In the late summer sunshine on the evening of September 8th, over 80 people gathered in Trout Lake Park to hear from a dozen Brigadistas, fresh from the Che Guevara Volunteer work Brigade to Cuba this summer. Participants were welcomed by MCs Tamara Hansen- the coordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) and Noah Fine- coordinator of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver (FC5C-Van), both of whom traveled on the Brigade this year. They began by explaining a bit about the trip they had just returned from, a brigade that traveled to Cuba for 3 weeks, taking over 60 people from all over Canada to visit Cuba, to volunteer there, and to bring back their inspiration from the gains of the Cuban revolution. Noah explained a bit about Cuba’s history, talking about the museums and historical sites the Brigade visited to learn about Cuba’s struggle for independence. They learned about some of Cuba’s big victories too - like the site of a train wreck in Villa Clara Province, preserved to remember one of the most decisive battles that led to the victory of the revolutionary forces in 1959. The audience got a picture of what daily life is like on the brigade, from breakfast to the construction project that this year’s participants worked on - a school for children with visual and audio impairments - to the cultural activities of the evenings and more. Next, Kerri Goodwin, of the Oji-Cree Nation, spoke as a young Indigenous woman, contrasting Cuba’s struggle for sovereignty, with the fight of Indigenous people in Canada for self-determination. Following Kerri, Nicole Burton, an SFU student and organizer with Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO), elaborated about Cuba’s fight for independence from the US under blockade and how this battle is being waged through the ideas of the Cuban Revolution. She talked about how the Brigadistas had lots of opportunities to sit with Cuban people of all ages and professions and hear directly their opinions and ideas about Cuban and world politics. Next Mike Larson, a student at Capilano College and an organizer with the FC5C-V, took the mic and gave the audience an idea of what some of Cuba’s powerful ideas are- he spoke about Cuba’s world renowned health and education systems, remembering visits to schools, polyclinics and other health facilities. Alex Hansen, an electrical apprentice, followed Mike with the challenge of explaining Cuba’s economy in five minutes- he gave a picture of both the challenges of the US blockade on Cuba and how the organization of the Cuban economy has prioritized a more just distribution of Cuba’s wealth and resources. Thomas Davies, a pipefitter and organizer with FC5C-V, told a funny story about a conversation with a taxi driver in Havana, who asked him if workers in Canada get the day off to go to demonstrations- a concept that’s very strange to workers here, but normal for Cubans. Furthering the contrast that the Brigadistas felt, Sarah Alwell then explained about the electoral system in Cuba, explaining that she had never met her MLA here in Canada, but that in Cuba, elected representatives are very much involved in the daily life of their communities. After Sarah, Carly Teng, a student at SFU and organizer with the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group spoke about the brigade’s meeting with the Cuban Women’s federation, the largest women’s organization in the world. A demographic that has advanced their position in society because of the revolution is youth, and Aaron Mercredi, an organizer with the Indigenous Rights and Action Project, spoke about meeting young Cubans and what the Brigade learned about the institutions that youth in Cuba have built, especially the Union of Young Communists (UJC). Esteban Gonzales, an organizer with the Solidarity Coalition for a United Latin America and VCSC spoke next, about how some Brigadistas got to meet Cubans who were taking part in missions to provide medical care, educational support or technical training in other countries, as well as international students studying for free in Cuba. Brazil Pejvik, a student at SFU, spoke last, talking about the legacy of the great revolutionary Che Guevara, for whom the brigade is named. Che’s ideas of internationalism, of fighting for justice for all people around the world are very much a part of the principles that Cuba operates on. At this point the audience was excited to see what the Brigadistas were talking about, and second best to going to Cuba to see for themselves, they watched a slideshow of the highlights of the trip. Tamara and Noah then gathered up all the Brigadistas and had a brilliant performance of a song written and first performed on the Brigade, about the Cuban five. The voices singing together, ringing out through the night left every one who attended the event thinking about their own plans and was a great encouragement for all participants to join the brigade next year!	What We Seen & Learned From Revolutionary Cuba Report back from the 15th Che Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade to Cuba