INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE AND ACCOMPANIMENT

CHIAPAS

Nothern Zone

• At the beginning of June, we carried out a visit to Palenque and Salto de Agua with a representative of MZF (German Franciscans) to meet with members of this congregation in said municipalities. From 18 to 21 June, we visited communities in the zone below Tila in which we had the previous year carried out workshops entitled “Tying together gender work and peace.” Participants agreed that a second cycle of workshops should soon begin.

Highlands

• At the beginning of July, we participated in the pre-Congress for Mother Earth in the Tsotsil zone of the San Cristóbal diocese, held in El Bosque. For January 2014, the diocese will organize a Congress for Mother Earth to observe the fortieth anniversary of the 1974 Indigenous Congress.

Jungle

• On 28 June, we attended a press-conference held by ejidatarios from San Sebastian Bachajón who adhere to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle, shortly after one of their comrades had been released from jail. At this time, we held interviews with different actors who are present in the region, particularly in light of the murder of Juan Vázquez Gómez, former General Secretary of the adherents to the Other Campaign from the ejido.

Center

• At the end of May, we participated jointly with civil organizations from Chiapas in a Civil Mission of Documentation in Venustiano Carranza. We also visited displaced members of OCEZ-Chiapas (Emiliano Zapata Campesino Organization) who had fled this city in the wake of the violence which took place there on 5 May.
• In July, once again with members of civil organizations and the Vicar for Justice and Peace of the San Cristóbal diocese, we held interviews with representatives of the OCEZ-Casa del Pueblo and OCEZ-Chiapas in Tuxtla Gutiérrez. We also met with the new Secretary of Governance, Eduardo Ramírez, so as to discuss the case of Venustiano Carranza.
• On two occasions, we were present as observers in dialogue tables held by the OCEZ-Casa del Pueblo with state and federal authorities.

Coast

• At the end of July, we visited the Digna Ochoa Center for Human Rights, based in Tonalá, to discuss the situation which prevails in the region, especially with regard to the conflicts generated by the construction of wind-energy parks along the coast.

Caracoles/EZLN

• Between mid-May and mid-August, we visited each of the 5 Zapatista caracoles at least once.
• From 8 to 10 August, we were present in the La Garrucha caracol to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the caracoles.
• From 12 to 16 August, several SIPAZ members attended the Zapatista “little school” at CIDECI-Unitierra and in communities.

Events

• We were present during the activities held in San Cristóbal de Las Casas to observe 25 May, the International Day against Monsanto and transgenics and for food sovereignty. On this day, mobilizations and rallies were held in several countries and numerous states and cities in Mexico.
• On 27 June, we attended the Forum “Defending hope and autonomy from southeastern Mexico” which was held in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. The Forum was organized by groups which comprise the Southeastern Region of the National Network of Civil Human Rights Organization “All Rights for All” from the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and Yucatán.

Prisoners

• On 19 June, upon Alberto Patishtán Gómez’s completing 13 years’ incarceration, we attended a pilgrimage and mass which were organized to demand his release. Patishtán Gómez is a Tsotsil teacher from the El Bosque community who finds himself imprisoned in the State Center for the Social Reinsertion of the Sentenced (CERSS) No. 5 in San Cristóbal de Las Casas (Chiapas). Both events were held directly outside the prison.
• On 4 July, we were present at some of the events organized upon the release of the nine prisoners associated with the Voz del Amate who adhere to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle.

Women

• At the end of May, we attended an assembly organized by the Diocene Coordination of Women (CODIMUJ) which was held in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

GUERRERO

• On 19 and 20 July 2013 we attended the XIX anniversary of the Tlachinollan Mountain Center for Human Rights, which this year had the theme “Guerrero: epicenter of resistance struggles.” In the days leading up to the anniversary, we also visited the José María Morelos and Pavón Regional Center for the Defense of Human Rights in Chilapa.

OAXACA

• In May, we visited Oaxaca, where we met with several organizations in Oaxaca City: Services for an Alternative Education A.C. (EDUCA), the Bartolomé Carrasco Briseño Regional Center for Human Rights (BARCA-DH), the Mexican League for the Defense of Human Rights (Limeddh), the Gobixha Committee for the Comprehensive Defense of Human Rights (Código DH), Peace Brigades International (PBI), and Consorcio for Parliamentary Dialogue and Gender Equality. We attended the “Meeting of communal defenders ‘Defending territories, sowing futures’“ and participated in this event with an introductory workshop on the positive transformation of conflicts.
• In July, we participated in the international seminar named “Energy megaprojects and indigenous territory: The Isthmus at the crossroads,“ which was held in the city of Juchitán de Zaragoza in the Tehuantepec Isthmus. We interviewed civil and social actors who attended this event and also visited San Dionisio de Mar, where the Mareña Renewables firm is attempting to build a wind-energy park.

PEACE PROMOTION

WORK WITH RELIGIOUS ACTORS

• In July, we attended the Assembly of the Believing People, an organizational process which pertains to the diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

PEACE EDUCATION

• We particiapted in two sessions of the course on positive transformation of conflicts that we helped organize jointly with CORECO and Serapaz; it was held in Huixtan in June and August, with the participation of more than 40 people from indigenous communities.
• In July, we facilitated a workshop on active non-violence at the Peace School for women in Ocosingo, an initiative organized by Serapaz.

ARTICULATION

• We attended bimonthly meetings of the Peace Network, a space for action and reflection comprised of 10 organizations which seek to support peace and reconciliation processes in Chiapas.

INFORMATION

• We received visits by delegations, students, journalists, and members of our coalition interested in learning about the context in Chiapas and the work of SIPAZ.
• We coordinated a delegation with Global Exchange (US) which visited Chiapas in mid-July. We visited cooperatives and organizations in the municipalities of Chenalhó and Pantelhó in the central highlands region.

INTERNAL TRAINING

• In June, we held a space for internal training and reflection on megaprojects as well as the Periodical Universal Exam, managed by the UN Human Rights Council, to which Mexico will be subjected in October.
• At the end of July, we participated in the “Story Telling” workshop run by the Pedro Meyer Foundation in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.