SIPAZ Activities (mid-February to mid-May 2022)

INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE AND ACCOMPANIMENT

CHIAPAS

Gender

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  Women’s march on International Women’s Day, San Cristóbal de Las Casas © SIPAZ

  In February, we attended the demonstration against violence in San Cristobal de Las Casas after the murder of Paula Ruiz de los Santos on February 19^th in the same city.

• On March 8^th, within the framework of International Women’s Day, we accompanied the marches against gender violence that took place in San Cristobal de Las Casas.

Internal Forced Displacement

• In April, we were present at the 15th anniversary of the relocation of displaced persons from Las Abejas de Acteal Civil Society in the community of Nuevo Paraiso, municipality of Pantelho.

Indigenous Peoples

• In March, we attended the presentation of the report “…Well, It’s Torture! Torture against Indigenous Peoples: An Invisible Reality”, presented by the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights in coordination with the World Organization Against Torture (WOAT).

Human rights

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  Anniversary of the Casa Betania migrant shelter on March 3 in Salto de Agua © SIPAZ

  In February, we attended the online discussion “Balance of Lopez Obrador’s Six-Year Term of Office: Security, Disappearance of Persons and Migration in Mexico”, convened by Alianza Americas.

• In March, we participated in the online event “Human Rights and Chinese Business Activities in Latin America”, convened by the International Service for Human Rights.
• At the end of March and beginning of April, we participated in the online event “Human Rights in Mexico – A Mid-term of the Lopez Obrador Government”, convened by the German Coordination for Human Rights in Mexico and the Heinrich Böll Foundation, among others.
• In April, we attended the online event through which the organization in defense of freedom of expression Article 19 presented its 2021 report entitled “Denial”. In it, it documents that in 2021 in Mexico, an attack against the press was recorded every 14 hours with a total of 644 attacks.
• In May, we attended the Forum Towards the Construction of a Public Policy of Comprehensive Protection for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists online, convened by, among others, CSO Space, Article 19 and Peace Brigades International (PBI).

Migration

• In March, we participated in the event organized within the framework of the fourth anniversary of the “Casa Betania Santa Martha” refuge for migrants, located in the municipality of Salto de Agua.

Events

• In February and May, we participated in the assembly of Believing People in San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• In March, we held meetings with the PODER Project on Organization, Development, Education and Research and the Center for Analysis and Research (FUNDAR) in Mexico City.
• In March, as observers, we accompanied the demonstration called by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) that took place in San Cristobal de Las Casas, among other municipalities, against the war between Russia and Ukraine.
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  Stop the violence and insecurity in San Cristóbal de Las Casas © SIPAZ

  In March, we accompanied the “Pilgrimage for Peace, for Life, Against Violence and Discrimination”, which took place in the municipal capital of Margaritas, at the invitation of churches of different religious denominations.

• In March, we were present as observers at the Peaceful Action for Truth, Justice and against Impunity, organized by Las Abejas de Acteal Civil Society and the relatives of Simon Pedro Perez Lopez, in the framework of the intermediate hearing that took place carried out in Cintalapa in the case of Simon Pedro, to demand justice for the murder of the human rights defender.
• In April, we were present at the Stations of the Cross for Life, Justice, Unity and Dignity for Mother Earth and the Peoples, in which around 400 residents from different communities in the municipality of Chilon and belonging to the Believing People participated from the Jet Ha’ Pastoral Center, which took place in the community of Pamal-Navil.
• In April, we participated in the online event: Computational Methods for Mapping Criminal Organizations: Drug Cartels in Mexico, which took place within the framework of the Cycle of Conferences “Alternatives for Development: Latin America and the Caribbean in the Pandemic”, coordinated by the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO).

OAXACA

• In February, we accompanied the regional meeting “Women and Dissidence in Defense of Territory. The Isthmus Is Ours”, organized by the Council of Autonomous Women of the Assembly of Indigenous Peoples of the Isthmus in Defense of Land and Territory (APIIDTT) and the Oaxatrans collective. It was held in the city of Juchitan.
• In April, we participated as observers in the activities that the Caravan for Water and Life: United Peoples Against Capitalist Dispossession, made up of organizations and groups from Puebla, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Mexico City, Morelos, Mexico City, and others carried out in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

GUERRERO

• In March, we toured Guerrero, an opportunity to meet with partners that work in this state: the Collective against Torture and Impunity (CCTI), the “José María Morelos y Pavon” Regional Human Rights Center and La Montaña Tlachinollan Center for Human Rights. Likewise, as observers, we accompanied the demonstration that took place in Acapulco, seven months after the disappearance of human rights defender Vicente Suastegui, a member of the Council of Ejidos and Communities Opposing La Parota Dam (CECOP).

INFORMATION AND TRAINING TOWARDS ACTION

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• In March, we participated in a meeting that took place in San Cristobal de Las Casas with members of the UN Human Rights, with whom concerns were shared about the human rights situation in Chiapas.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

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  © SIPAZ

  In March, we presented an analysis at the Meeting of Representatives of the South Zone of the Diocese of San Cristobal that took place in Villa Las Rosas.

• In March, together with the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Human Rights Center and the Swedish Movement for Reconciliation (SweFOR), we facilitated a workshop on risk analysis and security measures with the expanded nucleus of the diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• In April, we facilitated a two-day workshop on analysis tools with Peace and Reconciliation builders from the Commission for Reconciliation and Community Unity (CORECO) from various areas of the state.
• In April, we presented an analysis of the current situation during a meeting of the Pastoral Ministry of Indian Theology of the diocese of San Cristobal that took place in San Andres Larrainzar.
• In May, we facilitated a workshop on risk analysis and security protocols with the “A Help for You, Migrant Woman” center in Tuxtla Gutierrez.
• Also in May, we held a workshop on risk analysis and security protocols with the migrant center in San Cristobal de Las Casas.

INTERNAL TRAINING

• In April, we participated in a two-day workshop of ALUNA, a civil society organization that, from a psychosocial approach, contributes to strengthening people and organizations affected by socio-political violence so that they continue their work in defense of human rights in Mexico. It was addressed to organizations and players that work in Chiapas.
• In April, we participated in the virtual workshop “Tools for Strategic Communication for Advocacy”, organized by Peace Brigades International (PBI).

NETWORKING

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  Women’s march on International Women’s Day, San Cristóbal de Las Casas © SIPAZ

  We attended the bimonthly meetings of the Network for Peace, a space for action and reflection, made up of ten organizations that seek to support peace and reconciliation processes in Chiapas.

• In February, we had a face-to-face meeting with the partners that participated in the “Latin America Project, Between Violence and Hope – Phase III: Accompaniment of Communities in Non-violent Resistance against Extractivism”, coordinated by Pax Christi International.
• In February, we participated in the discussion of women experts on gender issues, convened by the Global Platform for the Prevention of Armed Conflicts (GPPAC), in order to exchange learning.
• In March and May, we participated in a meeting with representatives of the pastoral areas that are part of the Follow-up Commission of the Congress of Mother Earth, a component of the social pastoral of the diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• In February and May, we were present at two online Meetings of the Platform for Peace in Mexico.
• In March, we had a meeting with the All Rights for All Network (RedTDT), Peace Brigades International (PBI) and the Swedish Movement for Reconciliation (SweFOR) to collaborate in analysis and actions in the areas in which we coincide.
• In April, we participated in a space for analysis of security in San Cristobal de Las Casas, which was attended by various civil organizations with a presence in this city.
• In April, we participated in the listening session on the theme of Nonviolence in the Church convened by Pax Christi International to consolidate content to share with the office of the Synod of Bishops in Rome.