WE SUPPORT YOANI SANCHEZ OF "GENERACION Y" OF CUBA

We cannot ignore that numerous injustices exist in this world; however, what we can do as chessplayers is to raise our heads from the chessboard and make a contribution worldwide. This morning, as I was getting ready to write my daily article, I told my daughter about the situation I am about to write about. We both agreed that we should use our blog in support of an incredible human being even if in the future it would cost her an invitation to play chess tournament in the country we are about to highlight. Therefore, we at www.claudiachess.blogspot.com, take our first step into transcending from the board to a wider board - life.

We introduce to you, Yoani Sanchez of Cuba. She is a successful 34-years old blogger. She happens to have a blog that is in the top 25 in the world, with over 1,000,000 visitors a month and 1,000 comments posted daily in 15-languages. Yoani writes about her daily life in Cuba. By any stretch of the imagination one would think that to have a successful blog she must be devoted every minute of her day to it, right?

Wrong.

Yoani does not have internet.

What makes her a remarkable person is that she writes her articles and then proceeds to go all over Havana trying to find someone who has internet to email her articles abroad. It is outside of Cuba where her friends post her material for her on HER blog.

Still, she has over one million visitors per month.

It is because of the content of her blogging that international recognitions have come her way. In May, an organization in Madrid, Spain awarded her a prestigious recognition only to be denied by the Cuban government permission to travel abroad. Recently, Columbia University awared her the Maria Moors Cabot Prize for her outstanding work in her blog:

www.desdecuba.com/generaciony,

Once again the Cuban government said, "NO!"

What threat to Cuban national security could Yoani pose by her traveling abroad to receive an award? Did the Cuban leaders forget that prior to their revolution they were welcomed abroad?

The Cuban government with its actions is bringing legitimacy to GENERATION Y and Yaoni's project.

If the Cuban government has not noticed during its almost 50-year revolution, having people incarcerated in their own country simply does not work.
The Soviets demonstrated it did not work and every country in the then Soviet-block. I believe it is time for Cuba to learn that lesson as well.

We recognize that this post might one day prevent Claudia from playing in Cuba. We both decided that regardless of the outcome we at least would hold up our heads realizing that there is a world outside the chessboard - and we must change it.

We support the endeavors of Yoani Sanchez of Generacion "Y" of Cuba.