail for eight years. Is there going to be this hold-back from anyone participating in such a symposium or in such a conference? Would it make us feel good, but would it have little impact in Cuba? What impact do you think that would have?
12:30 p.m.
As an Individual
Something that would be very important--that's why Mr. Broadbent mentioned it right now--is to try to help the people of Cuba, try to help their position, for example. The people who are fighting there, with their ideas--not with weapons, with their ideas--have no support.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
Are they well recognized? You were thrown in jail because you voiced opinions. Are those political parties? Are those people highly recognized that we can send resources to them?
12:30 p.m.
As an Individual
Highly recognized in what sense? We are there.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
We're talking about freedom of association. Is there a network of people that we could say, yes, we--
12:30 p.m.
As an Individual
Yes. Right now the civil society of Cuba is growing, which is one thing that has made me very happy. It's something that no Castro, no dictatorship, can hold forever. We have right now independent periodistas who are thrown in jail for that. So that body exists.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
Canada does not give a lot of aid money to Cuba, about $10 million a year, I believe.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
It doesn't sound like a lot of money, yet Canada is one of the biggest contributors there. One of the things they tried to do is promote programs that lead to good governance, so maybe they are already networking with the civil society. The other things they do are initiatives to expose Cubans to Canadian values, and again, that's a fairly broad.... I don't know exactly where they are sending money to, to expose Cubans to Canadian values. Yet you don't really recognize this as being Canadian. Maybe Canada is already supporting this type of civil movement. Is that what Canada is supporting?
12:30 p.m.
As an Individual
The support for this movement? Nowhere. We don't have support at all.
12:35 p.m.
Conservative
Kevin Sorenson Conservative Crowfoot, AB
What's the population of Cuba? About 10 million, 11 million?
12:35 p.m.
As an Individual
We have moral support. I know we have moral support, but more support than that, more than moral support, we don't have.
