Ivan Beavis: A true and committed friend of Cuba
Campaign News | Wednesday, 3 January 2018
On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and all our members and affiliates in the UK, we would like to offer our deepest sympathy to Christiane and all Ivan’s family, colleagues and many friends.
We are all deeply saddened by this loss. Ivan has been a long term supporter of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign and a member of our Executive Committee.
Ivan helped forge important links between CSC and the Morning Star newspaper where he worked for many years. Ivan was also an invaluable source of advice in helping develop links between CSC and the trade union movement. In every meeting and in every discussion Ivan always looked on campaigning and the political struggle in a positive and cheerful way, even when faced with adversity. He regularly used humour to help bridge disagreements and his dry wit and quick turn of phrase often helped people in their discussions.
Ivan spent many years working with the public sector trade unions and he recognised that Cuba offered a real alternative to the privatisation and austerity led agenda which marred the lives of millions of working people here. He often spoke of the positive aspects of the publicly owned social structure model that Cuba offered.
Ivan visited Cuba in the 1990s and again in 2016, where he attended the huge May Day rally in Havana. He often spoke of his admiration for the Cuban people and their leadership who had together defied the many years of US aggression and intervention.
As a Socialist and committed internationalist Ivan never erred from showing his support for the people of Cuba. His enthusiasm for celebrating their achievements and his ongoing commitment to the struggle against the US Blockade and for Cuba’s sovereignty helped us all in our efforts to develop and strengthen the bonds of friendship and international solidarity between the people of the UK and Cuba.
Ivan has left a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire many of us in our efforts on behalf of the just cause that is Cuba. The finest tribute we can pay is to live up to his deep sense of commitment to international solidarity and social justice.
We have lost a true and committed friend.
Rob Miller, CSC Director
Bernard Regan, CSC National Secretary
Read the Morning Star obituary for Ivan Beavis online here
