[cover think) relayed that some soft drink company had appropriated the image of writer/doctor/socialist organizer/ all- around-revolutionary-type Che Guevera (see page 8). This sugary, carbonated beverage is mass-marketing a North American, anti-authoritarian lifestyle with ‘Revolution’ cola. Be cynical, wear the right clothes, drink the pop and be an anarchist. : Back in Cuba, Che Guevera is huge. His image is everywhere: on buildings, t-shirts, and post cards. His words inspire people to live by their ideals. The Cuban marketing of his Isaac Anderton think it’s just gone inside. * The revolution is cocooning; hibernating in the winter of our societal dreaming. It’s dreaming new dreams for the coming spring. The revolution has gone inside: through the eyes, to the seat o’da soul; to the dreamer inside all of us. When we dream, we connect with the mass- unconscious. According to Carl Jung, “the collective unconscious is the counterpoint to culture, just as the personal unconscious is the counterpoint to the ego.” (June Singer, Seeing Through The VIisible World, pp. 42-43 ). We connect through culture with the dreaming imagination, the collective-soul-thang, the archetypal belief structure of our society. What if, instead of dreaming of having enough money to buy a car, a trip to anywhere, a pair of shoes, a pack of cigarettes; what if we collectively dreamt of having, um, better relationships with our grandfathers? (Once we dream of it, maybe we can actually start living it.) What if we dream of breathing clean air, of creatures that don’t become extinct every year, or even of having the time and space to go inside and listen to our dreams? If a little country in the Carribean called Cuba can keep dreaming of a collective culture, while facing a huge angry neighbour to the north, couldn’t we dream of something besides consumption.? DO I REALLY NEED THIS PLASTIC CUP OF COFFEE, THIS NEW CD-ROM, THIS PURPLE SCOOTER, WHEN I CAN’T GO OUTSIDE IN THE SUNSHINE, WHEN. I HAVE TO WEAR A MASK FILTERING OUT THE CARBON MONOXIDE WHEN I RIDE MY BIKE, WHEN I HAVE TO THINK OF LATEX BARRIERS JUST TO LOVE SOMEONE...? When we go inside, and listen to our dreams, the universe flows through in creativity. Our art is ‘on’ and effortless. When we listen to our dreams, they comes out as art and dance and music. When we listen to our collective dream, we dance together. Listen! I have a dream to share... A blond toddler, unusual because of her light colouring, dressed in white and wobbly on her legs, is learning to salsa on the sidewalk. We are in front of our host family’s apartment block in San Jose, Havana Province, Cuba. That she is learning to dance before she can walk seems appropriate in an environment where » December 1998 ue in Flux, 26053 us were letting the salsa serpent gyrate with the best of them. % ’ I was part of a Canadian delegation to the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students in Havana City. More than twelve thousand people from over 100 different countries came together to discuss the environment and development, education, human rights, young women, discrimination, racism and neo-fascism, democracy and participation, and culture and communication. We came together to connect with other ‘revolutionaries’. At that time (July/97) I was a member of the Langara Students’ Union executive. Six students from Langara travelled, with over a hundred people from Canada, to the Festival to meet with other active students from around the globe, for a little over 2 weeks. My only experience of Cuba, so far, has been during this huge festival. The Festival was hyped on Cuban television for months. During the Festival, highlights from the day’s discussions threatened to pre-empt showings of popular, Spanish-speaking soap operas. In Havana, I sometimes felt that I was in a passive-tense Festival ‘bubble’: being served lots of meat (no, no, I’m a vegetarian, I like rice and beans), being shuttled around, being given priority to see cultural events. Except when I was dancing... Shannon Mendes, a fourth year photography ECIAD student, was also in Cuba during the summer of ‘97 for three months. She got to experience Cuba before and after the festival. Mendes didn’t know that much about Cuba before her trip...She knew it as a tourist destination, and that its leader, according to Canadian media, Fidel Castro was a politically oppressive monster. Having experienced it first hand, she loved it. Mendes felt that Cuba had problems just like we have here in Canada, but it also offered her something that doesn’t really exist in our culture: a strong sense of community. She felt that the Cubans are intellectually worldly, even though they are embargo-isolated. They love to laugh, and to talk. Most were eager to communicate with the international festival visitors. Mendes saw huge changes in Havana during the Festival. Because the Cuban government was hosting over ten thousend global citizens, it had a chance to counter all the bad publicity it receives in U.S.-dominated media. So it treated the Festival delegates with, what I thought was excess diplomacy. Mendes said that young Cuban people who weren’t part of the Festival were affected. All the clubs were closed to non-delegates, and free outdoor concerts in downtown Havana were cordoned off, with non-Festival folks watching from behind far-away fences. Not until after the Festival, did things go back to normal: work hard during the day, and dance at night. Some of us in the Canadian delegation got a chance to see hard-working Cubans in the provinces, travelling outside Havana to San Jose. The Festival ‘bubble’ ‘continued with police and ambulance escort, and a welcoming parade. San Jose is a small, prosperous place in the country, just outside of Havana. It is in places like San the country that represented _ revolution, in order to learn about social change. Seaver think) relayed that some soft drink ‘company had appropristed the image of ‘wrter/docton/socialit_ organize! all around-revolutionary-type Che Guevera (ace page 8). This sugary carbonated beverage & mase-markcting «North ‘American, antiauthoritarian ifestyle with ‘Revolution cola. Be cynical, wear the right clothes, drink the pop and be an anarchist. ‘Backin Cuba, Che Gueverais hogs, His image is everywhere: on Dullings, eshits, and postcards. His words inspite people to lve by their Heals. "The Cuban marketing of his spinon ca ne Ei Serine reo pains Ona societal lve, maybe we are dreaming of a revolution, while we burp out the ‘boned version Bad food fect our seep, 20 maybe ‘cs our dream 00 aie "That wy 1 doo think the evolution dead, 1 Sink jst gone ide “The revolution is cocooning, berating in the winter of our societal dreaming. Is dreaming new deans or the coming spring. The reolion hes gone inside trough the eyes tte set oda sul othe dreamer inside al fu. "When we dream, se connect withthe mas: unconscious. According to. Cart Jung, "the collective Unconscious is the counterpoint to cutue, jst he Deronal unconscious i the counterpoint to the est.” June Sings, Sang Though The Vise Word, pp 4220). We canoes through tue with the deaing iaginston the Calleciveaoulthang, the archeypal bee structure of our soci What if instead of dreaming of having coovgh money to buy a cra rip to anywhere pao shoes, pack ol igretsy wat if we colectrely dreamt of bare om, ‘eter ratocshipe wih our gandiahen? (Once we dream ‘fit maybe we cn actualy starving) Wha itwe deem of breathing Gea a of creature the oa" become exact. ‘ery yan or even of having the tne aod space to go inde tnd Keno ou dreams Ifa litle country inthe Carian called Cuba can keep dreaming of elective culture, whe facing a hope fngry neighbour fo the north, couldnt we dream of tomething beds consumption? 'DO I REALLY NEED THIS PLASTIC CUP OF THIS NEW CD-ROM, ‘THIS. PURPLE WHEN I CAN'T GO OUTSIDE IN THE SUNSHINE, WHEN | HAVE TO WEAR A. MASK FILTERING OUT THE CARBON MONOXIDE WHEN RIDE MY BIKE, WHEN | HAVE TO THINK OF LATEX BARRIERS JUSTO LOVE SOMEONE.» ‘When we go inside, apd ste 1 our dreamy the universe flows through in creat. Our arti on’ and ‘fre, When we en to eur Seams hey comes out Stand dance and music. When we listen 19 oor cllectie det, We dance tps Lien Teves dream ro share A blond nde, usual becnne of Re gt clown, dred in whe and ‘obblyon er lpi learning fo sas onthe sidewalk, We {ein Wont of our hat fam’ partment lock in San Jose, Hana Province, Cuba. That aes leraing to dance before se ean walk seems appropriate in an cntenment where ‘December 1998 ue inf Lux..26053 ace ‘Salsa Cubana sparkled as a strong element in iin se Cbs sep, ‘The cre seme hardy and ‘because everyone loved ro move and touch and enjoy. = aan oe ‘known as he ones Who coulda't dance. Bur by the end all of ‘us wer letting the salsa serpent gyrate with the best of them, 1 was part of a Canadian delegation 9 the 14th World Festival ofourh and Students in Havana City, More ‘han twelve thousand people feom over 100 different ‘counties came together to discuss the environment and evelopment, education, human rights, young women, discrimination, racism and neo-fascism, democracy and Participation, and culture and communication. We came together to connect with other ‘evolutionaries [At that time Quly97) Twas a member of the Langara Students’ Union executive. Six students fom [Cangara travelled, with vera hundred people from Canada, to the Festival to meet with other active students fom around the globe, fora litle over 2 weeks ‘My only experience of Cuba, s0 far, has been during this huge festival. The Festival was hyped on Cuban television for months. During the Festival, highligh fom the day's discussions threatened to preempt showings of popular, Spanish-speaking soap operas. In Havana, T sometimes felt that I was in a passve-tense Festival ‘bubble’ being served lots of meat (no, no, Pm a vegetarian, Ike ce and beans), being shutled around, being given peor to see Cultural events. Except when Iwas dancing ‘Shannon Mendes, a fourth year photography ECIAD student, was also in Cuba during the summer of for three months. She got to experience Cuba before and aller the festival, Mendes didn't know that much about Cubs before her tip. She knew it asa tourist destination, and that ins leader, according to Canadian media, Fidel Castro was 3 politically oppressive monster. Having experienced it fist hand she loved i Mendes fet that Cuba had problems just ike we Ihave herein Canada, bu tao offered her something that doesnt really exist in our culture; a strong sense of community. She felt that the Cubans are intellectually ‘worldly, eventhough they ae embargo-isolated. They lve to Tnugh, and to alk Most were cage to communicate with the ‘ternational festival vistors, “Mendes saw huge changes in Havana during the Festival, Beeause the Cuban government was hosting ver ten thousend global citizens, ithad a chance to counter all the bad publicity it rccives in US-dominated media. So it treated the Festival delegates with, what I thought was excess diplomacy. Mendes said that young Cuban people who werent pat ofthe Festival were alfected. All the clubs were losed to non-delegates, and free outdoor concerts in Alowentown Havana were cordoned off with non-Festval folks watching from behind fa-away fences. Not unt ater the Festival id things go back to normal: work hard during the days and dance at night ‘Some of us in the Canadian delegation got a chance 0 see hard-working Cubans in the provinces teaeling outside Havana to San Jose. The Festival ‘bubble continued with police and ambulance escort, and ¢ welcoming parade. San Jose isa small, prosperous place in the county, just ouside of Havana. Iti in places like San We had come to the country that represented revolution, in order to learn about social change.