José Martí Pioneer Organization

José Martí Pioneer Organization (Spanish: Organización de Pioneros José Martí - OPJM) is a Cuban youth organization established in 1961, created as a replacement for the banned Asociación de Scouts de Cuba. The organization gets its name from Cuban writer and national hero José Martí.

José Martí Pioneer Organization
Organización de Pioneros José Martí
Founded1961
HeadquartersPalacio de Pioneros, Havana
Mother partyCommunist Party of Cuba
International affiliationWFDY
ICCAM
An OPJM building in Havana

Overview

The José Martí Pioneer Organization groups primary and secondary students, until 9th grade. The initiation takes place with a traditional act of giving a neckerchief, blue or red depending on the student's level; from that moment it forms a part of the scholastic uniform. In high school the neckerchief is replaced by a badge consisting of the bars with colors of the national flag and to the right, Che's signature; the symbol measures approximately 1.5 cm by 10 cm, in some cases is the symbol of the high school, and sewn directly on the white uniform shirt. These are organized into three sub-age groups per grade level. Pioneers from the 1st to 3rd grades are Moncada Pioneers (Pionero Moncadista), while 4th to 9th graders are the regular Pioneers, split into junior ranks (Grades 4 to 6) and senior ranks (Grades 7 to 9).

The OPJM counts a section of exploration and camping named "Explorers Pioneers Movement" (Movimiento de Pioneros Exploradores, MPE).[1]

In 2001 it was elected to the Global 500 Roll of Honour of the United Nations Environment Programme for its environmental activities.[2]

Its motto is: "Pioneers for communism: Let us be like Che!" (Pioneros para el comunismo: ¡Seamos como el Che!)

  • Old logo of the "Pioneers Explorers Movement", part of OPJM
    Old logo of the "Pioneers Explorers Movement", part of OPJM
  • Che's signature
    Che's signature

See also

References
  1. (in Spanish) Movimiento de Pioneros Exploradores website Archived 2014-01-16 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "The José Martí Pioneer Organization of Cuba, One of 18 individuals and organizations, to receive United Nations Environment Award". United Nations Environment Programme. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2006.
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