SIPAZ Activities (April – July 1998)

31/08/1998

Produced two Urgent Action appeals regarding events in Taniperlas and El Bosque.
Visited Moises Gandhi, seat of the autonomous county of Ernesto “Che” Guevara; several communities in Chenalho; the counties of the northern region; and, after the armed confrontation there, the communities of El Bosque.
Participated in a panel on Chiapas during a symposium entitled “International Relations” at the Instituto Tecnologico de Monterrey.
Interviews with local radio stations in California and with national stations in Germany and Holland.
Presentations on Chiapas in Puerto Rico and in the USA: Washington, DC; Massachusetts; New York; and Virginia.

Interviews with the national and local offices of the government National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), members of CONAI in Chiapas and in Mexico City, the Director of the Office of Coordination and Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leaders of several key Mexican non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and several evangelical church leaders in Mexico City.
Attended an ecumenical celebration in Yabteclum (Chenalho) for the presentation of a Tzotzil translation of the Bible.
Accompanied an ecumenical delegation to El Bosque to pray for peace.
Attended three NGO gatherings on the theme of reconciliation, convened by CORECO (Commission of Support for Unity and Community Reconciliation).
Participated as observers in the NGO forum “Let’s Stop the War” in San Cristobal de las Casas.
Offered an orientation on active nonviolence to the tri-national (USA, Canada, Mexico) delegation that visited Chiapas in July.

Facilitated four workshops on “Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts” as part of the 1998 program of workshops for NGOs in San Cristobal.
Collaborated with Alianza Civica (Civic Alliance) on a series of workshops on “Analysis of Conflict.”
Assisted with coordination and facilitated workshops at the ecumenical Bible School for Holistic Formation.
Offered a cycle of workshops on “Peaceful Resolution of Conflict” to Presbyterian youth in a church in San Cristobal.
Facilitated two workshops in Yajalon (Chilon) on “Self-esteem,” one for an NGO and the other for a group of indigenous women artisans.
Attended as observers a Baptist workshop on “Spirituality” in Yajalon.
One team member participated in a two-month program on conflict transformation at the Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, USA.