ACCOMPANIMENT AND INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE

CHIAPAS

Highlands

• On July 22^nd, we participated in the monthly commemoration of the Massacre of Acteal, where 45 people were murdered in December of 1997 in the municipality of Chenalhó. In August, we had a meeting with members of the board of directors of the Civil Society the Abejas de Acteal. This same month, we were also present at a press conference organized for the inauguration of a photographic exposition about the process of the construction of justice in the Massacre of Acteal, 6 years since the liberation of persons detained for their participation in the massacre.
• In August, we accompanied the temporary return of the displaced families of Banavil, municipality of Tenejapa, who have been out of their community for nearly 4 years, as well as the interchanging of human rights observers and their return to San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Border Zone

• In May, we participated in the press conference where the Peace Network presented the report of the Civil Observation Mission in the community Poblado Primero de Agosto. The Peace Network tried to establish meetings with government officials for the case, but was unsuccessful.
• On July 28^th and 29^th, we accompanied the pilgrimage for Peace, Life, against Violence and Dispossession held by the Tojolab´al Mission in the border region where close to 4,000 people participated.
• In July, we also had meetings with different civil and social actors in the region to gain deeper understanding of the current context in the border zone.

Jungle Zone

• In July, we met with actors in the municipalities of Altamirano and Ocosingo.

Caracoles/EZLN

• In the time period covered by this report, we visited 4 of the 5 Zapatista Caracoles at least once.
• On August 8 and 9, members of the team and the Board of Directors of SIPAZ were present at the events that commemorated the creation of the Good Government Councils (Juntas de Buen Gobierno-JBG) in the Caracoles of Oventik, Morelia, and La Realidad.

Women

• We continue our series of interviews with women to prepare material that recovers and gathers reflexions of the collective situation, thought, and action of women in the last 20 years, which we will be presenting in a public event for the 20^th anniversary of SIPAZ at the end of the month of November.
• In August, we were present during the Believing People´s Assembly in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.
• In June, we participated in a forum of reflection in celebration of the anniversary of Services and Advices for Peace (Serapaz) in Mexico City.
• On July 26, we participated in the discussion about torture held by the Center for Human Rights Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
• In July, we were present at an event where the report on “Children and Migration in Central and North America – Causes, Politics, Practices, and Challenges” was presented in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

OAXACA

• In May, we visited members of Council of Peoples United in Defense of Rio Verde (COPUDEVER) as well as communities that are also affected by the construction of the dam of Paso de la Reina. We also held interviews with partner organizations in the City of Oaxaca.

GUERRERO

• In June, we accompanied the caravan of the families and compañeros of the missing and murdered students of Ayotzinapa through Chiapas in gatherings with indigenous communities organized in the National Indigenous Congress (CNI) and adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, such as San Francisco, municipality of Teopisca, San Sebastián Bachajón, municipality of Chilón, and communities of Xinich, municipality of Palenque.

EDUCATION FOR PEACE

• In June, we facilitated a space for analysis of the current reality with the Ecumenical Network in Chiapas with participation of members of the Catholic Church and other Evangelical denominations and with the accompaniment of the Antonio Montesinos Center and the Center of Ecumenical Studies.

ARTICULATION

• We participated in the bi-monthly meetings of the Peace Network, a space of action and reflection formed by 12 organizations that look to support peace and reconciliation processes in Chiapas.
• In June, we participated in The Hague in a global consultation for investigation and action; obstacles to implement the resolution of the United Nations 1325 effectively, about Women, Peace, and Security, a space convened by Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), and Fundación Cordaid (Foundation for Mining Conflicts and Indigenous People).

INFORMATION FOR ACTION

• We received delegations (Borderlinks, for example), students, journalists, and members of our coalition interested in getting to know and furthering their knowledge about the context of Chiapas and the work of SIPAZ.
• In the Netherlands, we participated in the public events where the families and friends of the missing students from the Rural Normal School of Ayotzinapa were present in Amsterdam as well as in radio shows with national coverage where the case was addressed.