SIPAZ Activities (October – December 2004)

30/12/2004

In October and November, we met with the Councils of Good Government of the five Zapatista “caracoles“.
We carried out election observation in the Chenalhó municipality during election day on October 10.
In November, we went to the Northern Zone of Chiapas in order to interview different actors about the situation in the region and to conduct research regarding the resistance to making electricity payments, the theme of our Focus.

We received visits, delegations, students and journalists — primarily from the United States and Europe — in order to introduce them to the situation in Chiapas and the work of SIPAZ.
In October, we met with members of the United States Embassy (Chiapas) and in November, with members of the German Embassy (México City).
In October and December, we held interviews with various persons in Mexico City in order to foster the exchange of information on a national level.
In October, we completed two videos: a general one about the work of SIPAZ and another more specifically about the puppet project that we have developed in collaboration with Alianza Civica, Chiapas.
In November and December, we participated in two sessions of the seminar “The work of Immanuel Wallerstein: a grammar for understanding the current work in a critical perspective” coordinated by the “Center of Studies, Information and Documentation: Immanuel Wallerstein” from the University of Tierra-Chiapas and the Centro Indígena de Capacitación Integral (CIDECI).

We continue to participate in the Peace Network, a space of action and reflection that seeks to support peace processes at organizational and community levels in Chiapas.
In November, we co-facilitated a two-day exchange with the Mexican Network of Peace Builders in Mexico City. The work involved concepts of Peace and Transformation of Conflicts, and this work continues in the design of a strategic plan for this discussion.
We continue to lead workshops on the Culture of Peace and Human Rights with youth from the Center of Community Development (CEDECO) of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
In October, the puppet troupe “Diversity” presented shows on respecting diversity to more than 1,200 students from schools in the city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
We held meetings and interviews with religious leaders from Chenalhó and San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
We attended the Second International Symposium on Protestantism that was held in San Cristóbal de Las Casas on October 19-22.

On November 15-16, we participated in two lectures at an event entitled “Globalization, Free Trade and Groups in Resistance” that was held in the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP).
In November, we participated as lecturers at the 14th Jornadas Lascasianas Internacionales, organized in Chetumal, Quintana Roo, and convened by the Institute of Legal Investigations of UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and by the Universidad de Quintana Roo. The themes of these conferences centered around Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) regarding the rights of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples.
We attended as observers the First National Dialogue for a National Project of Liberty, Justice and Democracy that was held in Mexico City on November 27-28. The purpose of this gathering was to hold discussions on the following themes: National Sovereignity and Globalization; New Models of Economic Development; New Models of Democracy; Identities, Cultures and Education; Justice and Social Rights; and Alternatives of Organization and Alliances.
In November, a member of the team toured the United States for three weeks, primarily the cities of Washington D.C. and Chicago. This person met with various members of our coalition and attended demonstrations at the School of the Americas (Fort Benning, Georgia).
In December, another member of the team began a tour of Germany that will visit various cities throughout the country.