World Day Observance in Cuba

Activity Recap

The sites for the Day of Prayer and Action for Children were the Cathedral of the Episcopal Church at Havana, the Evangelical Theological Seminary at Matanzas, the Reformed Presbyterian Church at Matanzas, the Holguin Brothers Church, the Baha’i Virtues Class in Havana, the Catholic Sunday Schools, and Greek Orthodox Church at Cruces, in the province of Cienfuegos. The events were modest, but in all, a total of 400 people participated.

The Cuban celebrations this year were characterized by the great diversity of representatives from Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, the Baha’i Faith, Yoruba Spirituality, Theosophical Society, Yoga Society, Masonic Lodge, Rosicrucian Lodge, and Gnostic Society, Latter Day Saints Church, Roman Catholic Church, Liberal Catholics, Episcopal Church, Morava, Reformed Presbiterian, Methodist, Unitarian, Baptists of Eastern Cuba, Seventh Day Adventists, Assemblies of God, Pentecostal Church, Church of God, Christ’s Church, Christian Church, and Greek Orthodox Church. There were also participants from the Evangelical League, Baptist Church Brotherhood, Giddeons, Kairos Center, the Student Christian Movement of Cuba, and the Council of Churches in Cuba.

The events included interfaith celebrations of prayer, artistic celebrations with dance, music, puppets and songs presented by participants. Some of the celebrations included gifts for the participating children. The central theme was “No to Violence Against Children,” through reflections at the different events. In Matanzas there was a reflection on the different forms of violence and this combined with a reflection about children’s rights. The mothers got involved in the preparations, and the Reverend Ofelia Ortega, President of the World Council of Churches led the reflections at three programs around the country.

As for the 21st Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF confirmed this year that, thanks to the care and attention children receive in Cuba, it is one of the countries where children have full enjoyment of the rights to education, health, welfare and family care.

By Ofelia Ortega

Keywords: Cuba, Latin America, Caribbean, Episcopal, Evangelical, Presbyterian, Baha’i, Catholic, Orthodox, Christianity, Buddhism, Methodist, Yoruba, Baptist, violence against children,