Helen Yaffe
Biographic Data
| ID | 714656 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Helen Yaffe |
| GIVEN NAMES | Helen |
| FAMILY NAME | Yaffe |
| SIGNATURE | YAFFE H |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9241-4160 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 30 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
The Low-Carbon Contradiction
“Energy is an instrument of power. What did the United States do when it broke off relations with Cuba? Take away our oil supply. What did the USSR do? Give us oil.” So stated, in an interview with me in 2017, Luis Berriz, president of the Cuban nongovernmental organization Cubasolar, set up during the acute energy crisis in the 1990s to promote renewable energies on the island.Gustav Cederlöf's work interrogates this statement through an examina…
The US blockade, and the “1 cent 4 Cuba” campaign to challenge it
Following the devastating oil tanker fire in Matanzas in August 2022, many groups and individuals around the world were frustrated to find financial institutions blocking humanitarian donations for Cuba, even when recipient accounts were not on the island. These obstacles had previously arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the United States is the only country in the world to sanction Cuba, most international banks and payment systems inclu…
Cuban Medical Internationalism
In 2023, Cuba assumed the presidency of the Group of 77 + China, the world’s largest and most diverse multilateral bloc of countries. The election of Cuba to this role testifies to the island’s prestige among the Global South, recognition of its material contribution to developing countries, and promotion of South–South cooperation, particularly in the healthcare sector. Cuban medical internationalism tends to be discussed in the rather lonely an…
Che as minister
As Minister of Industries in Cuba between 1961 and 1965, Che Guevara addressed the challenge of increasing production and labour productivity in conditions of underdevelopment and in transition to socialism, without relying on capitalist mechanisms that undermine the formation of new consciousness and social relations integral to socialism. Under capitalism, Guevara noted, competition for private profit drives the application of science and techn…
We Are Cuba!
Rice in the Time of Sugar
Rice is an essential part of the Cuban diet; that much is clear to anyone familiar with Cuba or Cubans.But how and when did the Cuban palate become so hooked on a food whose consumption relies on imports?Rice in a Time of Sugar interweaves historical testimony with factual evidence to explain this paradox.This account makes clear that, like most things in Cuba, the history of rice is inseparable from the history of the sugar industry, which is it…
Youth Activism and Solidarity
From April 1986 until just after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in February 1990, supporters of the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group maintained a continuous protest, day and night, outside the South African Embassy in central London. This book examines how and why a group of children, teenagers and young adults made themselves ‘non-stop against apartheid’, creating one of the most visible expressions of anti-apartheid solidarity in Brita…
The deep, historical roots of Cuban anti-imperialism
Colonialism, imperialism and anti-imperialism have been decisive in shaping Cuban political identity for 150 years. US determination to control Cuba, consistent with the Monroe Doctrine, had a strong economic rationale even before Spain was defeated in the War of Independence in 1898. Debate raged between Cubans who aspired to true independence and an annexationalist minority, who favoured union with the US. The Platt Amendment imposed on Cuba by…
Venezuela
In 2005, Chavez declared that the Bolivarian Revolution was building “socialism for the 21st century.” Almost a decade later, however, the economy remains dominated by a parasitic capitalist sector which obstructs efforts to build alternative socio-productive relations. In avoiding a head-on confrontation with the bourgeoisie, the government is experimenting with the introduction of a parallel communal economy in which the social product is commu…
Revolutionary Cuba
In July 2015, after 55 years without diplomatic relations, embassies were reopened by Cuba in Washington and by the United States in Havana. Speculation about the impact of rapprochement on Cuban society is rife and Cuba experts are in demand for comment. As author Luis Martínez-Fernández states: ‘the historian's perspective allows us to turn towards the future the same telescopes that we normally point to the past’ (p. 280); it is a good time to…
Practices of Solidarity
International solidarity is frequently presented as an asymmetrical flow of assistance travelling from one place to another. In contrast, we theorise the more complex, entangled and reciprocal flows of solidarity that serve to enact social change in more than one place simultaneously. The international campaign against apartheid was one of the most widespread, sustained social movements of the last century. This paper examines the spatial practic…
Non-Stop Against Apartheid
From April 1986 to February 1990, the supporters of the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group [City Group] maintained a Non-Stop Picket outside the South African Embassy in London calling for the release of Nelson Mandela. Whilst the Non-Stop Picket was one of the most visible expressions of British anti-apartheid activism at the time, the Picket was never endorsed by the national Anti-Apartheid Movement. Positioned on the pavement directly outside…
Che Guevara and the Great Debate, Past and Present
New reforms and debates are underway in contemporary Cuba. The core issues, however, were raised but not resolved by the Great Debate of 1963–1965 instigated by Che Guevara. The challenge was then and remains today to increase productive capacity and labor productivity in conditions of underdevelopment and in transition to socialism, without over-reliance on capitalist mechanisms which undermine the formation of a new consciousness and social rel…
The Cuban Revolution in the 21st Century - by Lambie, George
Territories of Difference
Democracy and Revolution, Latin America and Socialism Today ‐ by Raby, Diana L
Che Guevara
Che Guevara remains an iconic figure, four decades after his death. Yet his most significant contribution - his work as a member of the Cuban government - is rarely discussed. This book explores his i
Cuban Development
Without ideological commitments to the predominance of state property, central planning, free, universal welfare provision and internationalism, the Cuban Revolution could not have recovered from the economic crisis of the Special Period and limited the destructive potential of liberalisation. From the early 1990s, the island began to diversify its trade and economic structure, which resulted in the steady recovery of the economy. Cuba’s survival…
Che Guevara's Enduring Legacy
Che Guevara's most enduring legacy in Cuba has been his indelible contribution to socialist political economy and economic management. Between 1959 and 1965, Guevara set up the budgetary finance system to prove that it was possible and necessary to develop consciousness and productivity simultaneously in the transition to socialism. The system was openly articulated as an alternative to the economic management system operating in the Soviet bloc.…
Practices of Solidarity
International solidarity is frequently presented as an asymmetrical flow of assistance travelling from one place to another. In contrast, we theorise the more complex, entangled and reciprocal flows of solidarity that serve to enact social change in more than one place simultaneously. The international campaign against apartheid was one of the most widespread, sustained social movements of the last century. This paper examines the spatial practic…
Non-Stop Against Apartheid
From April 1986 to February 1990, the supporters of the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group [City Group] maintained a Non-Stop Picket outside the South African Embassy in London calling for the release of Nelson Mandela. Whilst the Non-Stop Picket was one of the most visible expressions of British anti-apartheid activism at the time, the Picket was never endorsed by the national Anti-Apartheid Movement. Positioned on the pavement directly outside…
Che Guevara and the Great Debate, Past and Present
New reforms and debates are underway in contemporary Cuba. The core issues, however, were raised but not resolved by the Great Debate of 1963–1965 instigated by Che Guevara. The challenge was then and remains today to increase productive capacity and labor productivity in conditions of underdevelopment and in transition to socialism, without over-reliance on capitalist mechanisms which undermine the formation of a new consciousness and social rel…
Venezuela
In 2005, Chavez declared that the Bolivarian Revolution was building “socialism for the 21st century.” Almost a decade later, however, the economy remains dominated by a parasitic capitalist sector which obstructs efforts to build alternative socio-productive relations. In avoiding a head-on confrontation with the bourgeoisie, the government is experimenting with the introduction of a parallel communal economy in which the social product is commu…
The deep, historical roots of Cuban anti-imperialism
Colonialism, imperialism and anti-imperialism have been decisive in shaping Cuban political identity for 150 years. US determination to control Cuba, consistent with the Monroe Doctrine, had a strong economic rationale even before Spain was defeated in the War of Independence in 1898. Debate raged between Cubans who aspired to true independence and an annexationalist minority, who favoured union with the US. The Platt Amendment imposed on Cuba by…
Che Guevara's Enduring Legacy
Che Guevara's most enduring legacy in Cuba has been his indelible contribution to socialist political economy and economic management. Between 1959 and 1965, Guevara set up the budgetary finance system to prove that it was possible and necessary to develop consciousness and productivity simultaneously in the transition to socialism. The system was openly articulated as an alternative to the economic management system operating in the Soviet bloc.…
Democracy and Revolution, Latin America and Socialism Today ‐ by Raby, Diana L
Che Guevara
Che Guevara remains an iconic figure, four decades after his death. Yet his most significant contribution - his work as a member of the Cuban government - is rarely discussed. This book explores his i
Cuban Development
Without ideological commitments to the predominance of state property, central planning, free, universal welfare provision and internationalism, the Cuban Revolution could not have recovered from the economic crisis of the Special Period and limited the destructive potential of liberalisation. From the early 1990s, the island began to diversify its trade and economic structure, which resulted in the steady recovery of the economy. Cuba’s survival…
Che Guevara's Enduring Legacy
Che Guevara's most enduring legacy in Cuba has been his indelible contribution to socialist political economy and economic management. Between 1959 and 1965, Guevara set up the budgetary finance system to prove that it was possible and necessary to develop consciousness and productivity simultaneously in the transition to socialism. The system was openly articulated as an alternative to the economic management system operating in the Soviet bloc.…
Territories of Difference
Che Guevara and the Great Debate, Past and Present
New reforms and debates are underway in contemporary Cuba. The core issues, however, were raised but not resolved by the Great Debate of 1963–1965 instigated by Che Guevara. The challenge was then and remains today to increase productive capacity and labor productivity in conditions of underdevelopment and in transition to socialism, without over-reliance on capitalist mechanisms which undermine the formation of a new consciousness and social rel…
The Cuban Revolution in the 21st Century - by Lambie, George
Non-Stop Against Apartheid
From April 1986 to February 1990, the supporters of the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group [City Group] maintained a Non-Stop Picket outside the South African Embassy in London calling for the release of Nelson Mandela. Whilst the Non-Stop Picket was one of the most visible expressions of British anti-apartheid activism at the time, the Picket was never endorsed by the national Anti-Apartheid Movement. Positioned on the pavement directly outside…
Practices of Solidarity
International solidarity is frequently presented as an asymmetrical flow of assistance travelling from one place to another. In contrast, we theorise the more complex, entangled and reciprocal flows of solidarity that serve to enact social change in more than one place simultaneously. The international campaign against apartheid was one of the most widespread, sustained social movements of the last century. This paper examines the spatial practic…
Venezuela
In 2005, Chavez declared that the Bolivarian Revolution was building “socialism for the 21st century.” Almost a decade later, however, the economy remains dominated by a parasitic capitalist sector which obstructs efforts to build alternative socio-productive relations. In avoiding a head-on confrontation with the bourgeoisie, the government is experimenting with the introduction of a parallel communal economy in which the social product is commu…
Revolutionary Cuba
In July 2015, after 55 years without diplomatic relations, embassies were reopened by Cuba in Washington and by the United States in Havana. Speculation about the impact of rapprochement on Cuban society is rife and Cuba experts are in demand for comment. As author Luis Martínez-Fernández states: ‘the historian's perspective allows us to turn towards the future the same telescopes that we normally point to the past’ (p. 280); it is a good time to…
Youth Activism and Solidarity
From April 1986 until just after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in February 1990, supporters of the City of London Anti-Apartheid Group maintained a continuous protest, day and night, outside the South African Embassy in central London. This book examines how and why a group of children, teenagers and young adults made themselves ‘non-stop against apartheid’, creating one of the most visible expressions of anti-apartheid solidarity in Brita…
The deep, historical roots of Cuban anti-imperialism
Colonialism, imperialism and anti-imperialism have been decisive in shaping Cuban political identity for 150 years. US determination to control Cuba, consistent with the Monroe Doctrine, had a strong economic rationale even before Spain was defeated in the War of Independence in 1898. Debate raged between Cubans who aspired to true independence and an annexationalist minority, who favoured union with the US. The Platt Amendment imposed on Cuba by…
We Are Cuba!
Rice in the Time of Sugar
Rice is an essential part of the Cuban diet; that much is clear to anyone familiar with Cuba or Cubans.But how and when did the Cuban palate become so hooked on a food whose consumption relies on imports?Rice in a Time of Sugar interweaves historical testimony with factual evidence to explain this paradox.This account makes clear that, like most things in Cuba, the history of rice is inseparable from the history of the sugar industry, which is it…
Che as minister
As Minister of Industries in Cuba between 1961 and 1965, Che Guevara addressed the challenge of increasing production and labour productivity in conditions of underdevelopment and in transition to socialism, without relying on capitalist mechanisms that undermine the formation of new consciousness and social relations integral to socialism. Under capitalism, Guevara noted, competition for private profit drives the application of science and techn…
The US blockade, and the “1 cent 4 Cuba” campaign to challenge it
Following the devastating oil tanker fire in Matanzas in August 2022, many groups and individuals around the world were frustrated to find financial institutions blocking humanitarian donations for Cuba, even when recipient accounts were not on the island. These obstacles had previously arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the United States is the only country in the world to sanction Cuba, most international banks and payment systems inclu…
Cuban Medical Internationalism
In 2023, Cuba assumed the presidency of the Group of 77 + China, the world’s largest and most diverse multilateral bloc of countries. The election of Cuba to this role testifies to the island’s prestige among the Global South, recognition of its material contribution to developing countries, and promotion of South–South cooperation, particularly in the healthcare sector. Cuban medical internationalism tends to be discussed in the rather lonely an…
The Low-Carbon Contradiction
“Energy is an instrument of power. What did the United States do when it broke off relations with Cuba? Take away our oil supply. What did the USSR do? Give us oil.” So stated, in an interview with me in 2017, Luis Berriz, president of the Cuban nongovernmental organization Cubasolar, set up during the acute energy crisis in the 1990s to promote renewable energies on the island.Gustav Cederlöf's work interrogates this statement through an examina…
Political science (16 works) · Law (14 works) · Politics (14 works) · Cuban History and Society (13 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Economics (7 works) · Law (7 works) · Political economy (7 works) · History (6 works) · Socialism (6 works)