Celebrating World Youth Day

Cuba celebrates International Youth Day today with an extensive program of cultural and sports activities throughout the nation, where the new generations are at the heart of its social system.

The celebrations will run until August 13 at Havana's 13 de Marzo Park. To satisfy all tastes, there will be performances by "trova" singers and theater groups, as well as book sales, magazine releases, and traditional and table games.

These celebrations will be dedicated to the Cuban Five, national heroes; Fidel Castro, on his 84th birthday; Nelson Mandela, and the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students, to be held in South Africa in December.

August 12 was designated as International Youth Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999.

According to that organization, nearly 200 million youth live in poverty, 130 million are illiterate, 88 million are unemployed, and 10 million suffer from HIV/AIDS.