Las Tunas.— With the express commitment to ensuring that every investigation makes a contribution to society and the knowledge of future generations, the 22nd Provincial Congress of the National Union of Historians of Cuba (UNHIC) concluded, a precursor to the national event taking place next year.
Various relevant topics related to the regular functioning of the organization and the importance of fulfilling its social responsibility, were discussed by historians from the entire province. Among the issues reviewed were the revival of scientific activities, cooperation with the education sector to improve history lessons, and the need to make use of new perspectives within the field of historiography.
Noteworthy during the event was the holding of an academic exercise to present important works completed over the year. Discussion, analysis and evaluation of these works was divided up between four commissions focusing on Indigenous Civilizations in Latin America and Cuba; National Liberation Movements in Cuba and the Continent; Conflicts between Cuba and the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries; and the Historic Figure of Fidel Castro. A total of 10 works were awarded by judges.
An important aspect recognized by the Secretariat of the National Union of Historians of Cuba, was the initiative created in Las Tunas to document the history of every neighborhood in the territory, and in so doing enrich the historical record of the entire province. As one of the fundamental tasks of the “Por Nosotros Mismos” (by us) project, a historian would be chosen from each electoral constituency to write the history of the neighborhoods of Las Tunas, using the testimony of their oldest residents and other bibliographical sources and documents.
Finally, historians from the province proposed among their short term goals to increase the rigor of research, disseminate outcomes and measure their impact, above all in regards to educating present and future generations.
