SIPAZ Activities (August – October 2000)

Between August and October 2000, team activities included the following:

VISITS AND CONTACTS

• First General Assembly of SIPAZ with member organizations of the coalition from Europe, North America and Latin America in order to evaluate and project the work of SIPAZ.
• Meetings with several delegations from Europe and North America in order to discuss the current political situation and the work of SIPAZ.
• Visit to the northern region of Chiapas in order to speak to the various political and religious actors during the run-up to the August governor’s election.
• Observation of the August election by three separate international SIPAZ teams that visited the northern region, the highlands and the Lacandon Jungle respectively.
• Participation along with other NGOs in a meeting with President-elect Vicente Fox in Mexico City.
• Meetings in Mexico City with Senator Luis H. Alvarez, key Chiapas policy advisor within the Fox transition team, and with Samuel Ruiz, ex-Bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas.
• Post-electoral visit to the northern region to interview key actors there in the context of the new political situation.
• Organization of the agenda and coordination of visits of the first political secretary of the British Embassy and of a German government delegation to Chiapas.
• Participation as observers in the South-North Encounter: “The Peoples of America Building Alternatives to Neo-liberalism” in San Cristobal, October 9-12.
• Accompaniment of a group of displaced persons from Las Abejas during their relocation from one refugee camp to another in the county of Chenalho.

INFORMATION

• Tour of a member of the SIPAZ team in the US, October 2-12, in order to participate in a conference on international non-governmental peacebuilding initiatives and to speak with NGOs, churches, international organizations, and the communications media.
• Tour of a member of the SIPAZ team in Germany for four months in order to speak about Chiapas and the work of SIPAZ to NGOs, solidarity groups, and governmental representatives.
• Publication of an article in NACLA Report on the Americas on the results of the state election in Chiapas.
• Publication of a report on SIPAZ’ observation of the August governor’s election in Chiapas. (See SIPAZ website: www.sipaz.org)

EDUCATION

• Organization of a workshop by Capacitar (SIPAZ coalition member), September 12-14, for NGOs and representatives of indigenous communities on the theme of “Trauma, Healing and Transformation.”
• Advisory assistance for a workshop on Conflict Transformation with women leaders in Las Margaritas.
• Facilitation of a workshop with representatives of communities belonging to indigenous and peasant organizations in the Cañadas region on the theme “Analysis of Conflicts and Search for Peaceful Strategies.”