Cuba for Haiti Canadian Tour

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Havana from Space

Tour Schedule \| Backgrounder \| To Contribute
Tour Schedule
QUÉBEC Saturday, October 15 at 4pm Assemblée publique à la Casa Latino-américaine 880, rue Père Marquette, bureau 113, Québec (au nord du boulevard René-Lévesque, à l'angle de l'avenue Belvedère)	MONTRÉAL Sunday, October 16 at 4pm Cuba's medical mission in Haiti. Haitian Cultural Association Perle Retrouvée, 7655, 20e Avenue, Montréal (Crémazie Est et 20e Avenue, entre St-Michel et Pie-IX Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba. Contact: 514 - 728-7222.
MONTRÉAL Monday, October 17 at 1pm Bureau de la communauté haïtienne de Montréal (B.C.H.M.) 6970, rue Marquette, Montréal (à l'ouest des coins Bélanger et Papineau)	MONTRÉAL Monday, October 17 at 6pm UQAM, par l'Observatoire des Amériques, Centre d'études sur l'intégration et la mondialisation, Salle DS-1950, pavillon J.A. De-Sève, 320, rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Montréal
MONTRÉAL Tuesday, October 18 at 12:30pm Collège Marianopolis 4873, avenue Westmount, Westmount	MONTRÉAL Tuesday, October 18 at 6:30pm La Maison d'Haïti 8833, boul Saint-Michel, Montréal Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba. Contact: 514 - 728-7222
HALIFAX Wednesday, October 19 at 4:30pm Clinical Research Centre 5849 University Ave Dean's Council Room, C-206, 2nd Floor	HALIFAX Wednesday, October 19 at 7pm Humanity's Mission: Cuban Medical Internationalism In Haiti Room 303 Dalhousie Student Union Building Dalhousie University 6136 University Avenue, Halifax Nova Scotia Cuba Associatio Contact: 902-449-4967
OTTAWA Thursday, October 20 at 7:30pm Cuban Medical Internationalism In Haiti Embassy of Cuba, 388 Main Street Ottawa Cuba-Canada Connections Contact: 613-225-6232	GATINEAU Friday, October 21 at 7pm Cuba's Medical Internationalist Mission In Haiti CEGEP de l'Outaouais, au salon étudiant (agora bleu) 333, Boul. Cité des jeunes, Entrée porte no. 2 l'Association d'amitié Outaouais Cuba, Action Santé Outaouais, AKASAN (Ayisiyen Ki Ap Soutni Ayisiyen Nétalkole) Contact: outaouaiscuba@yahoo.ca
KINGSTON Saturday, October 22 at 2pm Cuban Medical Collaboration: Haiti experience before and after the earthquake Richardson Laboratories amphitheater in KGH CCFA-Kingston	TORONTO Monday, October 24 at 7:30pm Cuba's Health Solidarity in Haiti Steel Workers' Hall 25 Cecil Street CCFA-Toronto Contact: www.ccfatoronto.ca
CALGARY Wednesday, October 26 at 7pm Cuba's Medical Mission to Haiti Hearth Room Hillhurst-Sunny Side Community Association 1320 5 Ave NW CCFA-Calgary Contact: CCFA_Calgary@yahoo.ca	EDMONTON Thursday, October 27 at 7pm Room 2-115, Education North Building University of Alberta Cuba Edmonton Solidarity Committee
VANCOUVER Friday, October 28 at 7pm From Devastation to Salvation 1880 Triumph St. Vancouver Maritime Labour Centre 1880 Triumph St. CCFA-Vancover Contact: 604 253 6442	VICTORIA Saturday, October 29 at 7pm BCGEU Hall 2994 Douglas Friends of Cuba, Victoria Peace Coalition & Canadian Network on Cuba More info. at: www.victoriacubafund.wordpress.com/
WINNIPEG Tuesday, November 1 at 7pm Cuba For Haiti Mondragon Café 91 Albert Street Manitoba-Cuba Solidarity Committee. Contact: dlzack@shaw.ca or call 783-9380	WINDSOR Friday November 4, 2011 at 7pm Cuba's Internationalism in Haiti Katzman Lounge - University of Windsor (corner of Huron Church and Wyandotte) Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association-Windsor Contact: ccfawindsor@gmail.com or (519) 991-4167

Backgrounder: Cuba In Haiti

At the time of the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, 402 Cuban internationalists, 302 of them medical personnel, had already been helping the Haitian people. "The Cubans did not wait for the earth tremor to offer their help. They were already working along with us long before," former Haitian President René Préval said.

Cuba's cooperation with Haiti began in 1998, after Hurricane George hit Haiti. It has amplified since the January 2010 earthquake that killed more than 220,000 people, wounded more than 300,000 and displaced more than 500,000.

Since the earthquake, Cuban cooperation has grown to 1,304 persons, with 679 Cubans, and 625 graduates and students from 26 other countries, trained and educated free of cost at Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine. Cuban doctors immediately responded to the cholera epidemic following the earthquake, saving thousands of Haitians. The cholera lethality rate in Haiti is 2.07 per cent, whereas for the sick people assisted by the Cuban Medical Brigade is 0.48 per cent. The Haitian President declared that the people of Haiti view the Cuban physicians as extremely important, "second only to God."

The Cuban medical mission has treated more than 300,000 patients, performing more than 8,000 surgeries. Cuban assistance encompasses more than just the provision of immediate medical attention. It is now also focused on strengthening and rebuilding the Haitian healthcare system. Toward those ends, the Cuban medical and paramedical internationalists work in 56 hospitals and healthcare centres, and have installed and equipped 30 rooms, in which more than 85,000 patients have been treated.

Immediately following the earthquake in Haiti, the Canadian Network on Cuba initiated a fundraising campaign - Cuba for Haiti - to donate to Cuba's efforts in medical support to Haiti. To date the campaign chaired by Professor Keith Ellis has raised and sent to Cuba, over $295,000.00.

The head of the Cuban Cooperation Brigade in Haiti, Lorenzo Somarraba, stated that there are currently 1,300 Cuban health workers in that nation including 312 doctors, out of which 247 graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) who come from 20 different countries.

To contribute directly to the Cuba for Haiti Campaign, make cheques out to 'The Mackenzie-Memorial Fund,' indicating on the cheque memo line 'Cuba for Haiti' and mail to:

Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund & Friends of the Mac Pap Battalion (International Brigades), Attention: S. Skup, 56 Riverwood Terrace, Bolton, ON L7E 1S4.