SIPAZ Activities (Mid-February to Mid-May 2025)

INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE AND SUPPORT

CHIAPAS

FEBRUARY

• We attended the press conference convened by the Melel Xojobal organization, in which they spoke out against the increasing violence against children and adolescents in Chiapas and demanded greater attention and protection for children from all three levels of government.
• We attended the inauguration of the chapel built in San Andres Larrainzar, the birthplace of Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez, where he was buried four months after his murder.
• We attended the discussion “Challenges of International Solidarity in Chiapas,” convened by the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba) in the framework of the 30^th anniversary of the Civilian Observation Brigades (BriCOs).

MARCH

• We participated in the public event organized by the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba) to commemorate the 30^th anniversary of the Civilian Observation Brigades (BriCOs).
• We accompanied the marches held in Tuxtla Gutierrez and San Cristobal de Las Casas to commemorate International Women’s Day (8M).
• We attended the event held in San Cristobal de Las Casas as part of the national mourning for those who disappeared after the discovery of the training camp in Teuchitlan, Jalisco.
• We participated in the presentation of the report “Chiapas, in the Spiral of Armed and Criminal Violence,” published by the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas Center for Human Rights (Frayba) to commemorate its 36^th
• We attended the press conference where members of the Movement in Defense of Life and Territory (MODEVITE) and the Community Government of the municipality of Chilon expressed their rejection of the construction of the San Cristobal de Las Casas-Palenque superhighway, as well as the popular consultations held in several municipalities that will be affected by this project.

APRIL

• We attended the activities planned for the Encounter of Art, Rebellion, and Resistance, convened by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), first in the Jacinto Canek caracol (Tenejapa municipality), and then at the CIDECI Uni-Tierra facilities in San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• We were present at the event where feminist and citizen groups demonstrated in San Cristobal de Las Casas to demand justice for the femicides that occurred in the state and to denounce the inaction and lack of results on the part of authorities in addressing gender-based violence.

MAY

• On Mother’s Day, we attended the opening of the exhibition “Weaving Memory – The Legacy of Those Who Never Stopped Searching,” organized by the Regional Delegation for Mexico of the International Committee of the Red Cross. We participated in the event “Mothers Will Reach the Truth,” organized by the Working Group on Disappearances, which also took place in San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• In this same context, we accompanied the march of the Mothers in Resistance collective, under the slogan “Mothers Have Nothing to Celebrate,” which took place in Tuxtla Gutierrez.
• We attended the quarterly assembly of the Believing People of the Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas.

INFORMATION AND TRAINING TOWARDS ACTION

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• In March, along with other members of “El Obse,” we held a meeting with members of the Swedish Embassy and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico (UNHCHR).
• In April, we held a meeting with members of the International Red Cross and participated in a workshop we held with other organizations.
• In May, we met with the Norwegian Ambassador to Mexico during her visit to Chiapas.

PEACE EDUCATION

FEBRUARY

• We facilitated an analysis with members of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Intercultural Studies and Research (IESII).

MARCH

• We conducted an analysis of the situation with representatives from pastoral areas who are part of the Monitoring Commission of the Congress of Mother Earth, a component of the social ministry of the Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• We facilitated an analysis with members of the community government in Chilón.
• A member of the team participated with a presentation in the discussion convened by the Space for Conscience and Memory in the framework of the International Day against Discrimination.

APRIL

• We shared an analysis with women artisans who participate in the Mujeres de Maiz collective, from several municipalities in the Highlands and the Northern Jungle.
• We conducted a situation analysis at a parish assembly in Chalchihuitán.

INTERNAL TRAINING

• In February and March, we participated in online training sessions on security, protection, and psycho-social impacts facilitated by the Access Foundation.
• In February, we participated in the training series “Political Advocacy in International Spaces for the Protection of Human Rights,” convened by the Peace and Human Rights Platform, with the participation of organizations from Mexico and the European Union.
• In March, we participated in a “workshop of workshops” designed for facilitators on Positive Conflict Transformation, organized by the Commission for Community Unity and Reconciliation (CORECO).
• In April, two team members attended another session of the diploma course on Positive Conflict Transformation, convened by CORECO.

NETWORKING

• At least once a month, we attend plenary and commission meetings of the Chiapas Peace Network (Slamalil Kinal).
• Bimonthly, we attend operational meetings of the People’s Movement for Peace and Justice (MPPJ).
• Monthly, we hold virtual meetings of the Accompaniment of Unarmed Civilians (USP/A) – Community of Practice.
• We held several meetings with organizations collaborating on the project titled “Strengthening the Self-Protection Capacities of Human Rights Organizations and Communities in Chiapas,” which we coordinate with Voces Mesoamericanas and Huridocs. We co-convened the press conference held in March to publicly present the Observatory of Attacks on Human Rights Defenders in Chiapas, “El Obse” (see Article).
• In February, we participated in a security analysis forum in San Cristobal de Las Casas, attended by several civil society organizations present in the city.
• In February and March, we participated in online meetings of the Peace and Human Rights Platform, with the participation of organizations from Mexico and the European Union.
• In March, we held a meeting with the German Coordination for Human Rights in Mexico.
• In March and May, we participated in meetings of the Peace Platform in Mexico.
• In April, we participated in a meeting of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) partners in Mexico, held in Morelos.
• In May, we participated in a meeting with representatives from pastoral areas who are part of the Mother Earth Congress Monitoring Commission, a component of the social ministry of the Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas.
• In May, representing the North American region, we attended a meeting of the Global Platform for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) in Jordania.