“Fixing” Cuba

By Anna Radoff, Public Health in Cuba, Summer 2013

As our trip comes to a close and classes begin to wrap up, we are faced with questions of what is next not only for ourselves, but for Cuba. As to be expected from a group of intellectually curious individuals, many people reflect on their trip by discussing how to change Cuba and solve the problems faced by those who live here. Over dinner I listened in as students mused over who was really at fault for sexism, racism, homophobia, and other issues. Was it structural issues? Lack of education? A culture of being passive? People talked for hours trying to figure out who was responsible.

But is placing blame and finger pointing really the correct way to address these issues? Just as it is elitist and wrong to sit back and accuse one group or the government as the reason for these issues; it is also wrong to think we have all the answers. Our culture and background shape the way we approach issues but our solutions are not always the most effective. Just because one method works in the United States does not mean it will be effective in ending racism in Cuba. There is no such thing as a one size fits all answer, however, this does not mean structural violence or homophobia has to be expected.

Rather than sitting around and discussing how we can “fix” Cuba, I believe we should spend the time discussing how we can help Cubans overcome adversity on their own terms. To me there is nothing more important than helping give others tools that empower them to solve their own problems. Giving someone the answer key is far less effective than teaching them how to work to a solution and giving them the capacity to find new answers on their own.

In the United States if your child is born with Down Syndrome, you can form a support group that talks about stigma against developmental issues and fight to ensure your child is not discriminated against. You have the capacity to make a difference in your child’s life, but in Cuba there are no social mobility or grassroots organizations. Cubans are unable to come together and work towards social change in ways that are practical as well as sustainable. For example, no one understands the oppression of Cuban women better than the women themselves, making them the best equipped to find a real solution, but without the freedom to organize they can never truly make an impact.

The government is afraid of the consequences of giving people the ability to organize when they are unsatisfied with an issue; too much autonomy might result in another revolution. Nonetheless, giving Cubans the opportunity to transform issues will actually prevent social uprisings from occurring. Empowering people to feel in control and able to respond when they are unhappy will in the end result in a more content population.

It is impossible to expect people to be satisfied in waiting for someone to solve their problems for them. Real social change and success happens not when a problem is solved for other people but when they are given the ability to solve their own problems and others who will solve the problems with them. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. They just have to be given the opportunity.