The Community Youth Network: Strategic for the Revolution 

"We are living through exceptional times in the country, and rising to the challenge of these times helps us grow as revolutionaries," stated President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez at a meeting with leaders of the Union of Young Communists, held at the Palace of the Revolution. The meeting followed up on the implementation of the Community Youth Network projects, two months after its creation.
Accompanied by Roberto Morales Ojeda, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, student leaders, representatives of the Young Communist League (UJC) in Havana, and municipal coordinators from the network and People's Councils also participated in this latest exchange.
Díaz-Canel reiterated the need to systematize support for those who are disconnected from education and employment, and for people with the greatest vulnerabilities, not only to help solve problems but also to involve them in finding solutions.
The Head of State proposed harnessing the potential of people who are currently unemployed due to the country's situation, in order to form brigades of workers in various trades, creating structures that can address the needs of the population.
"We cannot view the Community Youth Network as a mere task, because these are exceptional times," commented the First Secretary of the Party's Central Committee.
He added "that when we achieve victory and emerge from this moment of suffocation to which we have been subjected, we will have for life the satisfaction that we were the generations that saved the Revolution."
The Head of State recalled that we have been admiring the history of our country and the trajectory of our predecessors, however he expressed that the current stage is also challenging because the pressure to which we have been subjected every day is immense, with elements of psychological warfare, intimidation and threat of aggression.
"What you do is strategic for the Revolution, because you are the continuity," he said.
ADVANCE AND CONSOLIDATE THE WORK OF THE COMMUNITY NETWORK
Recognizing the role of the new generation in advancing the implementation of the seven projects that comprise the Community Youth Network, Meivys Estévez, First Secretary of the National Committee of the UJC, presented the results of this movement, which aims to transform, innovate, and create.
She recounted the experiences in assisting vulnerable individuals, including more than 4,000 senior citizens; the integration of 9,000 young people into education or employment through job fairs; support for more than 2,000 pregnant women; participation in recreational activities in neighborhoods; and collaboration with the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution in each locality and the Defense Councils, among other initiatives.
He said that the process of working through these two months leads to strengthening the preparation of youth leaders to acquire more tools in order to efficiently coordinate work with organizations, and contribute to achieving actions that impact the locality and allow the training of community actors to systematize the work of the network.
In assessing the impact of the Community Youth Network projects, the top leader of the UJC in the country acknowledged progress in appointing coordinators in the municipalities. However, she noted that some People's Councils have not yet made sufficient progress, and that the best results are being achieved where there is stronger engagement with the various stakeholders in the People's Councils.
Meanwhile, Political Bureau member Roberto Morales Ojeda stated that it is necessary to define what was accomplished with each neighborhood visit, what the differences are, and how the institutional responsibility is being fulfilled.
Since the Community Youth Network proposal was presented last April, the objective has been to coordinate all the projects that comprise it, taking into account the specific characteristics of each municipality and involving its residents in problem-solving, not just in one-off activities, but systematically.
From the experience of the nation's capital, Dahniz Díaz Pereira, first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the UJC in Havana, said that the presence of young people in neighborhoods must leave a lasting impact, and cannot be a one-day endeavor.
"The important thing is that young people participate and become involved in the dynamics of their communities."