2nd Encounter of Zap Communities & World

Second Encounter of the Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World

-UPDATE: Find coverage of the Encuentro at the bottom of "The Rest of July in Mexico"-

Communiqué of the Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee—General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.
Sixth Commission and Intergalactic Commission of the EZLN.
Mexico.

June of 2007

To the People of Mexico:
To the Peoples of the World:
To the Adherents of the Zexta Internazional:
To the Adherents of the Sixth Declaration:

Compañeros and Compañeras:
Brothers and Sisters:

As was announced at the First Encounter of Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World (held in January of this year), the Second Encounter will be held in the coming month of July. The objective of this encounter is that persons, groups, collectives, and organizations that struggle against neoliberalism, in Mexico and all over the world, hear directly the word of the EZLN’s bases of support on the process of the construction of autonomy in the Zapatista indigenous communities of Chiapas. For this reason, the EZLN, through its Intergalactic and Sixth Commissions, convokes:

The Second Encounter of Zapatista Peoples with the Peoples of the World.

To be held in Zapatista territory July 20 through 28 of the year 2007, with the following characteristics:

First. Taking into account the difficulties that the rainy season provokes at this time in the state of Chiapas, the locations of the Encounter will not be the 5 caracoles (as was previously announced), but rather 3 caracoles (Oventik, Morelia, and La Realidad), following the schedule that we here detail:

Friday, July 20: Caracol of Oventik, Zona Altos [Highlands Zone] of Chiapas. Welcome and Inauguration.

Saturday, July 21: Caracol of Oventik, Zona Altos of Chiapas. Plenary roundtables with presentations by the Zapatista bases of support of the Autonomous Municipalities of the Altos of Chiapas, and sessions for questions, observations, and proposals by attendees.

Sunday July 22: Transfer to the Caracol of Morelia, Zona Tzotz Choj. Welcome.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, July 23, 24, and 25: Caracol of Morelia, Zona Tzotz Choj. Plenary roundtables with presentations by the Zapatista bases of support of the Autonomous Municipalities of the Tzotz Choj Zone (Caracol of Morelia), the Northern Zone of Chiapas (Caracol of Roberto Barrios), and the Selva [Jungle] Tzeltal Zone (Caracol of La Garrucha), and sessions for questions, observations, and proposals by attendees.

Thursday, July 26: Transfer to the Caracol of La Realidad, Zona Selva Fronteriza [Jungle/Border Zone]. Welcome.

Friday, July 27: Caracol of La Realidad, Zona Selva Fronteriza. Plenary roundtables with presentations by Zapatista bases of support of the Autonomous Municipalities of the Zona Selva Fronteriza, and sessions for questions, observations, and proposals by attendees.

Saturday, July 28: Caracol of La Realidad, Zona Selva Fronteriza. Final Plenary and Closing.

Sunday, July 29: Return.

Second. The themes of the plenary roundtables are:

HEALTH: Presentation given by the Health Promoters of the Zapatista communities.

EDUCATION: Presentation given by the Education Promoters.

ORGANIZATION OF THE COMMUNITIES: Presentation given by the municipal commissioners and officials.

COLLECTIVE WORK: Presentation given by the local, regional, and municipal collectives and coordinators of each zone.

THE STRUGGLE OF WOMEN: Presentation given by the women of the bases of support on their forms of organization at different levels, as “the women that we are.”

AUTONOMY: Presentation given by the autonomous authorities on the struggles and problems faced in the areas of work, health, education, trade, civil registry, justice, projects, etc.

GOOD GOVERNMENT: Presentation given by members of the Good Government Councils on their function in the construction of autonomy.

EVALUATION OF THE PROCESS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF AUTONOMY: Presentation given by members of the political directive of the EZLN (CCRI) on advances and problems in the 13 years of existence of the Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities in Rebellion (MAREZ) and the 4 years of the Good Government Councils (JBG).

Third. The method of work in the plenary roundtables will be: Presentation of the theme, followed by a session of observations, questions, and answers.

Fourth. In this Second Encounter the EZLN will have as special invitees the compañeros and compañeras of the Landless Movement in Brazil, of the Campesino Movement of Korea, of the Campesino Movement of Madagascar, of the Campesino Movement of the United States, and of other compas of the “Via Campesina” organization in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Given this, there will be a special space for the participation of these compañer@s.

The compañer@s of "Via Campesina" that have confirmed their attendance, among others, are:

1) Soraia SORIANO, Brazil. Member of the National Directive of the Landless Movement (MST).
2) Tsirisoa RAKOTONIMARO, Madagascar, Africa. Leader of the Peasant Confederation of Madagascar (CPM).
3) Dong Uk MIN: South Korea. Coordinator of International Relations, Peasant League of Korea (KPL).
4) George NAYLOR, United States. President of the National Coalition of Family Farmers (NFFC).
5) Henry SARAGIH, Indonesia. World Coordinator of Vía Campesina (VC), Secretary General of the Federation of Peasant Unions of Indonesia (FSPI).
6) Nemesia ACHACOLLO, Bolivia. Leader of the National Confederation of Campesina Women "Bartolina Sisa" and Representative of the MAS (Evo's party), member of the International Coordinating Committee (CCI) of Via Campesina.
7) Paul NICHOLSON, País Vasco. Leader of the Peasant Union of País Vasco (EHNE), member of the International Coordinating Committee (CCI) of Via Campesina.
8) Juana FERRER, Dominican Republic. Continental Coordinator of the Latin American Coordination of Organizations of Countryside (CLOC), Secretary General of the National Confederation of Women of the Countryside (CONAMUCA), Dominican Republic, member of the International Coordinating Committee (CCI) of Via Campesina.
9) Rafael ALEGRIA, Honduras. Coordinator of Via Campesina-Central America, Member of the International Coordinating Committee (CCI) of Via Campesina, Coordinator of the World Campaign for Agrarian Reform of Via Campesina.
10) Blanca CHANCOSO, Quito, Ecuador. Leader of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) (allies of Via Campesina), member of the Continental Commission of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities.
11) Yudhvir SINGH, India. Leader of the Peasant Union "Bhartiya Kissan," India.
12, 13, 14) Uthai SA-ARTCHOP, Patiphan WIRIYAWANA, and Banbita YANGDEE, Thailand. Members of the Assembly of the Poor (AOP), Thailand.
15) Carlos MARENTES, United States. President of Agricultural Workers of the Border, United States.
16) Kalissa REGIER, Saskatoon, Canada. Leader of the National Agricultural Union (NFU), Canada.
17 y 18) Rodolfo POCOP and Juan TINEY, Guatemala. Leaders of the National Indigenous and Campesino Coordination (CONIC), members of the Continental Commission of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities.
19) Alberto GOMEZ, Mexico. Leader of the UNORCA, Coordinator of Vía Campesina-North America, member of the International Coordinating Committee (CCI) of Via Campesina.

Fifth. Inscriptions and accreditations will begin by internet on July 2, 2007, at the following webpages:

www.zeztainternazional.org and enlacezapatista.ezln.org.mx
Email: encuentrojulio@ezln.org.mx

Accreditations will be distributed starting Monday, July 16, 2007, in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, at:

The office of Enlace Zapatista: Avenida Ignacio Allende 22-A, Barrio de San Antonio, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas.
Telephone: (01) 967 6781013

Additionally, there will be a place for inscription and accreditation in each of the caracoles where the plenaries will be held.

Sixth. It is recommended that those attending bring the necessary items to spend the night. In the caracoles there will be affordable food stands, but attendees can also bring their own food.

We invite all honest, noble, and committed persons of Mexico and the World to attend.

From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
Indigenous Revolutionary Clandestine Committee—General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
Sixth Commission.

Teniente Coronel Insurgente Moisés.
Intergalactic Commission.

Mexico, June of 2007.

(Thanks to El Kilombo Intergaláctico for the translation)