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Chiapas Articles
Read more about pacifist resistance, civil society organizations, glocal networks for human rights, and the effects of globalization on the peoples of Chiapas, Mexico…
Many North Americans are not aware of the struggle for human rights and dignity that is underway in southern Mexico. Reports of the Zapatista rebellion of 1994, for the most part, demonized the indigenous population as Marxist, a false allegation, and justified the military suppression. Since that time there have been amazing developments in the creation of non-violent civil societies, fair trade cooperatives, and international participation through NGOs. The following articles by Dr. Marco Tavanti, a JEM board member, paint a very positive picture and give us hope for future sustainable Earth community.
Las Abejas: Pacifist Resistance and Syncretic Identities in a Globalizing Chiapas
2003, Routledge, New York & London.
Chapter One: Las Abejas and the Acteal Massacre
In November 1999, the indigenous organization called Las Abejas (The Bees) organized a celebration of thanksgiving for retiring bishop Samuel Ruiz in the village of Acteal in the Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Tatik (father) Samuel, as Las Abejas affectionately call hi, worked in Chiapas for more than forty years. During that celebration, Bishop Ruiz spoke about the "globalization" of Acteal and how Las Abejas had expended their worldview as they continued to welcome visitors from all over the world. In his words:
A few months after the Acteal massacre, Antonio came to me saying how people from all over the world were coming to Acteal. "Tatik Samuel," he said, "people from all five continents of the world are coming to visit u s in Acteal!" And I thought to myself: Antonio, who always lived in these villages of the Highlands, probably does not know where these continents are. But then he said: "there are even people coming from Australia and we received an invitation to go there for a conference on indigenous people of the world." I realized my mistake. Acteal is indeed at the center of the world and you [people of Acteal] knew it. read more...
"Chiapas Civil Society Organizations: Cultural Resistance and Economic Alternatives through Fair Trade Cooperatives and International Networks"
Book Chapter in Sociedad Civil y Desarrollo Local.
Since the 1994 rebellion organized by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), Chiapas, Mexico has been well known for indigenous resistance against imposed neoliberal policies and promotion of indigenous rights and cultures. Less known is the critical role that Chiapas-based civil society organizations (CSOs) have within the neozapatista resistance movement and in the creation of sustainable economic alternatives. This paper focuses on the multicultural collaborative dialogues of the civil society Las Abejas(The Bees), the fair trade and organic coffee cooperative Maya Vinic and the women's artisan cooperative Kinal Antzetik with European- and United States- based non-profit organizations, universities, and church-based groups. Through a network analysis method, the paper shows how Chiapas CSOs were able to expand pre-existing local networks into new inter-regional and global networks of solidarity. These Chiapas CSOs demonstrate how indigenous identities combined with international solidarity can produce sustainable alternatives to economic globalization and a global civil society founded on democracy and peace with justice and dignity. read more...
"Constructing Glocal Networks for Human Rights: Lessons From Chiapas Indigenous Communities in Resistance"
(Research originally presented at The Networks and Transformations Conference, July 2nd to July 4th 2001, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK)
On Sunday, March 11, 2001, about 200,000 indigenous, mestizo and foreign people filled the Zócalo, the main square of Mexico City. They gathered urging the newly formed government of President Vicente Fox to recognize the rights and the cultures of more than 10 million Mexican indigenous people. Subcomandante Marcos and the 23 comandantes of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), the rebellious group that emerged in 1994, arrived in the Zócalo after a two-weeks long march involving meetings across twelve Mexican states. Local and international media focused on the indigenous groups and on the challenges they present to the new administration. Yet little noticed was the presence of numerous Americans, Canadians and Europeans participating in these events in support of the Zapatistas' demands and of the indigenous people's claims for the recognition of their identities and rights. The intensification of networks between indigenous and international nongovernmental organizations has been identified as the emerging 'global civil society', facilitated by the use of electronic communication. Clearly, the Internet and other forms of rapid communications facilitated the organization of international campaigns pressuring local government and preventing a possible escalation of human rights violations. Yet little has been said about the intensification of international presence among indigenous communities in the Highlands and Lacandon forest of Chiapas. read more...
"Globalization Effects in Chiapas, Mexico"
This article was originally published in The Midwest Worker. April 13, 2003.
Today, Mayan indigenous communities from Chiapas, Mexico continue to organize their resistance against imposed politico-economic programs associated with globalization. In a recent visit to indigenous communities in the Highlands of Chiapas, I observed a growing resistance movement against the Plan Puebla Panama (PPP). Introduced by President Vicente Fox, the PPP is a massive economic development project that includes southern Mexico and Central America. Following hundreds of indigenous, civil society and nongovernmental organizations, numerous indigenous communities and nongovernmental organizations strongly criticizes the PPP for benefiting only rich people and corporations. Indigenous communities who have sympathized with the ongoing resistance of the Zapatista movement emerged since 1994 don't oppose progress. Contrary to the understanding of many people who misinterpret their resistance as 'staying as they are', they want to step out of their poverty but not by becoming maquiladora (sweatshop) workers or exploited in other postmodern forms of slavery. The territory affected by PPP is in the heart of coffee production. Most indigenous people in Chiapas are coffee producers, but imposed market prices and free trade policies have forced entire families of coffee producers into extreme poverty and hunger. They know first hand that free trade is not beneficial to poor people. They seek out alternative development, investing their efforts into organic production and fair trade thanks to the support of numerous Americana and European solidarity organizations. read more...
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