-DATE-
19750721
-YEAR-
1975
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
PIONEERS AT OPENING OF CAMP
-PLACE-
HAVANA PROVINCE
-SOURCE-
HAVANA INTL
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19750723
-TEXT-
FIDEL ADDRESSES PIONEERS AT OPENING OF CAMP

Havana International Service in Spanish 1230 GMT 21 Jul 75 PA

[Fidel Castro speech at dedication of new Young Pioneers camp in Tarara, Havana
Province, on 20 July--recorded]

[Text] Dear little friends, we who no longer have the privilege of being
pioneers--I am referring to Blas, Mon, Dominguez, Miret and all the
comrades you see here, all the invited guests--have enjoyed an
extraordinary afternoon thanks to this encounter with you this Sunday.

At one time or another all of us had a deep desire. Can you guess it? What
all of us would have wished this afternoon? What? [children shout back: "To
be Pioneers"] To be Pioneers!

We also hope that this afternoon will never be erased from our minds, this
spectacle of these 10,000 Pioneers present here at the amphitheater of this
camp. Ten thousand pioneers, and what pioneers--happy, enthusiastic,
conscientious, instructed, intelligent, revolutionaries! [applause]

Everything has contributed to the program's being carried out perfectly.
Last year, do any of you remember? [children shout back, "Yes"] that hour
[children shout back: "Yes"] at Lenin Park? [children shout back: "Yes"]
That downpour [children shout back: "Yes"] that soaked us all [children
shout back: "Yes"]? However, today, what a marvelous afternoon. It has
rained every day, every day without exception. But today, children's day,
the day of the big event, the day of the dedication of this camp, no.
Nature is whimsical, but it has been nice to us this afternoon. Of course,
water does not scare us, although it could give us slight colds; and water
could not have been stronger than your wills; it could not have been
stronger than your enthusiasm and courage. At all costs we would have had a
ceremony and a good one.

Last year we had a little camp that could accommodate only 300 children.
But, this year we already have this camp which can accommodate 5,000
children. Already several dozen thousand pioneers will be able to spend a
week's vacation in this camp.

This place was a residential area for wealthy families, several hundred
families who could build these luxurious homes. The people did not have
access to these places; neither the children nor the adults. Even racial
discrimination was practices here. Upon the victory of the revolution many
of these bourgeois families went to the United States. They thought that
the revolution would not last long, that it would be a matter of months,
and they planned to return relatively soon to enjoy more vacations in this
area. But things did not turn out that way, and those empty houses were
used by the revolutionary government in the early years for scholarship
programs. Thousands of students passed through this place; preuniversity
and secondary school students. After that, a school for primary school
teachers was set up.

But why can it now be a pioneers camp? Because the revolution has built
many schools in these past few years for secondary and preuniversity
students; because the revolution has built many schools for primary school
teachers across the land. Among them, two large schools in Havana: the
Salvador Allende School, with a capacity of 4,500 students and the new
school, that is, the second school in Cojimar, the capacity of which is
2,000.

Then we asked the construction workers to make a big effort to complete the
school in September, but during this course that just ended, the school for
primary school teachers was still in operation. But we asked for the
cooperation of the education ministry to begin work on the houses that were
empty. Above all we asked for the cooperation of the workers, the
construction workers and the various organizations of the government.

It seemed difficult to complete this first stage of the camp by 10 July. It
seemed very difficult because there was much work to be done here in order
to dedicate the camp this year. But the workers gave an adequate reply;
they made an extraordinary effort and succeeded in completing the camp for
this summer.

I do not wish to bore you too much. It is good to remember that you are not
the only ones at this ceremony. This ceremony is being transmitted on
television to all the land, and there are many other pioneers listening to
it all over the island. And there are citizens who are also attentive to
this ceremony on childrens day, and that is why I wish to point out the
main work that was done to have this camp.

A centralized kitchen, with a capacity of 12,500 rations. As far as
construction and installations are concerned, it was completed on the 18th.
It is scheduled to be put into operation early in August. Amphitheater,
capacity approximately 4,500 pioneers, but from what I can see, there are
10,000 here today. At this initial stage, it will be used only for artistic
and cultural shows mostly put on by the pioneers themselves.

Marti Square: capacity 2,000 pioneers, under construction. It will be a
center for patriotic activities of a formal type.

Aquatics area: capacity 1,000 pioneers. It will be used for water
activities. It has 128 boats which include water bicycles, sail, oar and
motor boats and minikayaks. It consists of a boathouse, dock and a watch
tower.

Swimming pools: capacity for 1,000 pioneers. Among them, a natural swimming
pool and a semi-olympic one. Beach area: capacity 1,000 pioneers. Sports
area: capacity 1,000 pioneers. It includes baskethall courts, volleyball
courts, tracks and so forth. Rustic games area: capacity 600 pioneers. It
includes games that contribute to the development of abilities and
dexterity. Children's parks: capacity 600 pioneers. It includes two parks
built with prefabricated parts. Bicycle paths: capacity 100 bicycles. It
will be used for trips through the camp areas. House for exposition about
Che: This building will lodge the best 20 pioneers attending the camp in
each group, and about 150 pioneers will be able to participate in the visit
to the exposition. Dining rooms: four with a capacity of 180 pioneers each.
House and blocks: 154 houses and two blocks of shelter-schools with a
capacity for 4,888 persons. Houses for social activities and services: 14
installations dedicated to dental and general medicine clinics. Offices of
the director, protocol, infant's center and others.

Paving of streets, water conduits, improvements of electrical services and
lighting, improvement of communications, installation of provisional water
system, improvement of the green areas, construction of the camp entrance,
construction of a cafeteria, conditioning of areas for athletic tracks and
foothall field--The organizations that participated, we should remember
them, because they made a special effort in the preparation of this camp.

In the first place the Alamar microbrigades. [applause] They worked on:
repairing 168 homes, construction of the centralized kitchen, construction
of the sports fields, construction of the natural pool, construction of the
cafeteria, construction of the boathouse and repairing the watch tower of
the marina, adapting of four dining rooms, repairing of 11 already existing
pools, construction of the main entrance, construction of a part of the
fence around Tarara and repairing the rest of it, construction of the stage
for the amphitheater, construction of Marti Square.

The road and paving enterprise worked on earth moving for the amphitheater,
the sports fields, the rustic games and cleaning up; the paving of existing
streets and construction of sidewalks at the new construction sites.

The INDAF [National Institute for Development and Use of Forests] worked on
the construction of the rustic games area.

The ICAIC [Cuban Institute of Cinema Arts] the amphitheater project.

The INDER [National Institute for Sports, Physical Education, and
Recreation]: technical assistance in the construction of the sports fields
and in the repair of the swimming pools; contributed all the sports
equipment and table games and the technical personnel for putting the
sports installations into operation.

The MINSAP [Ministry of Public Health]: technical assistance in the repair
of the dental and general clinics, contribution of the material resources
for putting both clinics into operation, contribution of the technical
personnel.

The MITRANS [Ministry of Transportation]: assistance in giving a bus
drivers' course, contribution of drivers for putting the busses into
operation.

Transit: putting up signs on the interior streets for vehicular traffic.

The special-type installations branch: assembly of the centralized kitchen
equipment, assembly of the dining room equipment, assembly of the public
address system of the camps, Marti square and the amphitheater, technical
assistance in putting the installed equipment into operation.

The DESA [Development of Social and Livestock-Agriculture Construction]
finishing branch: waterproofing of the repaired houses and new buildings
constructed, polishing of the granite in the existing houses and buildings,
putting granite into the new construction, glass on the repaired houses and
installations in other new buildings like the centralized kitchen.

The construction supplies branch guaranteed all materials necessary for
building the enterprise. The city water works groups installed the new
pipes for taking water to Tarara, and reviewed and extended the pipes
existing in Tarara for increasing their diameter. This is one of the areas
where some work still must be done.

The Ministry of Education delivered on time the necessary installations for
the repair of the first stage, has offered valuable assistance in area
expertise and in the exploitation of existing situations, offering
possibilities for setting up stores, dining rooms, transportation and so
forth.

The electric enterprise installed transformers in all new construction
works, Commission facilities, installed outdoor lights on all the main
streets, reviewed all connections from the lines to the entrance to the
houses and greatly improved the quality of existing lines.

The telephone enterprise improved considerably the quality of existing
lines, did maintenance work on the present exchange, and installed some
telephones needed by the camp. The furniture and packing enterprise assured
the furnishing for all planned installations, such as pioneers lodging and
office buildings. Some other organizations also cooperated in the
preparation of this camp, but it would be endless to list them all.

As you can see, thousands of persons have worked to be able to give you
this camp today on children's day. [applause] This marvelous camp is the
result of work, of the enthusiastic and creative work of our children. All
of these marvelous things you see--and I imagine you have already seen the
camp--all these beautiful things, you should always bear in mind are the
fruit of the sweat and effort of our workers. [applause] Without them it
would have been impossible to have this camp. We must emphasize the special
effort of the Alamar microbrigadists [applause] who devoted some of their
energy and effort destined for housing construction for workers of their
own factories, to helping repair the houses and building this camp. We must
say they did the greatest part of this in only 100 days [applause] and they
worked day and night. [applause]

We must also point out that many of the female workers of this camp are
residents of Alamar. [applause]

I do not know if you know Maximo. Do you know who Maximo is? [children
shout back "no"] Some yes, some no [shouts of "yes" and "no"] Maximo is a
workman who directs the 3,000 Alamar microbrigadists. [applause] And to the
interest he took in this project along with many outstanding comrades,
among whom we of course cannot for a single minute forget Comrade Mon--you
do know Mon very well, don't you? [children shout back "yes"]
[applause]--and to the interest they took in this project, we owe a great
deal to the fact that we have been able to reach the objective of
inaugurating this today. That is why on this day, to all the workers of
Alamar and to all the workers of the various organizations who contributed
to creating this camp, we must express our deepest thanks. [applause]

As you know, the material and spiritual goods necessary to satisfy man's
needs originate only in work. That is why our revolution has such respect
for the worker. That is why our society is a society of workers and our
revolution is a revolution of workers. [applause] And, we train pioneers to
be the future workers of the fatherland. [applause]

Camps of this type are not only being built in Havana Province. In Camaguey
Province on Santa Lucia beach, there is a pioneers camp with a capacity for
3,000 youngsters. [applause] In Santa Clara, in the south of the province,
they are building a pioneers camp with a capacity of 5,000 children.
[applause] In Matanzas Province, in the Varadero area, in addition to the
international pioneers camp they are building a camp for the pioneers of
that province with capacity of 2,000 children. [applause]

In Pinar Del Rio and in Oriente, they are working in the selection of sites
for these camps. Of course, this camp in Havana Province, since its
population is 2.5 million inhabitants, has to be a larger one. As you know,
the first stage has been completed, but we must continue to work on this
camp to expand it. Let me see if you know what capacity this camp must have
in order to be sufficient? [children shout back an unintelligible figure]
But with 10,000 we do not have enough, 15 thousand, 20,000 [children shout
back the number] we think that with a capacity of 20,000 we will have
enough. And the idea we have is to work over the next few years until we
reach a capacity of 20,000 children in this camp. [applause]

When we have capacity for 20,000...you do know how to add, don't you?
[children shout yes] and you do know how to multiply [children shout yes]
and how much is six times two [children shout 12] and how much is six times
20,000 [children shout unintelligible figures; Castro laughs] six times
20,000, according to my accounts, although I did not study modern
mathematics back in those days, is 120,000. [applause]

What does this mean? What does 120,000 mean? It mans that if a summer
vacation lasts 6 weeks at least, from approximately the first 10 days in
July until the first few days of September, in 6 weeks, 120,000 children
will be able to go to this camp during vacation [applause] for 15 days.
Thus, in 8 months of the year, at a rate of 10,000 every 2 weeks, comes to
how many? Ten times two equal 20,000. That is 2 fortnights a month, during
8 months, more or less, of classes. We must leave a little time for
repairing the camp. This gives us 160,000 right? Then, if we add the
120,000 in the summer to the 160,000 of class-time, how much is that?
[children shout] did you say 280,000? [children shout back "yes"] Well, all
right, according to these calculations, if we ever reach this capacity of
20,000 this would mean that at least 280,000 children will be able to pass
through this camp every year! [applause] Practically all the primary school
students of this province! Our greatest wish would be to count on enough
material resources so that all the children of Cuba would have vacation
programs, that is, all the pioneers of Cuba. [applause]

Our resources are not great, but each year our revolution, with the
abnegated work of the people, counts on greater resources. We cannot
forget, for example, the hundreds of basic schools in the countryside we
already have. [applause] And which someday could constitute an excellent
base for vacation camps for pioneers in the summer, [applause] because you
know those schools have sports installations and many facilities. In
addition to the pioneer camps we are building, perhaps we will one day also
include those schools in the vacation plans. You know that when vacation
time comes, some like to go to the countryside, others to the beach but
everyone likes to go and play. And those schools are an excellent basis for
vacation camps.

But in order to achieve this, do you know what is necessary? It is
necessary to convince the education sector, it is necessary to convince the
ministry of education. We will have to convince the people's governments,
which are the ones that will be necessary to convince many people.

But no idea succeeds easily. In order for an idea to triumph, it is
necessary to think it over very well, to preach it, defend it, persuade
many persons and then in the end, the idea is triumphant. Therefore, if
this idea is good, someday we may be able to use these school facilities
for vacation camps. This idea of the Tarara camp did not succeed easily. Of
course, it was necessary first to build all the school buildings and
liberate these areas. But then, what were we going to do with this place?
This place was for many things. This place was good for a recreation camp,
for tourism, for many things. Then we also had to discuss and persuade many
comrades for this place the ideal thing was the pioneers camp. [applause]
In our opinion, the idea was good. The idea was good. The idea was
successful, and today we see how all the comrades have been able to enjoy a
day of great joy on the inauguration of this camp. [applause]

In the first place, this camp needs a name. It is not that Tarara is an
ugly name. I do not really know where it came from. Do you know? But then
it is necessary to give a new name to this camp: [children shout] You've
said it, the Jose Marti Pioneers Camp. [applause]

I do not need to talk to you about Marti. You know him perfectly well. You
know how much he did for the revolution and how concerned he was about
children, how much he worked and how much he wrote, because undoubtedly in
his deep and luminous thought, he planned of this day like this.

I think this afternoon has been a magnificent tribute to Jose Marti.
[applause] and when we say Jose Marti, his name is linked with all those
who fought in the various eras for liberty, for well being and for the
happiness of our people. [applause]

That is why, with the unanimous approval of all of you, from now on this
camp will be called Jose Marti Camp. [applause] Jose Marti Pioneers Camp.
There was something else that was debated: whether we should call this camp
"camp" or "city." [children shout back "City"] Certainly, this camp is
practically a city, but we must not forget that it is not yet finished.
That is why food comes from the enterprise that prepares food for school
dining rooms.

In a few days, when the problem of water and other things are solved, you
own kitchen will begin to operate.

We still have to repair hundreds of houses. It will be necessary to build
new facilities if we want to reach the figure of 20,000. We will need at
least 3 years. Why don't we be more modest now, and speak of a camp? And
when we complete this project we will call it Jose Marti Pioneer City.
[applause] If you agree, we can wait 2 years, 3 years, and when this camp
is completed, we will change the name. [children shout No]

[Well then, what will we do? Children shout something unintelligible] That
it be called what now? Camp? [Children shout No] City? [Children shout Yes]
Suppose the people then think you pioneers are very conceited and not
modest; that you call a camp that is not yet completed a "city". Would you
not be ashamed? All right, I will guard my responsibility, will vote
against it. It is up to you. [Castro laughs while children clap
rhythmically] It looks like those who support "camp" are in the majority
here. [Children shout No] All right then, all those in favor of calling it
"camp" now, stand up. And now, everybody sit down and those in favor of
calling it "city: as of now, stand up. [shouting in background; Castro
laughs]

As you know, this is very democratic. You have given an excellent lesson in
democracy. When we complete the camp, then we will be able, without being
ashamed, without getting red in the face and when we really have a city, we
will be able to call it Jose Marti Pioneer City. Are we agreed? [applause]

We are of course sure that a camp such as this--nothing like it, not even a
microcamp--exists in any country of Latin America. This is the truth.
[applause] Unfortunately it is this way. But in those sister nations we do
not yet have socialism. We do not yet have the Pioneer organization. The
children do not yet have their own organization. I think the Yankees--I do
not know who--once upon a time invented a boy scout organization. That is
in English. I think it means explorer children or something like that, some
organizations like this in which small minorities participate. In bourgeois
societies there are no pioneer organizations; in capitalist societies there
are no pioneer organizations; there is no--there cannot be--pioneer
activities, there are no--there cannot be--pioneer camps. In capitalist
societies, practically nobody is interested in children. There are many
illiterate children, many children without schools, many uncared-for
children, many children begging on the streets. This is the terrible and
sorrowful reality of capitalist society. Many barefoot children, nude
children, hungry children. That is a capitalist society. And I can assure
you that one of the primary things that attracts the attention of foreign
visitors when they arrive in Cuba is Cuba's children. [applause]

To know that 100 percent of the children have schools; that 100 percent of
the children have medical attention; to know that there is not a single
uncared-for child in Cuba, a single hungry child, a single child begging
for alms on the streets; and the spectacle of joyful, cultured,
enthusiastic, healthy and happy children is one of the things that
impresses most of the visitors to this country. [applause]

But we should also state that the Cuban revolution is proud of its
children, [applause] that the Cuban revolution is satisfied with the
efforts being made for children, and that the Cuban revolution will never
cease making its greatest effort for the children. [applause]

You had not been born at the time of Moncada. You had not yet been born on
January 1959. You were born after the triumph of the revolution. You were
born in the era of the victorious revolution. [applause] You were born in
socialism. [applause] But you will have to be the ones who will work for
the internal progress of our revolution, the ones who will work for a more
perfect society, the ones who will struggle to create the conditions of a
communist society. [applause]

You belong to a new society in our fatherland, in a new era of humanity
which is characterized by the transition of capitalism to socialism. You
are living in an era of great scientific and technological advancement. You
are also living in an era of great ideological struggles between the
ideology of the workers and the ideology of the exploiting bourgeoisie,
between the ideology of socialism and the ideology of capitalism, in an era
in which a large portion of humanity still has to struggle for the victory
of socialism. [applause] An era of great promise but also of great
problems.

You must prepare well for this new era. To be at the peak of this era you
pioneers must achieve a level of culture superior to that of previous
generations. This is why the revolution devotes so much attention to
education, not only with the wish of working for the welfare and happiness
of children, but also--and very important--to train them for the future.

The pioneer who spoke here said you were the newest relief of the party and
this is true. You are the relief of our glorious communist youth. And our
communist youths are the relief of our glorious party. [Applause] Many of
you will be future members of our Communist party. And I am sure that you
will always consider this your supreme goal and highest honor of your
lives.

We are satisfied with the progress of the Pioneers organization. Each year
it has gained much in quality. There are institutional problems pending
solution, such as whether the age of the pioneers should be extended to 14.
This is an unresolved problem. In the future, basic secondary schools will
be only 3 years instead of 4 as they are now. The best way to do this is
being studied: whether the federation of medium level students should cover
secondary students or cover all superior medium levels. We are working on
an income preparation plan for youths with the pioneers.

Comrade pioneers have expressed great concern over the fact that when they
have organized a group of experts, a music band and other activities, these
boys immediately move up to the superior level and are lost to the pioneers
organization. Undoubtedly, we must study these things. But I can assure you
that at the base of the party and at the base of the people the prestige of
the Cuban Pioneers Organization grows daily. This children's organization
is gaining the respect of everyone.

We have spent a marvelous afternoon with you. We have been happy to see you
happy. You have spread your enthusiasm and happiness to us. [Applause] We
have spoken to many of you and have been impressed by your intelligence,
kindness, culture, knowledge and training. We have been able to see the
group of followers. We cannot forget that today marks the end of the fifth
Festival of Pioneers Followers. [applause] Neither can we forget that today
marks the close of the 3rd meeting of chiefs of schools and detachments.
[Applause] We cannot forget that today is also the close of the first
meeting of music bands. [applause]

This idea of the music bands began a short time ago and do you know how
many music bands we have in the pioneers organization? How many? This child
has answered, 851 bands. [applause] She knows how many better than I
because I thought there were 800 and she knows that there are 851. Well
then, 851 bands. Just think of the force this movement has gained in the
pioneers organization!

Our visitors are delighted to hear our music bands at receptions. And today
we saw a group of followers, their magnificent performance, and I am sure
that you Pioneers were proud of their presentation here this afternoon.
[applause] Therefore, we can say that we have a grand pioneers organization
and that we have--and this if far more important--a good Pioneers
organization. [applause]

The Pioneers are aware of the obligations, their duties, their work, and
their activities. [applause] The pioneers are aware of the importance of
this organization for the country's future, because of our country, as you
know, we are all organized--workers in their unions, peasants in the AMP,
neighbors in the CDR's, women in the Federation of Cuban Women, university
students in the FEU, mid-level students in the FEEM and primary students in
the Pioneers organization. [applause]

I think that I am not wrong in saying that you are aware of the importance
and value of your organization. [applause] and that this organization has
helped you to be better students and better revolutionaries. [applause] We
know that school graduations have improved year after year. The teachers
are quite content, the parents are happy with them, and our education
system will also improve year after year. We will have better trained
professors, a better educational system, and better material resources.

You know, of course, that much elementary school construction has been
poor. You know this because in the past few years we have adopted ourselves
to building secondary schools and mid-level schools because when students
passed the sixth grade they had nowhere to go. Therefore, throughout these
years the revolution has dedicated its major resources to secondary and
mid-level schools, the schools all of you will go to [applause] because I
believe you are not satisfied with reaching only the sixth grade. Am I
right? [shouts of No.]

I believe you are determined to engage in basic secondary studies and many
of you are determined to go on to superior mid-level studies [shouts of
Yes] and many of you plan to go on to university studies. [shouts of Yes]
This is very important.

Keep this in mind, when the revolution triumphed there were illiterates.
What is an illiterate? Someone who could neither read nor write. I believe
that all of you know how to read and write, am I right? [shouts of
Yes]...But I think you will be very careful and overcome these
difficulties.

If when the revolution triumphed an illiterate was someone who could
neither read nor write, who will be the illiterates of the future? Whoever
passes first grade will be an illiterate, whoever passes second or third
grade will be an illiterate, because what does one know when one finishes
the sixth grade, what education has he received? Very little, and I hope
that none of you will resign yourselves to studying only up to the sixth
grade.

Otherwise, whoever has finished only the sixth grade will be considered an
illiterate. Do we agree on this? [shouts of Yes]

In the future education will be obligatory up to basic secondary. We cannot
make it obligatory yet because we do not yet have the schools required.
Perhaps someday we may establish obligatory education up to superior
mid-level so that we can really speak of a new Cuba, a new generation and a
cultured people.

It is very important that you pioneers understand these things. Many times
elders fear that children will not understand them, but we do not think so.
We have always believed in the great intellectual capacity of children and
in the great capacity of children to understand problems.

And I trust in them, they are demonstrating this capacity. In terms of
organization you have an organization which is as good as any adult
organization. [applause] And we hope that all Pioneers will struggle and
that all Pioneers will endeavor to carry out their duties in all aspects
[applause]; their duties to their organizations so that with each passing
year you have a better Pioneers organization. [applause]

Little comrades, once again we express our satisfaction on behalf of the
party and the revolutionary government to deliver to you today this
marvelous camp. [applause] And, we know that you will receive it with
recognition and love, and that the commitment which you assumed here to
care for and improve the installations will be fulfilled. [applause]

Our fatherland is the first socialist country of this hemisphere. Our
Pioneers Organization is the fist Pioneers Organization of this hemisphere.
Our fatherland will march forward as the vanguard and our Pioneers will
march forward as the vanguard of Latin American children. [applause]

Long live our glorious Union of Cuban Pioneers! [cries of "Viva!"]

Fatherland or death! [replies of "Venceremos"]

Pioneers for Communism! [Children shout "We will be like Che!"]
-END-