Day 21 was a signifcant day for the cadre intensive.
Falling on a Friday, Day 21 was an incredible day that represented the end of the third week of this four week long process.
The day began like the previous 20 Intensive days with the raising of the African national flag in the parking lot of the Uhuru House.
However, the remainder of the day consisted mainly of presentations by the cadre participants themselves.
This was unusual, as most of the presentations up until that point were given by Intensive teachers and Party leaders.
The first wave of presentations given by intensive participants were the weekly summations.
During these presentations each member of each unit made a statement about how they had experienced the intensive.
Comrades incorporated their observations and appreciation of the process, as well as criticisms and self-criticisms.
Each statement given was a clear indication of the incredible growth and transformation that each comrade had undergone.
One comrade who traveled to the intensive all the way from Norway gave a self-criticism about her incorrect stance in the early stages of the intensive.
Then she expressed her commitment and desire to become a genuine revolutionary.
It was very inspiring and showed the incredible courage this comrade had.
In that same process of weekly summations Chairman Omali Yeshitela made an important intervention that clearly spoke to the sentiments that many comrades had on the topic.
The Chairman reiterated the importance of comrades having relationships with one another that place the revolution in the center.
The Chairman reminded us that we are here at the intensive for one common cause, and no cause could be greater than our liberation.
Following the weekly summations the rest of the day was dedicated to presentations that were developed by each unit in the intensive.
Each unit, consisting of 4-7 people, was given a scenario about which they were required to make a presentation or speech.
The scenarios varied from everything from an African Socialist Internationalist leader being detained at London’s Heathrow Airport to the campaign to send reinforcements into Sierra Leone, where Party leaders are under assault.
All of the presentations were powerful. After each one was given they were critiqued by a panel of Party leaders consisting of Omowale Kefing, Gaida Kambon who is the Secretary General of the African Peoples Socialist Party-USA and Luwezi Kinshasa Secretary General of the African Socialist International.
The process preparing and giving these presentations gave all of the intensive participants the opportunity to develop a skill in an area that many would otherwise be intimidated by – making a speech.
It was a good process.
We look forward to Day 22!
Uhuru!
