SIPAZ Activities (September – November 2002)

Accompaniment

• Northern Zone: The SIPAZ team visited a number of communities in Tila, in the Northern zone of Chiapas. In spite of the peace agreements signed in El Limar and Miguel Aleman, the situation was particularly tense following the detention of several members of Development, Peace and Justice. We also met local authorities in Tila and government officials in Yajalon, who are in charge of that town council. Responding to a request of the Miguel Agustin Pro Human Rights Centre, we visited its lawyer in Palenque.
• Brigades: we took part in two brigades, which visited the autonomous towns of Olga Isabel (Chilón) and Ricardo Flores Magón (Ocosingo). Zapatistas had been assassinated in these localities in August.

Contacts and information

• We coordinated the visit to Chiapas of the Minister from the German Embassy and met with the new United Kingdom Ambassador in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
• The team received various delegations, journalists and other international visitors, in order to inform them on the current situation in Chiapas and on SIPAZ work.
• We took part in the Encounter of Mother Earth in Ocosingo in early September, together with a broad spectrum of organizations from the area.
• SIPAZ had a series of meetings in Mexico City with advisors, NGOs and embassies.
• We participated as observers in the First Chiapas Encounter Facing Neo-liberalism, which took place in San Cristóbal de las Casas, from October 9 to 12.

Inter-religious Dialogue

• We met with religious actors from San Cristóbal de las Casas, from the town of Chenalhó and with the Plural Ecumenical Group.
• The project Peacebuilding exchange project between religious leaders from Chenalhó and the Peace Commissions from Nicaragua continues being implemented. A new stage of training started in November with a workshop in Yabteclum, after several months of introducing the communities to the project.
• We took part in a workshop on Culture, Spirituality and Peace Theology in San Cristóbal de las Casas on October 4-5.
• The team continues participating in the preparation and facilitation of ecumenical prayers for peace in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Peace Education

• SIPAZ co-facilitated a series of workshops on Conflict Transformation for students at the Centers for Community Development (CEDECOs) in San Cristobal de las Casas and Las Margaritas.
• In October we took part in a workshop on Positive Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding, organized by the government of Chiapas with the support of the Friederich Ebert Foundation.
• SIPAZ continues to take part in the Peace Network. This is a space for action and reflection that aims at supporting reconciliation and peace processes amongst organizations and communities in Chiapas. In early October this Network organized a micro forum around the issue of Autonomy.
• We participated in the follow-up meetings of the First National Encounter for Peace with Justice and Dignity that had taken place in San Cristóbal de las Casas in July. One of the goals of these meetings is the organization of a second encounter planned for early 2003.

International

• In October the SIPAZ International Outreach Coordinator met several NGOs and solidarity groups in Washington DC and in New York. The SIPAZ Chiapas Office Coordinator met various organizations in France in November.