We are accepting applications for CASA Chapulin in Oaxaca that go in line with the stratetigic changes we are seeing as a collective.  Part of the changes include making strategic collaborations with grassroots groups (as opposed to ¨individual activists¨).  For this reason, we ask interested applicants to consider reading about our new and exciting initiatives that CASA  is taking on to strengthen cross-border movement building.  Check out the What's New at CASA Chapulin page. 

Collective members work with local communities and participate in weekly socio-political and p privilege workshops. Volunteers should speak proficient Spanish and spend a minimum of four months in Oaxaca.  We also ask participants to have experience of working with grassroots organizations.  If you are interested in learning more about our strategic changes or would like to propose a collaboration with your group, please contact the collective co-coordinators Sylvia and Andrea.

For the reasons motivating us to set up a collective in Oaxaca in 2006, see Why Oaxaca. For more background, see Resistance in Oaxaca.

Solidarity Work in Oaxaca  

CASA members contribute to the life of the collective in numerous ways. These include participating in collective projects, researching, fundraising, writing articles for our monthly newsletter, participating in and giving workshops, taking care of the collective space, and hosting events and staying connected upon return to home communities.

Members work with a community organization and participate in CASA-related projects.  The projects that CASA members participate in depend on the the necessities defined by grassroots groups in Oaxaca and partly by the skills and interests of the member.

Past examples of projects include community radio programming, media analysis for human rights organizations, collaboration with a midwifery training program, support for women's coffee cooperative, basic computer instruction in rural village, and design and production of book that engages the issue of domestic violence. 

The "CASA"

The "CASA" in and of itself is a two-story house where the coordinators live.  Occasionally, there are rooms available for volunteers to rent out in the house.  When there are no rooms available, volunteers can rent apartments close by.  The coordinators can gladly assist in searching for housing.  

The collective CASA space consists of a living room, a kitchen, and a backyard garden.  The space is shared by volunteers along with cooking and cleaning responsibilities.  Food is shared, with each volunteer chipping in about 200 pesos a week to buy food and cleaning supplies.  Volunteers decide the extent to which they want to eat in the house and may pay accordingly.  The backyard garden is also used as a common space where members are encouraged to propose ideas and work on.  It consists of a small green space and a compost bin.

The CASA also has a small library of resources on various issues: zapatismo, women’s health, indigenous rights, human rights, current political events in Mexico and beyond, cook books, maps, etc.  The CASA does not have internet service available.  CASA recommends each member bring their own laptop if they wish to use a computer at the house.  Reliable internet access and computers are also available in several nearby internet cafés.