Resist

If you want to change the world, the only thing you have to do is to change yourself

I was with my girlfriend at the time in Chiapas, in Acteal, a village that suffered the violence of the clash between Zapatistas and the Mexican government. Half of the village is Zapatista. The other half calls themselves Bees: pacifists, different form the Zapatistas, even if they want the same, but not wanting to use violence to achieve it by any means. In Xmas 1997 they all gathered in church praying for peace when paramilitaries came to the village, and shot the people in church. Seventeen died and caused such a trauma to the rest of the community.
We went just for visiting, staying few days and learn what was going on. But we had little to do… we had…

by Dani Lagartofernandez on 27/08/08 | Read More

Mexico - The Chiapas media project

My story is a story of collective resistance, so it’s not just mine, it belongs to the organization I work for.  In Southern Mexico, in the highlands of Chiapas, in a tzotzil community, when a compañero greets you they say “How is your heart?” The English translation sounds terrible, something you hear in a doctor’s office but in Zapatista communities it encompasses the rhythm of communication the indigenous communities are fighting for.

My role is in this beautiful movement of words, I work in the distribution of their stories of resistance. The Chiapas Media Project/Promedios de Comunicacion Comunitaria. We are a bi-national project, our office in Chicago focuses on distribution and the office in Chiapas, Mexico focuses on production and…

by Aasia Mohammad Casteñeda on 05/06/08 | Read More