Zapagringo's First Birthday!

Awww...lil zappy is growin' up!

Zapagringo '06-'07 Year-In-Review

More than anything, I started this blog to get out to an english-reading audience so many of the things that are going on in this new phase of zapatismo that began with the release of the Zapatistas' Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle in June '05.

Having assembled a team of Mexican, gringo, French, and Brazilian (amateur/authentic) journalists in the first month-and-a-half of '06 to report for The Narco News Bulletin on the early days of the Other Campaign in Oaxaca, Mexico, I returned to Brooklyn with so many things I wanted to talk about and reflect on with my people here. Unfortunately, the word hadn't really got out yet...it seemed like there was a lot of explaining to do, and I didn't really see enough people doing it. So I wrote a piece on the Other Campaign for Left Turn Magazine, kept writing about the Other Campaign (on the Other Side) for Narco News, and started this blog...

Then came the Stories from the Other Campaign for the Left Turn website: Part 1 going deeper into the Other Campaign; Part 2 contemplating leadership and the role of Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos within the Zapatistas and, now, the Other Campaign; and Part 3 being the transition piece towards really talking about what we are doing here, as the Zapatistas say, "in the brain of the monster" - this was the place I really had wanted to get to all along. Figuring I know mad people who don't read long sh*t on the Internet, I wanted to get the ideas out there so I even got some friends to help me turn "Enter the Intergalactic" (Part 3) into a pamphlet.

Well, the word got out and the rest is zapagringo history...for its first birthday I updated the blog's template and cleaned up a bit. All stories are now broken down into one or more of the following themes:

* Zezta Internazional - The most common theme, these posts have to do directly with those of us who are trying to build a global movement inspired by the Sixth Declaration...here you'll find some Zapatista and Cucapá communiqués directed to internationals 1,2,3,4,5; Posts on the work of internationals who have adhered to the Sixth Declaration 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8; as well as general updates from time-to-time 1,2,3,4,5 and speculations on global struggle 1,2,3,4,5.

* Intersections - Lines are often blurry, and this is especially true for this theme. These posts generally pertain to the places where resonance can be found between the Zapatistas and the activities of folks who are not necessarily adherents to their Sixth Declaration. Here you'll find connections with Palestinians 1,2; Americans 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9; Prisoners 1,2; Childcare providers 1,2; Queer folks, as well as some great essays written by other organizers that I've had the pleasure of debuting on-line 1,2,3 ...this is also where I've included all things that fall under the banner of "Another Politics is Possible" 1,2,3.

* Other Campaign - Even as we venture out and build a global struggle, it is important to stay abreast of the national organizing taking place throughout Mexico and beyond that falls under the banner of the Other Campaign. Here we find some foundational pieces 1,2; the Other Campaign in Mexico 1,2; the Other Campaign on the Other Side 1,2,3,4,5,6; Zapatista and Cucapá communiqués 1,2,3,4; updates 1,2,3,4; some historical perspective and Gustavo Esteva!

* Oaxaca - Last but not least, the Oaxacan struggle continues! I haven't written much about it lately since there are other people (El Enemigo Común and Narco News!) who are doing it so well...but the struggle remains close to my heart as I receive e-mails and announcements from many of the folks I built with during my stay there working for Narco News. In this theme you'll find updates on the struggle 1,2,3,4,5; the words of Oaxaqueños 1,2,3; and posts from the local, national, and international struggle against the repression of their struggles 1,2,3,4,5,6.

There it is -the zapagringo blog's first year- thank you for being a part of this multi-colored web of resistance - see you in the year ahead...

Viva La Otra Campaña!
Viva La Zezta Internazional!
All Zapagringos in the Struggle!