Mairead Corrigan Maguire, 1977 Nobel Peace Laureate from Northern Ireland, visited Chiapas September 9-12. She was invited by SIPAZ, and her visit came after she participated in the 30^th anniversary celebration of the University of Monterrey. In San Cristobal de Las Casas, Maguire spoke with representatives of several organizations and traveled to Acteal to pray with Las Abejas (the Bees) and to hear of their experience. The Nobel Laureate made the following comments during a press conference given at the conclusion of her stay:

With my visit to Chiapas … I would like to emphasize that I have not come to give lessons or solutions, but rather to humbly listen, learn and share. Although I understand the Mexican concern about international presence in general, and about those issues that have to do with human rights and social development in particular, for me, international encounters are not about trying to impose strategies or about taking away from the people the possibility of solving their own problems. They have more to do with encouraging one another, with demonstrating solidarity, with discovering, together, new and creative forms of peaceful resistance.

Looking around, speaking with the people, I have been able to realize that there are many dedicated, courageous Mexicans, with many skills, people working with all their hearts to improve their lives and those of their loved ones (family, ethnic community and society as a whole). I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to meet these people and to learn from them.

… In my country, we have seen, and lived through, many peace plans. Two years ago, the Good Friday Accords were signed … But the walls … have still not disappeared. The barbed wire was taken down, and in its place flowers and plants were put close to those walls. I believe that making the walls appear to be natural, a part of the environment, could be even worse. It should not be like that. I most sincerely believe that the most difficult wall to destroy is the one we have in our minds: the wall of fear, the wall of distrust.

Some parts of the Good Friday Accords are already being implemented in Ireland; others are not yet. I believe it is partly dependent on our politicians and representatives involved. Partly on their sincerity and humility, and partly on their willingness to overcome the mutual distrust that goes back for many years. We also need to begin laying aside all weapons, in order to be able to build trust once more. Finally, it depends on the people, on their presence, on their pressure, on the transformation of their hearts and on their determination to make the process move forward, assuring that everyone works together. In a similar way, in Chiapas the primary challenge is to build and to reinforce the processes of reconciliation at all levels of society.

… from the deepest part of my being, I am convinced that injustice, pain, suffering and anger do not have to endure. If we join the forces and energies of all the people that we can from different places in the world, I passionately believe that we can achieve a change. I leave Mexico with much optimism, gratitude and hope for the future, for this country as well as for Northern Ireland.