Social change is obtained either through the gun barrel or peaceful evolution. While blood is shed in Libya and in Yemen and Syria, Cuba is engaged in something less violent.
At the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which concluded last Tuesday, Cuban's leadership introduced a series of political and economic reform measures, sending out a strong message of change.
Political leaders will be limited to two consecutive five-year terms in office and young politicians will be given more opportunities in
government.
The party also approved a policy to allow the private sector to play a bigger role in the market and to give businesses more freedoms. Policy changes also include a new tax code that is friendlier to small business and the elimination of unnecessary subsidies.
Meanwhile, the government plans to ultimately slash more than 1 million workers from state payrolls and scale back state expenditure.
The reform package should come as no surprise since some of the measures have already been in place, such as allowing people to start
businesses and granting land to farmers.
Since the establishment of socialism in 1961, Cuba has firmly stuck to a planned economy, which has greatly crippled the development of the
country's economy.
Raul Castro, who formally took over as first secretary of the PCC at the national congress, stressed that the reform plan is to "perfect
socialism," not scrap it.
Cuba's comprehensive reform plan, which unfolds in a progressive, mild and practical manner, conforms to its own development needs, promising
its people a better future.
Reform is also demanded in Haiti, another Caribbean country, where its people picked their own president in the hope of bringing changes to
the country.
Pop singer Michel Martelly defeated his closest rival, former first lady Mirlande Maniga, in a landslide victory in the presidential poll.
Martelly worked on a platform that promised the eradication of corruption and the introduction of reform.
Martelly's platform was particularly appealing to Haitians who were still struggling in the wake of a strong earthquake a cholera epidemic.
Change is necessary in any society. While the situation in Libya and other Arab countries remains uncertain, reforms in Cuba and Haiti
could hopefully bode well for the two countries.