Oswaldo Payá

I. Definition y Goals

The Cuban Forum Campaign is a civic and peaceful process that has the following goals:

1.         The release of all of those imprisoned for peacefully defending, promoting, and exercising universally recognized human rights.
2.         The legal reforms necessary to guarantee the exercise of the fundamental rights of all Cubans, living inside and outside of Cuba.
3.         The establishment of free elections for a Constituent Assembly.
4.         For all Cubans, without exclusions, to walk together in reconciliation, liberty and brotherhood, building a more humane, just and open society in our independent and sovereign homeland.
All Cubans, without distinctions, are called upon to participate in the Cuban Forum Campaign, because it can only be for the good of all Cubans if it is done with all Cubans.
The Cuban Forum Campaign is developing in two directions that share the same goals though they may follow different paths:
1.       The civic campaign to legally demand these changes in the law and the release of those imprisoned for peacefully defending, promoting, and exercising universally recognized human rights. This campaign will be developed by:
a.       All citizens who would like to participate and the Citizens Committee for Dialogue and Reconciliation that will be created in order to push this campaign forward.
b.       Members of the peaceful democratic opposition and any institutions that wish to participate.
2.       The promotion and proposal to conduct a national reunification entitled the National Reunification Cuban Forum, which would be a dialogue process to achieve the agreements and proposals for changes in the laws that would allow for the goals of the Cuban Forum Campaign stated in this document. The following two groups would participate in the National Reunification Cuban Forum:
a.       The Government Forum, made up of representatives appointed by the National Assembly of the People’s Power.
b.       The Civic Forum, made up of representatives of the peaceful democratic opposition, of Cuban exiles, and of the Citizens Committee for Dialogue and Reconciliation.
II. Objectives of the Civic Campaign
To achieve the goals of the Cuban Forum Campaign, the civic campaign has the following objectives:
1.       That the laws guarantee freedom of expression and access to media for all opinions and all citizens without exclusion.
2.       That the laws guarantee that citizens can assemble freely for all legitimate purposes in political, social, cultural, labor, student and other types of organizations.
3.       That the laws guarantee the right to enter and exit the country freely and the civic rights of Cubans living in Cuba and abroad, including the right to settle and live in Cuba.
4.       An electoral law that guarantees exercising the right of all citizens to elect and nominate and to be nominated and elected freely and democratically.
5.       That free and democratic elections be conducted, with the abovementioned criteria, to elect a Constituent Assembly.
6.       That the representatives of the Civic Forum of the National Reunification Cuban Forum present, as fundamental demands, the changes to the law and the establishment of elections for the Constituent Assembly stated earlier. The National Reunification Cuban Forum will only take place after the release of those imprisoned for peacefully defending, promoting, and exercising universally recognized human rights.
7.       That the voice of the people be heard through referendums to make sovereign decisions about the legislative changes proposed in the Varela Project and about other legal initiatives that allow for the goals of the Cuban Forum Campaign to be achieved.
8.       To advance a campaign for the release of those imprisoned for peacefully defending, promoting, and exercising universally recognized human rights.
9.       To promote a dialogue of respect and the reconciliation of all Cubans.
10. To work for peace among all Cubans and among all peoples.
III. The Citizens Committee for Dialogue and Reconciliation
Initially it will consist of and be coordinated by the members of the Citizens Organizing Committee of the Varela Project and other citizens that want to participate in this campaign.
All those citizens, without exclusions, that propose to work to achieve peacefully the aims of the Cuban Forum Campaign can join with the Citizens Committee for Dialogue and Reconciliation.
 
The tasks of the Citizens Committee for Dialogue and Reconciliation and of all the participants of the civic campaign:
a.       Promote civic support for the Referendum on the Varela Project and other legal initiatives that are supported by constitutional and legal rights. 
b.       Circulate the content of the Cuban Forum Campaign.
c.        Promote respect, understanding and reconciliation among citizens.
d.       Promote citizen participation in social and political life. Make suggestions and critiques to the authorities and other sectors of society, to improve the quality of life of citizens and families and to contribute to social harmony and the respect and exercise of legal rights and of all human rights.
e.       Develop legal citizen initiatives to achieve the authentic exercise of human rights.
f.         Promote reflection and dialogue about the Program for all Cubans, the fruit of the National Dialogue, and about the Varela Project, as these already have a civic base, and about other initiatives that directly correspond to the aims of the Cuban Forum Campaign.
g.       Promote citizen awareness, the responsibility of voters, and their active and passive participation in elections based on a new electoral law.
h.       Promote the protection of the environment.
i.         Other tasks and functions that are not in contradiction to the spirit and objectives outlined here and that contribute to the promotion of human rights, human solidarity, peace, and reconciliation.
IV. The Civic Forum
It will be formed after consulting with all of the peaceful democratic opposition inside Cuba and in exile and with the Citizens Committee for Dialogue and Reconciliation.
The founders of the Civic Forum will propose to the potential members of this forum a methodology for their integration and for working toward achieving the goals defined by the Cuban Forum Campaign. Once established, the initial group of the Civic Forum will determine the method for enlarging its membership in order to reach the greatest participation possible and will define the rules for democratically electing the representatives of the Civic Forum to the National Reunification Cuban Forum.
V. The Government Forum
The Government Forum, appointed by the National Assembly for the People’s Power, will fulfill in the National Reunification Cuban Forum the role that is entrusted by that legislative institution, in order to facilitate the approval by the National Assembly of the People’s Power of the agreements and proposals for legal reforms agreed upon by the National Reunification Cuban Forum.