IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 2 ENGLISH | Page 21

processes involving economic growth and sociocultural progress in the modern world.
In recent decades, extremely important phenomena, like demographic growth, increase the numerical importance of youth in society. Similarly,
impetuous development in the areas of technology, computer science and the sciences have
come together and increased the participation and
influence of young people in today’s political,
economic and cultural life.
Contemporary Cuba is characterized by its institutions’ total disregard for fundamental rights, as
well as the suppression of civil society, public
opinion, the right to property and an independent
judiciary. The government’s control of economic
resources and processes, subordination of the
laws that regulated mechanisms of control and repression, usurpation of values such as patriotism
and nationality, as well as fusion and confusion of
concepts such as Party, Government, State and
Nation deprive individuals and groups the space
and ability to actively, directly and meaningfully
participate in defining our nation’s destiny.
The ideologically indoctrinating fragmentation of
any social spaces and referents is eliminating any
real possibility for youth to pluralistically, openmindedly and positively face the challenges and
problems of their time. Thus, despite the fact they
should be at the forefront of social progress, their
ability to influence it is extremely limited.
The broad implications of this sort of ideological,
cultural tutelage, with its denial and distortion of
cultural models and patterns, for example, atrophies their civic and sociopolitical awareness.
This results from their inability to create the cultural references and criteria they need to become
conscientious and consider multiple, complex
problems typical of modern existence.
The fact they are not educated in the natural, pluralistic environment of a diverse society that is
open to debate, confrontation and the exchange of
ideas, criteria and opinions considerably limits

the ability of young generations to perceive and
absorb correlated and complex layers of sociopolitics and adopt forceful and influential attitudes.
Young people are educated without learning
about or assimilating the character and essence of
human rights as prerogatives natural and inherent
to human beings before, above and beyond political ideologies, interests, power and structures.
These should be subordinated to an imperative to
acknowledge, promote, protect and defend these
rights.
Younger generations are schooled never having
come to know the value and importance of essential instruments like the Constitution and its place
as the highest law in the judicial and political
framework of a country. This is what should
guide and govern the destinies and actions of a
community, and serve as a guarantor of the rights
and exercise of citizenship.
They are educated and reach maturity unaware of
a mechanism as important as institutional independence, which is so necessary and irreplaceable
in the creation and maintenance of a balance between authority, power, interests and rights.
Youth are educated without l