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• Europe
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• South America
• Spain
• 09 / 01 / 2007

«It is very stimulating to know that there is a group of young people taking care of social problems. You are a very important strength in society; Im impressed that there are 42,000 people involved in this work. My congratulations for the beautiful task you are carrying out,» said Enrique Iglesias, general secretary of the Iberian American organization, at the end of a meeting with Enrique Gomez Cabezas, member of the National Bureau of the Young Communists League, where the guest was informed about this and other programs sponsored by the Cuban government as part of the «Battle of the Ideas» education movement.

The Cuban youth leader explained to the visitor the main tasks social workers have been carrying out over the last seven years, since they were established. Among the tasks explained to Iglesias were the attention given to young people who are not involved in work or study, a thorough study on the child population and programs for dysfunctional families.

Iglesias was particularly interested in the program of giving attention to the elderly. «This is a problem humanity has to deal with, he said, because they [the elderly] often become a burden to their families.

«This situation is very rare in Asia, for example, where the elderly are worshipped. However, it is very frequent in Latin America and the United States. Everybody takes care of children, as it should be, but the elderly are the past, and they are socially disqualified. Thats why I encourage you to keep taking care of then, it is very important.»

When praising the participation of the social workers in the «Energy Revolution,» Iglesias recalled how, in his last visit to Cuba, President Fidel Castro spoke enthusiastically about the replacement of electronic devices.

«We, poor countries, are the ones that have to learn to do what you are doing. The sources of renewable energy are very clean, but they are also a very expensive investment. Thats why saving is essential, » he concluded.

Source: By Dora Perez Saez, Juventud Rebelde