UK philosopher Ken Cole spoke about an address given by Fidel during the first of conference held in 2003, when the leader of the Cuban Revolution outlined strategies for the creation of today's Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA).

Cole said the integration process promoted by Cuba and Venezuela is the most important event that has taken place in Latin America after the triumph of the Cuban revolution in January 1959.

Cole also spoke about the Cuban government's social program called The Battle of Ideas. He said that Fidel was ahead of current trends in Europe, where a common belief is that processes leading to social changes must first be held in the conscience of the people before being implemented.

Iraqi intellectual Sabah Alnasseri also spoke about Fidel's address saying that it helped him understand how Marxist ideas influenced the revolutionary process in Cuba. Alnasseri, who teaches at the University of York, Canada, said he was particularly impressed by the fact that Fidel stayed through the night during the first three sessions of the 2003 gathering.

During the opening of this year's conference, the nearly 400 delegates from more than 20 countries agreed to send Fidel a message of love, expressing their commitment to continue building socialism.

Wednesday features a panel discussion on the legacy of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, with a presentation by Cuban Social Sciences National Award winner Fernando Martinez Heredia.

(mathaba.net)