Global Gathering of Hope

Michael McCaughan reports on the Second Intercontinental Gathering for Humanity and against Neoliberalism, held in the Spanish state this summer.

"Who walks with us? Who suffers with us? Who struggles with us?"

Zapatista communiqué, April 1994.

Thousands of people gathered across five venues in Spain from 26 July 26th to 3 August last, in response to the Zapatista National Liberation Army's (EZLN) call to build a global grassroots network of struggles. The first encounter had been organized in Chiapas last year, in an effort to combat the ‘International of Terror’, as represented by international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank etc), G-7 countries, transnational capital and the like. This time the usual hail of rhetoric flew fast and furious from Madrid to Andalucia, with statements, speeches, letters, theses and assorted documents demanding freedom, justice and democracy for everyone and their dog. The most telling contribution however came from Barcelona's police chief, who kept a close eye on the proceedings.

Local struggle

The subject of the written police contribution was the imminent eviction of political activists occupying a disused cowshed. The building, ‘La Vakeria’, which was turned into living quarters by squatters in 1992, was one of a dozen venues offered as discussion sites during the Zapatista gathering. The European ‘Okupa’ or squat scene has become a significant focus for radical political activity in the past ten years. "It used to be just a scene for tossers to get cheap housing and concentrate on drugs," a woman told me in Barcelona. "Now though it's totally different, always involved in community politics." In a parallel process European property laws have been tightened to eliminate loopholes that gave a minimum of legal protection to squatters. On 30 July, halfway through the encounter, the eviction was due to be carried out. The squatters had called on sympathizers to come from all over Europe to defend the house, while 1,000 guests at the encounter were also committed to preventing the eviction. Hence the police monitoring.

On 25 July, shortly after the Okupa had been emptied of possessions and firmly secured for the planned defense, the police letter arrived. The two-page missive came from the Direccion General de la Policia, and the subject was "Information about the Possibility of Serious Conflict in the Fulfillment of an Eviction Order." It is worth quoting it at length:

"On the date set for the eviction, a ‘Neoliberal congress’ (sic) is being held in Barcelona." Ten points for accurate surveillance work, given the sea of posters and alternative media coverage along with a column or two in national newspapers El Pais and El Mundo. "The people coming to this congress have a certain affinity with the ‘Okupa’ movement and we fear that they might turn up for the eviction (damn right). We also have information that in the selfsame building members of a Mexican group called ‘Chiapas’ are engaged in acts of propaganda. The ‘Okupa’ movement is aware of the eviction date and we believe that the carrying-out of the action could lead to serious harm to people and property as the relevant people may offer active resistance." The expected resistance "could lead to a high level of violence which could not be dealt with due to low police numbers during the holiday period. Cancel the eviction notice for the planned date."

Hasta La Victoria Siempre

This letter, more than all the speeches and harangues during the Zapatista gathering explains why we went to Spain and what can be achieved when thousands of disparate ‘points of light’ (individuals, communities in struggle) come together and offer determined resistance to the ‘International of Terror’. Nothing major, no glorious July 19th (Nicaraguan revolution) or July 26th, (Cuban revolution), just a small step forward, which could be reversed in the future, but remains an important lesson. At a march the night before the canceled eviction, drummers, fire-eaters, Zapatistas and a thousand grass-roots activists held a festive stroll through the Vakeria's neigbourhood. The locals raised clenched fists from nearby balconies, whistled support and brought their children out to watch. At one point an old woman emerged from her house, and surveyed the scene. I expected her to beat a hasty retreat as the narrow street pulsed with loud drums, tattoos, dreadlocks and general youth weirdness. Instead she recognized one of her neighbours on the march and joined in.

Worlds apart

At the encounter itself the majority of delegates were tibios, tepid types, with no personal disrespect intended. There were 800 Italian delegates there and by God were they going to have their say, and their themes were going to be the central focus of the gathering. The Zapatistas "nothing for ourselves, everything for everyone else", proved too much of a challenge and failed to spark reciprocal gestures from some of the Europeans, for whom the colonial mentality (even in global solidarity and struggle!) dies hard. The European obsession to ‘Be There Now’, insured a chic stampede of Che-chested Euro-warriors hoping to discover the meaning of life. A generous estimate of Latin American delegates at the encuentro would run to about 200, just 7% of the total. Africa and Asia barely registered, although a strong Moroccan presence insured some treatment of relevant issues. The numbers tell only half the tale, as the Latin American delegates were top-notch, including Brazil’s SimTerra, (Landless Movement), EZLN delegates, former guerrillas from Guatemala, El Salvador and Uruguay, now working within political institutions, along with sons and daughters of Argentina's Disappeared, members of Nicaragua's Sandinista Front and more.

On a farewell banner, hanging in Barcelona’s train station as we left, was the message of Catalonia's brave union leader from the 1930’s, Buenaventura Durrutti: "We carry a new world in our hearts". In some curious way, the protection of the Vakeria squat by a broader public willing to risk life and liberty mirrored the outnumbered and outgunned Zapatista's efforts to protect themselves by building a resistance movement beyond rebel territory, beyond Chiapas, beyond Mexico and throughout the world. The crucial questions remain: "Who walks with us? who suffers with us? who struggles with us?"

 

(A little bit of) Chiapas Comes To Dublin

Simon Jones of the Irish Mexico Group reports.

In August the Irish Mexico Group hosted a visit to Dublin by two Chiapan women, Diana Damian and Aidé Rojas, members of an organization called ‘Formación y Capacitación’ (FOCA), a popular education group. FOCA gives workshops - on invitation from communities (both rural and urban) - aimed at both raising consciousness of political and social issues (human rights being an important theme) and empowering people by improving skills in advocacy and self-organisation, as well as more technical themes such as carpentry and electrical supply and maintenance.

Despite flu and laryngitis trying to silence both Diana and Aidé and one of their interpreters, they managed to make contact with local groups in marginalized communities, and a two-way exchange of experiences was definitely achieved. Many thanks are due to Gearoíd and Carol of the Colombian Network for their work as interpreters and guides.

Centres visited included the women of the SAOL addiction project in Amiens Street, the Parents Alone Resource Centre in Coolock, Lesbians Organising Together (LOT) and the North Wall Women's Centre in Sheriff Street, and a community radio station, NEAR FM, in Coolock. There Aidé and Diana followed up a half hour live programme with a discussion with station staff on the history and current situation of community radio in Ireland and Mexico. During their visit they also saw community art projects (CAFE and Artsquad) and met with development organisations, as well as discussing experiments in alternative local economies with a LETS (Local Exchange and Trading Systems) specialist.

The indigenous culture side of the visit included a traditional music session in Hughes’ and a coddle and pints of stout in Sheriff Street. Aidé and Diana left on a horrendously early flight out of Dublin just as the weather was breaking, but no amount of rain could dampen the friendships made over the previous days.

An article by Diana Damian on the effect of the war in Chiapas on women will appear in the Autumn newsletter of the Banúlacht, 20 Lr Dominick St., Dublin 1.

Mexico Group News

The Irish Mexico Group (IMG) exists to support grassroots struggles in Mexico and to make links with comparable struggles against neoliberalism here in Ireland.

As well as the Gathering and Diana and Aidé’s visit, a busy summer saw the completion of an education pack for schools, a steady stream of visitors to the Irish solidarity house in Chiapas, and an IMG-led delegation to the region.

Meanwhile ex-president Salinas is reportedly still lurking in Dublin, and the Irish and Mexican governments jointly issued commemorative stamps on 12 September for the 150th anniversary of the Batallon San Patricio, which fought for Mexico against the US.

The Irish Mexico Group can be contacted at LASC at 01-6760435. Education packs are available on request.

Ramor Dagge in San Cristobal de las Casas. The life and soul of the revolution.

Photo: Tim Russo