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A workshop to tackle racial stigma and discrimination in Cuba

Cuba has a complex history of racial issues, including slavery and colonialism. These historical legacies can still influence social dynamics and racial attitudes today. Promoting racial equality and tolerance is essential for building a harmonious and cohesive society and enabling all children to access quality education. The Steve Sinnott Foundation believes that workshops can empower young people to challenge discriminatory attitudes and contribute to a more inclusive future. Addressing racial stigma and discrimination aligns with the principles of human rights, equality, and social justice. It reinforces the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

The workshop


On May 18th, a workshop on racial stigma and discrimination was held for young people aged 16 to 18 in the municipality of Cerro, Havana. It was taught by Dr. Norma Guillard Limonta and Dr. Rosaida Ochoa Soto, and took place at the local development project called CASI (Friendly, Safe, and Inclusive Community), led by activist Leticia Santa Cruz.


The workshop began with an introduction by Leticia Santacruz, who explained the ‘Clave’ project, which includes the CASI project and the benefits it will bring to the community, along with the developmental opportunities it provides. Dr. Rosaida Ochoa addressed the objectives of the workshop, highlighting the opportunity for the participants to expand their knowledge on the subject of racial stigma and discrimination.


In order to maintain an active and participatory dynamic, an affective-participatory technique called "La Fiesta" (The party) was introduced. Each participant was asked to bring something to the party that starts with the first letter of their name. This interactive technique is used to enhance rapport among the participants, break down barriers and create a pleasant and festive atmosphere.


For the closing of the workshop, participants identifyed the positive, negative, or interesting aspects of what they discovered. As an outcome of the workshop it was agreed that at this age it is necessary to conduct more workshops of this kind, as these are topics not covered in the school curriculum. There was also a significant interest generated in having the project reach out to nearby schools to conduct these workshops.



Discussions from the workshop


"What do you understand by stigma?"

The workshop participants had not heard this word before, so there was silence in the group, and the facilitators had to explain its meaning using examples. They clarified that stigma can be related to various attributes but is a negative perception or judgment that leads to discrimination, social exclusion, and marginalization. Stigmatized individuals or groups are often stereotyped, judged, and treated unfairly due to this perceived difference.


"What do you understand by discrimination?"

One of the workshop participants expressed the idea that it means "treating someone badly". Then several participants offered more words, such as "inferiority", "rejection", "disdain" and the concept of discrimination began to take shape. Their conclusion was: Treating individuals or groups inferiorly based on their origin, ethnicity, religion, or other factors. Norma explained that there are people who are victims of discrimination for various reasons, such as being a woman, black, or living in a poor area, and this is referred to as intersectionality.


"What do you understand by stereotypes?"

The students did not immediately respond to the question, so facilitator Norma supported it with examples. Experiences from members of the ‘Clave’ project were shared, including a participant who narrated her experience of stereotyping, and being stigmatised as a woman wanting to be a bricklayer. Initially, the men in her brigade believed she couldn't do it well, but later they congratulated her and recognized her work. Norma provided the example of a TV series currently airing on Cuban television called "Calendario". This example prompted the participants to mention several characters from the series who have been stereotyped and stigmatised, such as the boy from the eastern part of Cuba who was called "el nagüe".


"Have you ever been discriminated against or stigmatised?”

One participant shared that her classmates called her crazy because she self-harms, and reflected on the rejection she experiences from this, without them knowing the difficult realities she faces at home. A classmate displayed a stigma towards people who get treatment from a psychologist and this was an opportunity to explore the role of psychologists. Another young person shared his difficulties socialising. He acknowledged that he was going through difficult times, appeared shy, and recognized that he was discriminated against, and although he didn’t attribute it to being of Afro-descendant, he did acknowledge the presence of racism.


“How can we manage these challenges?”

Dr. Rosaida shared an anecdote: "When you are born, they give you two baskets: one in your right hand to hold the good things and one in your left hand to hold the bad things. In life, the goal is to fill the basket of good things as much as possible." She asks the group what they would put in the basket of good things. The responses were, "Health", "Love", "Affection".


One asks what to do if the basket of good things becomes full and overflows. Someone else in the group suggests sharing what is inside the basket of good things with other people, and this attitude is reinforced within the group.


Norma mentions some positive actions she has observed in young people helping and supporting the elderly on the street. She shares an example of her own experience on public transportation and asks how many of the participants have similar attitudes. Asking one participant how he feels when he does those things, he responds that he feels good, as if he has done something right. The facilitators highlight this attitude and encourage the participants to engage in similar experiences and reflect on their feelings afterward.


"Do you believe that racial discrimination exists in Cuba?"

The response is affirmative, and examples of racial discrimination in communities and certain jobs, such as in the tourism industry, are provided. Information is given about the ‘National Program Against Racism and Racial Discrimination’, its objectives, and the actions to be taken, including the recovery of historical memory, communication, access to universities for Afro-descendant populations, work in better-paying positions, housing improvements, and youth life projects. This provides the participants with new knowledge about the program.


The ‘Clave’ project also includes the recovery of historical memory. Highlighting the Municipality of Cerro, the vulnerable neighbourhood where they are located, as a place where historical events, locations, and figures that have been little disseminated, are found. This municipality in the past, was an area of illustrious and wealthy individuals.


"Who do you believe is more discriminated against in our communities?"

The group provided different examples of women being mistreated, and it is acknowledged that this is not a completely resolved problem, although there are many spaces for these discussions and some changes are being observed.


“What are your aspirations, what do you want to study in the future?”

It is observed that the trend is to pursue studies in middle-level technical fields that lead to employment opportunities linked to salaries in dollars.


Conclusion


The attendees learned about the concept of stigma, and learned about the history of the Cerro municipality. They found it particularly interesting to discuss the topic of racial discrimination and stigma. We hope this workshop project can be extended to schools to reach more young people.


A big thank you to the organisers, and the instructors: Norma Guillard Limonta and Dr. Rosaida Ochoa Soto.


Steve Sinnott • Jul 24, 2023

Capacity development as part of education

By BY JOSEPHINE DODDS • 06 May, 2024
Education has been identified as a key aspect to achieve societal development. This has been highlighted with the 2015 sustainable development goals, with goal 4 being to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Education has also shifted to being a means to transmit peace and global tolerance through increasing the understanding of other cultures. This has tied in with the rise of capacity development initiatives in development practice that seek to empower and enable individuals and communities to build upon their preexisting capacities. It is a key strategy to ensure educational development by international organisations, governments, and communities. The main principles of capacity development are participation, locally driven agenda, ongoing learning, long term investment and building upon local capacities. By integrating these principles into educational development, it allows for school communities to become involved in peace building activities. Through following a locally driven agenda schools can become centres for fostering peace and understanding and address local issues that may prevent children from attending or staying in school. This is what the UNESCO Associated Schools network aims to achieve by involving schools and educational institutes at a global level, creating networks of educators and students that share information, knowledge and spread UNESCOs value of peace. It aims to join schools through four pillars of learning: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be and learning to live together to create sustainable learning and teaching environments that involve communities in conservation activities, petitions and cultural events. Schools undertake social and educational projects that allow students to get involved with supporting developmental and humanitarian organisations, through fundraising and field trips. Recently The Steve Sinnott Foundation organised an international trip to Japan for the 70th Anniversary of UNESCO ASPnet for the Arts and Culture for peace exchange, bringing together students from The Gambia, Oman, Singapore, Korea and Coventry. By expanding education to include individuals and communities’ local agendas and addressing international issues, education can provide a platform for ongoing learning and development. It allows for students to develop their ability to think critically and connect with others meaning they can both learn and understand issues that might not be highlighted otherwise. By allowing schools, students, and communities to connect and direct their own development and focusing on developing existing capacities, the meaning and aim of education shifts from traditional roles to being focused upon understanding and peace. 

Women and girls education GUPT perspective

By BY DALILA EL BARHMI • 29 Apr, 2024
Women’s and Girls’ Full Participation in Society: “Are Palestinian women reaping the benefits of education in similar ways to the rest of the world?” Palestinian women continue to be some of the most educated women in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. While women’s academic participation is indeed measurable, they are not reaping the benefits of education. Palestinian women, especially educated Palestinian women, are overlooked, and under-represented in Palestinian society. Current indicators reveal that access to education has not significantly improved women’s status in Palestinian society. It is therefore imperative to benefit from Palestinian women’s education and skills in society not only as a social right, but as a development necessity. The percentage of educated women in Palestine is remarkable and one of the highest around the world with a 99.6% in 2020 for completion in primary and upper secondary. While Palestinian women have always been visible in the national struggle, they have limited leadership and decision making-opportunities. Their participation in civil society and the formal government has been restricted. In decision making positions, women comprise only 8.3% of all ministers, 0% of ministerial representatives, and 6% of assistants to the ministerial representatives. Within all ministries women comprise 30% of staff. In the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, women are the majority, comprising 68.1%. Education unions leading by example: Education unions have viewed the education of future generations, with a focus on girls, as a form of protest, resistance to the country and Arab region’s ongoing-conflict, displacement, and upheaval. Accordingly, women and girls’ education has thrived in recent years. COVID 19 crisis a catalyst for transforming education unions: Education unions voiced that an appropriate response to COVID -19 in the education sector should consider the rights and best interests of students, teachers and education support personnel and involve education unions in developing the containment and recovery measures. This response accelerated the transformation process of the largest union in Palestine, the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT). They want to have a truly representative union and integrate women educators in the union decision making structures. Despite the pandemic, GUPT continued to engage in social dialogue with the government, continued to fight for decent working conditions and welfare for teachers and education personnel and engage in a process of trade union transformation reflecting the realities of the 21st century. The union stepped up during the rapid shift to distance learning, they have developed online programmes, trained teachers on distance learning and supported students to decrease inequality among learners. The union also urged that the transformation should also challenge discrimination and increase women’s involvement in education, in trade unions and in society. This process was a driver to enhance women’s leadership within the union’s structures. From words to action: Mechanisms put in place to enhance women educators’ participation. With the support of international sister organisations, GUPT developed their own strategy to promote women’s participation and leadership within their union and in education. They developed a strategy, and we identified the following objectives: Increase the number of women in key union leadership and decision-making bodies at the regional and national level, through capacity development training on leadership for women. They have also introduced policies such as gender quotas and allocated budgets for their gender equity programmes. Activate the role of their Women’s Committee and prioritise the recruitment of young female teachers. The union is also working to identify and address the barriers to women’s participation in union leadership and decision making. In education the union is working with the Ministry of Education to review school books so that gender discrimination is not inherently written into the curriculum. GUPT is also organising sensitization training for educators so that discriminatory stereotypes are not perpetuated in the classroom. Finally, for the GUPT it is important to secure the right to education for all Palestinian students, especially girls. Teaching and learning must occur in quality, safe environments. Every effort must be made to eradicate the different types of violence that occur all too frequently in and around educational settings.

Support the Women in our Public Schools on the way to Diversifying Teaching

By BY MARY CATHRYN RICKER • 22 Apr, 2024
Early in my work as the president of my local teacher’s union I was invited to a community leader meeting about reforming the teaching profession. Amidst the discussion of harsher teacher evaluations, raising standards for teaching, creating easier entry into the profession, merit pay for “good” teachers, and more, I brought up the fact that working conditions and salaries hadn’t meaningfully changed since the 1960s. “We’re in favor of paying math and science teachers more so they can be compensated closer to what they’d get in the private sector,” a business community representative replied, offering an idea that was not new to me. Full disclosure: my dad was a career math teacher from that era of math and science majors who answered their government’s call to become math and science teachers who would boost the United States of America’s bench in the space race. I could easily picture how a larger salary could have changed our family’s budget. Teachers’ unions like mine (and my dad’s) addressed pay disparities based on gender that were common a generation earlier by fighting for a salary schedule focused on experience and education. So, I offered back, “If we want to differentiate pay related to the most important job in education, then we should seriously consider paying kindergarten and first grade teachers more than anyone because they teach students to read, which is the rocket science of education,” alluding to an influential issue of AFT’s American Educator magazine from 1999. “Well, I’m sure those teachers are fine but I have volunteered in first grade classrooms and their work doesn’t compare to math and science teachers.” Oh. Interesting. We clearly weren’t going to see eye to eye in our differentiated pay conversation. More so, there are decades long gender stereotypes lurking behind that conversation. In addition to the history of gender based pay inequities, elementary school teachers are assumed to be female while more secondary teachers are male. There has long been a disconnect between the importance communities, elected officials, and countries have placed on education. From local funding efforts to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, support for education is nearly universal in most communities. That support for education doesn’t always translate to support for educators and, with a majority of educators worldwide being female, that sets a dangerous precedent. Our teachers deserve professional working conditions because teaching and learning begins with their expertise. Additionally, a teacher’s working conditions are a student’s learning conditions and so administrators, public officials, or policymakers mistreating, undermining, or disrespecting teachers sends a message to students that teachers do not deserve respect, fair treatment, or professionalization. In addition to a stubborn lack of recognition of teachers as professionals, a vicious cycle exists around salary. Teachers have historically low wages because it is feminized and because it is feminized teacher’s wages are suppressed. The evidence that belonging to a union, with the ability to negotiate collectively, improves teacher compensation is key in disrupting this vicious cycle. Teaching has been a feminized profession for over a century and, despite efforts to diversify the profession, remains a feminized profession. In fact, the OECD reports that the gender gap increased from 2005 to 2019. In order for our students to have the most representative learning conditions, we need the most representative teachers so we must continue to diversify teaching to represent everyone in our communities, including by gender. Efforts like Black Men Teach, active in my home state of Minnesota, can make a meaningful difference. I would posit treating the current majority female teaching population as professionals—with professional wages, recognizing their expertise in teaching and learning rather than infantilizing them, respecting their commitment to education rather than exploiting it—would both model for students the way to treat women (and thereby model for female students how they can expect to be treated in any profession) and create the conditions for everyone to see teaching as a profession worth pursuing.
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