José Julián Martí Pérez (Havana, January 28, 1853 – Dos Ríos, May 19, 1895) was a great thinker and man of action recognized as the Apostle of Cuban independence. This eminent writer, teacher, politician, and strategist was also a pioneer in various fields. For example, he is known as the first Latin American journalist to work as a newspaper correspondent. He is also recognized as the main precursor of the important literary movement known as modernism. Through a study of his vast work, he can also be identified as a precursor to fundamental contemporary paradigms such as sustainable development and human rights (political, civil, economic, social, and cultural).
From a very young age, he dedicated his talent and works to Cuban independence from colonialism to Latin American and Caribbean unity, and to global balance.
For his ideas, he was imprisoned, tortured, and exiled to Spain while still a teenager. There he studied at the universities of Madrid and Zaragoza. Throughout his life, he visited various countries in Europe and the Americas and lived in several of them.
Founder and contributor to various newspapers and magazines, member of numerous literary and artistic societies, and architect of the final stage of the armed struggle against Spanish colonialism in Cuba, his vast written work, collected in dozens of volumes, is evidence of the multiple facets of his extraordinary intellectual endeavor. These facets include those of poet, educator, diplomat, tribune, and revolutionary ideologue. José Martí sacrificed his life during the 1895 war of independence.
The study and promotion of his life, work, and example have led to the creation of the National Program for the Study and Promotion of the Ideas of José Martí (Cuba, 1997) and the José Martí Project for World Solidarity (UNESCO, 2003).
“There is a wealth of essential truths that fit on the wing of a hummingbird and are, nevertheless, the key to public peace, spiritual elevation, and national greatness… Men must live in the natural and inevitable enjoyment of liberty, as they live in the enjoyment of air and light… [and] being cultured is the only way to be free.”
2002-Present
The Conferences FOR WORLD BALANCE of the begin at the provincial level.
From the beginning, the Cuban delegation to the International Conferences was formed months before the event, mainly through participation in similar conferences held in each province of Cuba with the coordination of the José Martí Cultural Society (SCJM), an NGO of the system of institutions of the José Martí Program Office (OPM).
1st International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE
The first Conference, held from January 27 to 29, 2003, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of José Martí’s birth, brought together some 700 delegates from more than 200 institutions in 36 countries and was co-sponsored by 13 organizations
Presentation of the José Martí Project for World Solidarity to the UNESCO General Conference
The presentation of the José Martí Project for World Solidarity was added to the agenda of the 32nd session of the UNESCO General Conference in response to the request made by the President of the Cuban Commission for UNESCO in a letter on behalf of the Cuban Government addressed to the Director-General, dated March 31, 2003.
UNESCO welcomes the José Martí Project for World Solidarity
On October 4, 2003, the 32nd General Conference of UNESCO welcomed the creation of the José Martí Project for World Solidarity
Creation of the International Network of José Martí Chairs
This initiative of the José Martí Project for World Solidarity aims to promote and raise awareness of the study of José Martí’s life and work worldwide, with an emphasis on higher education. The network is based at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, and annually convenes the International Meetings of José Martí Chairs.
I International Colloquium JOSÉ MARTÍ FOR A CULTURE OF NATURE
The first Colloquium, held from October 25 to 27, 2004, brought together some 400 delegates from approximately 200 institutions in 33 countries.
I International Conference WITH ALL AND FOR THE GOOD OF ALL
The Conference, held from January 24 to 25, 2005, brought together more than 230 delegates from some 100 institutions of 30 countries.
II International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE
The Conference, held from January 28 to 30, 2008, brought together some 200 delegates from dozens of institutions in 36 countries and was co-sponsored by six major organizations
II International Colloquium JOSÉ MARTÍ FOR A CULTURE OF NATURE
The Conference, held from June 9 to 1, 2010, brought together some 300 delegates from more than 40 institutions from 32 countries and was co-sponsored by seven major organizations
III International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE
The Conference brought together some 900 delegates from over 190 institutions in 49 countries and was co-sponsored by six major entities. This year, the UNESCO International José Martí Prize ceremony was be held for the first time within the framework of the Conference and was awarded to Frei Betto.
II International Conference WITH ALL AND FOR THE GOOD OF ALL
The Conference, held from January 25 to 28, 2016, brought together some 950 delegates from over 120 institutions in 53 countries and was co-sponsored by eight key entities
IV International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE
The Conference, held from January 28 to 31, 2019, adopted José Martí’s phrase “With all and for the good of all” as its slogan. From then on, the international conferences that previously bore this name were no longer held. The Conference received for the first time a personal message from the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, Pope Francis I.
V International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE
The Conference brought together some 1,100 delegates from more than 330 institutions of 89 countries and was co-sponsored by 28 key entities. The Conference received for the second time a personal message from the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, Pope Francis I, Pope Francis I.
VI International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE
The Conference brought together some 1,400 delegates from more than 600 institutions from 98 countries and was co-sponsored by 36 key entities. For the third consecutive time, the Conference receives a personal message from the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, Pope Francis I, Pope Francis I.
III International Colloquium JOSÉ MARTÍ FOR A CULTURE OF NATURE
The third edition of this Colloquium is being convened to revive this important forum following its previous edition in 2010. This will be the last in its current format, as the IV José Martí International Colloquium FOR A CULTURE OF NATURE will be held within the framework of the VII International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE.
VII International Conference FOR WORLD BALANCE