Recent Events

Thursday, JUNE 10, 2010, 4pm

VANCOUVER PICKET ACTION
U.S.Consulate
1075 W. Pender Street (Downtown Vancouver, Canada)

The Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver is inviting you to protest and demand the US

STOP SPONSORING LIES AGAINST THE 5 CUBAN HEROES!
FREE THE 5 CUBAN HEROES IMMEDIATELY FROM U.S. JAILS!

At a press conference held on June 2, 2010, in Washington DC, new evidence was released outlining a $74,400 campaign paid for by the U.S. government to fabricate slander and lies against the 5 Cuban Heroes. The evidence concluded a number of journalists were paid secretly by the U.S. government to produce countless articles against the 5.

The 5 Cuban Heroes, Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino, Fernando González & René González, have been in prison in the U.S. since 1998 for giving information about terrorist activities directed against Cuba, to the Cuban and U.S. government. The 5 Cuban Heroes harmed no one during their work to prevent terrorism and are even responsible for saving the lives of many Cubans and internationals.

The Vancouver action will be held simultaneously alongside the picket action in Montreal organized by Le Comité Fabio Di Celmo pour les 5.

To see the picket poster please visit:
http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/posters/100610picket.pdf

Vancouver picket organized by:
Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver
604-719-6947 | cuban5_van@yahoo.com
http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/freethefivevan.html

Sunday, May 2nd, 1:30pm

Annual General Meeting

Chilean Co-op 3390 School Ave. Vancouver (south of Kingsway & Tyne) with special guests Yanira Kuper & Maritzel Gonzalez-Quevedo from the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), election of officers, reports, future plans.

This meeting is for members only. Memberships are available at the door.

NOTE: The FMC women will be giving a public talk at this year's May Day
event. Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph St. Vancouver, doors open at
6pm - FREE EVENT.

Ongoing horitucltural request

This letter is to introduce our project and to ask for material donations to be sent specifically to the above research Institute.

Our collective is made up of persons who believe we can be of help to the people of Cuba by concentrating our efforts on specific areas of development in Cuba. With that in mind we have decided to adopt the Liliana Dimitrova Horticultural Research Institute as our focus. This Institute has been around for 38 years and is dedicated to providing sustainable food production for domestic use. What makes our work necessary is the total blockade by the United States of all goods going to Cuba by normal means, this blockade has led to tremendous damage to Cuban progress and potential as it stops the import of the most basic items needed for research and development.

While we know the Cuban people are willing to go it alone and are not begging for help we know donations are needed and we will be acting as link to institutes, people and groups who wish to donate materials or help in some way to sustain this horticultural center. We know that climate change has made this area of work vital to Cuba’s survival and invite any one who wishes to join our little band to give us a call.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Vancouver Horticultural Support Collective. Vancouver Support Collective for the Liliana Dimitrova Horticultural Research Institute in Cuba

This letter is to ask for material donations to be sent specifically to the above research center.

Contacts for our support collective are:

Kenia Avendano-Ovalle at(604) 431 9143
E-mail: Solamaru@hotmail.com
Nacason Espinoza at (604)842-3994
E-mail: naces@shaw.ca

Our project is indorsed by the C.C.F.A. (Canada Cuba Friendship Association). C.C.F.A. Contacts:
Ray Viaud (604) 254 1350 (Work),(604) 253 6442 (Home)or
Linda Chobotuk at(604) 421 7056

Contacts for the institute in Cuba are ---
Dr Eizabeth Pena Turruellas . (53) (47) 681=603, or (53) (47) 682-601/00, or
(53) (47) 883-1143. E-mail: direccion@liliana.co.cu
Fax: (53) (66) 682-601 or ( 53) (66) 682-600 http://www.liliana.co.cu

Address of the institute is – Liliana Dimitrova Horticultural Institute Km.33Y ½ Carretera Bejucal –Quivican La Havana Cuba.

If a cash donation is considered please contact the institute directly and in Spanish for methods of transferal or contact Icap.

Below is list of materials needed…with hope that you may be able to help with some of it.

Seed Laboratory Equipment
* Seed mechanical selecting machine ; Gamet type; Original model or similar(ie.Humbolt and Deam Gramet) * Magnifying glass with lighting; 4:10 x
* Humidity determiner (Tesma A - 79) *Germination chamber with temperature,lighting and day night control (ie.Servilab,Rumed,etc). *Analytical scale; Capacity: 120g;Precision;0,0001 g (ie.Sartorious,Elute,etc.) *Technical scale; Capacity:500g;Precision: 0,01 g(ie.Sartorius,Sauter,etc.)
*Electronic scale:Capacity:5000 g; Precision;0,1g(ie.Sartorius, Elute ,etc.)
*Water distiller;Capacity:4 liters/hr. approx.
*Vertical autoclave;total volume: 75 liters; Temp range: 100 – 140 Celsius steam gauges.(manometers)in chamber and steam generators (ie.Nuve OT 4060)
*Mettalic sieves;0,5;1 and 4mm.
*Binocular magnifying glass American optical.
*Electro – gravitational stove; Precision: 0,5 Celsius.
*Mill for seed and grains.
*Electrical conductimeter (for electrical conductivity method)
*Seed counter(ie.Count - A - Pak)
*Stereoscope microscope.
*Binocular microscope; enlargement: up to 30 x
*Gas extractor.
*Temperature control.
*Refrigerator with thermostat;(domestic or commercial type)
*Maximum and minimum thermometers.
Materials and utensils
*Transparent colorless plastic boxes with adequate cover for analysis.
*Clamps of different tip sizes and shapes.
*Spatulas.
*Brushes or permanent markers; crystallographic pencils.
*Covered aluminum recipient for humidity estimation.
*Drying machines.
*Germination substrata; filter paper,blotting paper,etc.
*Glassware: test tubes,pipettes,volumetric test tubes and pipettes ,beakers ,petri plates,recipients for seeds and dark recipients for solutions.
*Sampling packing: paper and plastic bags, boxes, etc.
*Individual protection equipment:gloves, masks,gowns,etc.
Disinfecting and cleaning products.
Reagents .
.Tetrazoluim salt.
.Sulphuric acid.
.Potassium nitrate.
.Ethylic alcohol.
Reference materials
. Pattern sample of different cultivars of the analyzed species.
. Photographic gallery and seeds diagrams.
. Specific updated literature for seed analysis (according to ISTA standards).

The Liliana Dimitrova Horticultural Research Institute

Mission and Mission Statement

To provide a technological-scientific base for horticultural production systems, such as: vegetables, potatoes, fibers, flowers and spices.

Mission Statement

The objective of the Liliana Dimitrova Horticultural Research Institute is to provide the technological- scientific base for the production of vegetables, potatoes, grains, fibers, flowers and spices. The prospective analysis of the technological demands of the productive chains will allow a qualitative jump in the role of the state as well as the private sectors. This will enable the Entrepreneurial Group for Various Cultures to participate more effectively in the sustainable agricultural development of the country and will strengthen the competitiveness of Cuban economy.

In order to achieve its mission, the LDHRI combines research in the field of genetic improvement through conventional and biotechnological means, with other technological studies from different agricultural ecosystems of Cuba.

The success of the mission of the LDHRI will be based:

a) The valuation, stimulation and strategic developments of its human talents

b) The satisfaction of demands and expectations of its customers, associates, beneficiaries and users of the organization.

c) The efficiency of the technological-scientific activity with the use of biotechnology and other advanced techniques.

d) The preservation of the environment through the conservation and sustainable rational utilization of the factors that compose the biodiversity.

e) The competitiveness of the Cuban agriculture.

f) The strengthening of the strategic alliances with national and international organizations,

g) The efficiency in the financial affair of the organization.

The LDHRI will establish and maintain direct communications with customers, associates, users, beneficiaries with regard to the identification of demands, challenges, definition and evaluation of polices, priorities and in the construction of alternative scenarios for research.

This is not the only organization existent in the country, but is the leader in research for sustainable agricultural development with emphasis on vegetables, grains, fibers and flowers.

It incorparates qualified human talents with strategic focus in order to generate products, processes, services and technologies.

The organization recognizes that only with social, political and financial support from its customers and associates can it transform the LDHRI into a technological-scientific guide for sustainable development in the Cuban Agriculture.

In the long term, most relevant commitments of LDHRI will be with the Cuban Social Project. The LDHRI will guarantee food sovereignty for the population, agricultural sustainable development, satisfy growing demands from customers, associates, beneficiaries, users, and involve the human talents of the organization.

Among the main lines of research and services of the LDHRI are:

The genetic improvement and the protection of plants that corresponds with the priorities of the Science and Technological Innovation of Group I, refers to identification of genes for resistance to abiotic and biotic stress. It will also create improvement of the systems for micro propagation through physiological studies in vitro cultures and establish the molecular and biochemical bases of the somatic embryogenesis.This technological improvement will create massive propagation of plants and escalate the production in line with vegetal betterment and phylogenetic resources. This development of new varieties and hybrids with advanced characteristics with their culture management will contribute to agricultural sustainability. Also, it uses and preserves phytogenetic resources through the establishment and increment of collection of species of economic importance such as fibers. Another line of research corresponding with this strategy is the integrated management that deals with the complementary studies and development of methods for the detection of species that may constitute a potential risk for other cultures of economic importance, such as the development of diseases diagnoses.

The lines of technological research for seed production, phytotechny of cultures, nutrition management, harvest and post harvest, organic agriculture, transfer of technology and agricultural extension related with the priorities of the Group II with special reference to grains, and vegetables through the development and introduction of new varieties and hybrids contributes to sustainable increment of productive chains. Furthermore, it insures the seed production and establishment of a system of seed reproduction from its basic and original form. It also develops and assimilates integrated technology for production with high sustainable yields resistant to plagues and diseases and contributes to continuous production of vegetables under protected culture conditions.