SIPAZ Activities (Mid-February to Mid-May 2020)

INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE AND ACCOMPANIMENT

CHIAPAS

Civil Observation Mission

• In February, a member of the SIPAZ team participated in a Civil Observation Brigade (Brico) for a period of 15 days, coordinated by the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Centre for Human Rights in the La Realidad Caracol in the border area of the state.

Highlands

• In February we participated in a space for security analysis in San Cristobal de Las Casas, attended by various civil organizations with a presence in this city.
• In February and March, we accompanied the displaced from Banavil, Tenejapa municipality, in various procedures with authorities, with whom they hoped to obtain progress in their case.

Northern jungle

• In April, we participated in a space for analysis with various organizations with a presence in the municipality of Chilon, to share information and reflections on the reality in that area.

Gender

• In February, we were present at the quarterly Assembly of the Diocesan Coordination of Women (CODIMUJ), which was held in San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• In February we attended the Forum “Let’s talk about government programs, megaprojects and the effects they have on the lives of indigenous peasant women and on the communities”, which took place at the facilities of CIDECI-Unitierra, in San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• In February, together with the Swedish Movement for Reconciliation (SweFOR), we participated in a meeting with members of Mary Stopes, an organization that works for women’s reproductive rights, in which they shared with us security incidents that they have suffered on recent dates.
• On March 7^th, we attended the assembly of the Movement in Defense of Land, Territory and, for the Participation and Recognition of Women in Decision Making.
• On March 8^th, we accompanied the march held in San Cristobal de Las Casas in the framework of International Women’s Day.
• On March 9^th, we participated in the national women’s strike called in February by the Veracruz feminist collective “Las Brujas del Mar” with hashtags such as # UnDíaSinNosotras and #ElNueveNingunaSeMueve.
• In May we were in the online discussion “The importance of the gender perspective in the fight against COVID-19” convened by the Ibero.
• In May we aired the program “Gender violence is the pandemic: emergency calls, femicide, domestic violence and digital harassment, interviews with groups and independent feminists” organized by Regeneración Radio.
• In May, we participated in a virtual Meeting of the Network of Human Rights Defenders in Chiapas.

Prisoners

• In February and March, we visited prisoners’ members of the organizations “Solidarios de la Voz del Amate” and “La Voz de Indigenas en Resistencia”, both groups adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), in San Cristobal de Las Casas prison. In April and early May, we maintained communication with these groups through weekly phone calls.

Events

• In February, we attended the event called within the framework of the 25^th anniversary of the Civil Observation Brigades (Bricos), coordinated by the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights.
• In March, we attended the press conference called by the Fray Bartolome de las Casas Center for Human Rights, in which members of the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council of Xpujil (CRIPX), municipal seat of Calakmul, Campeche, as well as members of the diocese of San Cristobal were present. Both groups ratified their rejection of the Maya Train megaproject.

APRIL

• We participated in the virtual Conversation “Violation of digital rights in a state of global emergency”, a space convened by Sursiendo to open a space for critical reflection on issues such as “the use of digital technology in the management of the health emergency, the information flow that we are giving to be in communication, mobility control and surveillance and the business of companies in data extraction.”
• We were in an online presentation on “Forced displacement and the health crisis due to coronavirus in Chiapas.”
• In April, we participated in the Conversation on “Right to health and Freedom of expression in the digital age”, convened by the organization Articulo 19.
• We participated in the Virtual Forum “No to the so-called Maya Train” where issues related to said project were addressed, such as the displacement of communities, the ecological impact or non-compliance with international consultation standards, among other topics.

MAY

• We were at the Webinar “The European Union commemorates World Press Freedom Day in Mexico”, organized by the EU Delegation in Mexico, in which several journalists participated.
• We participated in the virtual talk “Covid and Human Rights: people in detention centers and the migrant population”, organized by ITESO.
• We were at the online forum “The Resistance of the peoples in times of pandemic”, an online event convened by Peace with Dignity.
• We participated in the Second Forum “The Mayan Train and the Interoceanic Corridor: Re-colonization of the Mexican south-southeast?”, Convened by the National Indigenous Congress (CNI).
• We were in the webinar “Economic effects resulting from the emergency in Chiapas”, convened by the Advisory Council on Climate Change of the state.
• We participated in the virtual dialogue table “How are we doing? Situation of defenders and journalists”, convened by CENCOS.
• We participated in the virtual Forum “COVID-19 and its impact on economic, social and cultural rights”, convened by ITESO.
• We were in the COVID-19 Global Coordination Call on the topic “Special problems in the response to the pandemic in the context of Latin America”.

INFORMATION AND TRAINING TOWARDS ACTION

VISITS, DELEGATIONS and TOURS

• We received the visit of delegations, students, journalists and members of our coalition interested in learning about or deepening their knowledge of the situation in Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero, and the work of SIPAZ.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• In March, we attended the Event “Due Diligence on Human Rights and Reparation Against the Impacts of Business Activities” held in Mexico City, which included the participation of authorities, multilateral organizations, companies, civil society and movements affected by megaprojects .

PEACE EDUCATION

• In February, as part of the Mother Earth Support Network (RAMAT), we co-facilitated a workshop on foundations from the Bible and from Indian theology, to defend land and territory, with a representative from the southeast area of ​​the diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas.

INTERNAL TRAINING

• In February, we participated in a webinar called by the Mennonite Central Committee (CCM), in which Services and Advice for Peace (SERAPAZ) shared reflections on the topic of “Conflict Resolution and Transformation in Mexico – Challenges for civil society and its organizations.”
• In March we attended a workshop on extractive companies in Mexico, facilitated by the Fundar organization.
• In April we participated in an online training, “Making Sense of Conflict in the age of pandemic”, convened by the Global Platform for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC for its acronym in English, a space to which SIPAZ belongs)

NETWORKING

• In April we participated in a discussion and exchange of perspectives and responses to the Pastoral Letter “In Times of Death and Resurrection, where there is more pain, there is more hope”, from the Continental Christian Network for Peace (REDCONPAZ).
• In May we began a new phase of the project “Nonviolent Resistance against Extractivism – Towards a Culture of Nonviolence and the exercise of Advocacy, as an Instrument for Strengthening Community Capacities in Defense of Territory” with several partners and in coordination with Pax Christi International. In April, we participated in a virtual meeting with the organizations that are part of the project in other Latin American countries, in which analysis and defense strategies were shared in the context of the pandemic.