Escuelas para Chiapas
Schools for Chiapas/Escuelas para Chiapas (SfC) is a not-for-profit organization based in Chiapas, Mexico with secondary offices in San Diego, California, working to support the autonomous indigenous Zapatista communities in southern Chiapas.
The struggle for the recognition of indigenous rights is one of the most important social movements in Mexico. Before the 1970s, existing peasant organizations did not represent indigenous concerns. Since 1975 there has been a resurgence of indigenous movements whereby indigenous Mayan communities have raised new demands and defense of their cultural values. One of the principle priorities of the indigenous peoples' movement in Chiapas has been the bilingual educational programmes or recovery of traditional cultures. Since 1996, Schools for Chiapas has been actively involved in assisting the Zapatistas in the construction of, and education efforts in schools[1]. SfC has also helped to support the Zapatista communities, construct health centers, develop ecological agriculture projects, and build women’s productive cooperatives. SfC provides this support by educating about, and publicizing the plights of indigenous Mayan efforts to the U.S. and internationally, since the Mexican and the North American media largely ignore this population.[2] SfC sponsors public relations events[3] locally[4] to heighten awareness of, and educate about the lives of the indigenous Mayan Zapatistas and the self-governing communities they are building. The organization’s international work is focused on supporting Zapatista educational projects and "La Otra Compaña/The Other Campaign"[5].
Since 1996, Schools for Chiapas has provided financial and physical support for building Zapatista schools in Chiapas, including practical assistance in the form of teacher workshops, teaching materials, and garnering international attention and support. Yet, in 1998, the work of SfC was considered as "interference in the nation's internal affairs" and the coordinator, Peter Brown, was deported from Mexico[6]. Despite that setback, Schools for Chiapas has helped build several new schools[7] in different civilian Zapatista centers[8]. Today every Zapatista community has a primary school, while secondary boarding schools now exist in the caracoles as well.[9]
History
In 1975, the 1st National Congress of Indian Peoples was convened in Mexico[10]. The goals of the congress were the same to be later mentioned by the Zapatistas in their 1994 uprising in southern Mexico since little to nothing had been done about any of these conditions under which indigenous peoples lived. The main issues included the lack of public health care facilities and services, the lack of basic human services, such as running water or electricity, (despite tax payments), the prevalence of malnutrition and poverty brought about by the lack of arable land, the poor availability and quality of education[11], and educational institutions that did not benefit indigenous communities and the exploitation of peasant and native industries by wealthy middlemen (Collier and Quaratiello 1999, p. 63–64).
Beginning in 1994, shortly after the Zapatista uprising[12] against NAFTA[13] some of the original members of the Schools for Chiapas/Escuelas para Chiapas became involved with the Zapatistas while still at home in Mexico, the U.S. and other countries. They were subsequently invited by Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos to participate as observers in the first meeting between Mexican civil society and the Zapatistas in mid-1994, called the National Democratic Convention.
In 1996, a group of international and Mexican activists formed Schools for Chiapas/ Escuelas para Chiapas at a meeting in the Zapatista center of Oventic called The First Intergalactic Encounter[14] for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism,[15] the first large gathering between the international community and the autonomous Mayan communities.[16]
In December 1997 amidst some of the most serious violence since the beginning of the Zapatista uprising on New Years 1994, Schools for Chiapas organized a two-bus caravan of Chiapas School Construction Teams[17] to carry supplies, food and medicine and begin construction of a middle school in Oventic, Chiapas. In 1998, another trip was organized to finish the construction of the 400 student secondary school.
In 1998, Schools for Chiapas Coordinator, Peter Brown, was expelled permanently from Mexico for organizing the construction of a school in Oventic.[18] This prompted an open letter published in La Jornada, one of Mexico City's leading daily newspapers, to allow Mr. Brown back in the country[19]
In 2000, several Educational Caravans for Peace were organized and sponsored to support the Zapatista's autonomous educational system by offering formal language classes to people from around the world.[20] Also, in 2000, several of the participants in the Caravans for Peace were cited and deportation proceedings were brought against them.[21]
In 2001, Schools for Chiapas organized a little yellow school bus which was loaded with supplies, school materials and paint and driven by volunteers and students from California to Chiapas[22] to join the Zapatistas’ caravan[23] on an educational campaign to Mexico City to create awareness of indigenous peoples' movement.[24]
In 2006, in partnership with Elon University, Schools for Chiapas collaborated in raising funds to support the renovation of a school and the painting of a mural by Elon University students and local Zapatistas[25]
In 2013, Peter Brown, Schools for Chiapas director was acknowledged by the National Educational Association[26] for the years of work of the organization supporting the indigenous Mayan Zapatista communities develop and build their own autonomous school system.[27]
in 2017 Schools for Chiapas began supporting a number of Zapatista schools which are now involved in a long-term effort in regenerative agriculture, e.g. food forests
Campaigns
Teaching about Chiapas
Teaching About Chiapas[28] offers the below eight distinct educational resources to increase interest as a legitimate and enriching topic to discuss in a classroom setting:
El Mercado de Los Otros/The Market of the Others
The Market of the Others uses the Internet as a means to open and link new markets especially in Canada, the United States and Europe with Zapatista collectives and cooperatives in Chiapas. This is a fair trade market which supports the independent producer collectives whereby funds are earned to support educational projects in literacy, health, agro-ecology, and marketing in the five Zapatista Caracoles.
Products such as organic coffee from the highlands of Chiapas, honey from native Mayan bees and GMO-free[29] native corn seeds[30] are sold internationally.
The organization’s website helps promote a Zapatista campaign called Mother Seeds in Resistance[31] which opposes introduction of GMO corn into Chiapas.
3 References
- ↑ Chattergee, Deen K. (2011). Enclyclopedia of Global Justice. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 1175. ISBN 978-1-4020-9159-9. Search this book on
- ↑ Manson, Bill; Feb. 11; 1999. "The Truth About Mexican Media". www.sandiegoreader.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ McCray, Ernie (2014-05-23). "A Reminder of "Who" We Are – A Call to Action in Support of the Zapatistas". OB Rag. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ Morlan, Kinsee (2006-11-15). "The Politics of Planting". San Diego CityBeat. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "Zapatistas showcase their autonomous schools". 21 January 2007.
- ↑ "Mexico Deports San Diego Teacher". Los Angeles Times. 1998-07-26. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
- ↑ "From Rethinking Schools: Putting Muscle into the Meaning of Solidarity". Rethinking Schools Publishers. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
- ↑ "Nacional Educational Association-Midwest Peace & Justice Caucus". 13 July 2009.
- ↑ Rico, Angélica. "Educate in resistance: the autonomous Zapatista schools". ROAR Magazine. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
- ↑ "University of Arizona Libraries". Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "Indigenismo in Mexico | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ Rico, Angélica. "Educate in resistance: the autonomous Zapatista schools". ROAR Magazine. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas - Latin American Studies - Oxford Bibliographies - obo". www.oxfordbibliographies.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "Zapatistas: Intergalactic encounter". la.indymedia.org. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "www.agp.org | archives of global protests: The 1st encounter for Humanity and against neoliberalism". www.nadir.org. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "Zapatista Encuentro". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "Chiapas School Construction Group Prepares to Leave for Mexico". old.thing.net. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ SMITH, JAMES F. (1998-07-26). "Mexico Deports San Diego Teacher". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "La Jornada". www.jornada.com.mx. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- ↑ "A-Infos (en) Mexico, Zapatista Schools Invite Visitors / Apoya Escuelas Zapatistas (ca)". www.ainfos.ca. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
- ↑ "Mexico Deporting Foreigners Who Attended Celebration in Chiapas". 7 January 2000.
- ↑ Ramirez, Margaret (02/08/2001). "School Bus on a Mission to Mexico; Pilgrimage to deliver supplies to indigenous Zapatista schools in Chiapas". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-08-30. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "In These Times 25/10 -- Zapapalooza". inthesetimes.com. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ RAMIREZ, MARGARET (2001-02-08). "School Bus on a Mission to Mexico". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
- ↑ "Periclean Scholars-Elon University newsletter" (PDF).
- ↑ "NEA honors America's human and civil rights activists". NEA. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
- ↑ National Education Association (2013-08-14), 2013 NEA HCR Award Winner Peter Brown, retrieved 2019-02-18
- ↑ "Teaching About Chiapas". Schools for Chiapas. 2014-02-18. Retrieved 2018-12-29.
- ↑ Brandt, Marisa (2014). "Zapatista corn: A case study in biocultural innovation". Social Studies of Science. 44 (6): 874–900. doi:10.1177/0306312714540060. PMID 25608442.
- ↑ Andrews-Swann, Jenna; Rhoades, Robert E.; Nazarea, Virginia D. (2013). Seeds of Resistance, Seeds of Hope: Place and Agency in the Conservation of Biodiversity. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 9780816599073. Search this book on
- ↑ "Maya Seed Saving Indigenous Peoples Saving their Corn". Rasta Seed Project. 2007-12-28. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
4 External links
Enlace Zapatista This website is the definitive archive for all past EZLN communiqués and where new communications and breaking news come online. It is primarily in Spanish, but a majority of the articles and entries are translated into English, French or Italian.
Participation of Women in Autonomous Government—First grade textbook for the course: Freedom According to the Zapatistas
The Revolutionary Autonomous Zapatista Movement in Chiapas: a Primer Café Babylon 2/28/18
Zapatistas at Twenty joint publication of Foreign Policy In Focus and TheNation.com.
Enlace Civil Enlace Civil A.C. was born in 1996 when a group of indigenous Autonomous Communities of the high regions, jungles and north of the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas, asked civil society to create a mechanism that would function as a bridge between the Indigenous communities of Chiapas and national and international civil society in the common project to improve the living conditions of Indigenous peoples. In response, a multidisciplinary group of professionals created enlacecivil.org, with the fundamental principle being to respect the decisions of the indigenous communities, their uses and customs and their forms of organization.
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