10 Lessons from The Great Campaign in Cuba
A review of Children of the Revolution: A Yankee teacher in the Cuban schools by Jonathan Kozol
I just finished reading Children of the Revolution by Jonathan Kozol. The book captures the journey of Cuba from a highly illiterate society of over a million illiterates out of a population of adults slightly over four million, according to a 1953 census, the most recent data at the time. In a United Nations General Assembly of 26th September, 1960, Fidel Castro, the president of Cuba at the time, in New York, made an official declaration of his aspirations in the coming year in partnership with the people of Cuba. “In the coming year, . . . Cuba will be the first country of America which, after a few months, will be able to say it does not have one person who remains illiterate” _Castro (pg. 4).
The battle against illiteracy of 1961 in Cuba was a success, though not entirely so. Kozol noted that over 700,000 of over 1,000,000 of the illiterate Cubans could read and write at the end of the drive, based on the assessment system used for the campaign.
Reading through the transition story of Cuba, as narrated by Kozol, I was able to draw out the following lessons.
Identifying the cause or condition that allows challenges to persist is the fundamental step in seeking sustainable solutions. In Cuba’s case it was ignorance.
Bold ownership of a viable strategy in the face of opposition is crucial to achieving success in its implementation.
The will power of a people, like the desire of an individual, is fundamental to surmounting seeming insurmountable challenges.
It takes just one man to make the first move towards change of any kind.
The youth is a vital element in creating a trans-generational change. The workforce of The Great Campaign was mostly dominated by young people.
When the needs of a people are considered duly, it is easier to have them understand and even act in support of an endeavour.
Influence, by deeds, communicates deeply than powerful rhetorics by a positional leader.
“Impossible” does not exist in the vocabulary of the one who makes an attempt.
Result is the best response to discouraging criticisms.
“Properly speaking, we should not TALK of schools at all, we should SPEAK of schools as workshops for real life" _José Martí (pg. 194), a notable Cuban.
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Fgg