Issue 44 - Feb 2007
From the Editors
Greetings from the CASA Collectives, This January we were excited to welcome four new members to the CASA Board of Directors.
A Day in the Cafetal
By Riccardo
The sun is still hiding behind the Sierra Juarez mountains, when Doña Elvira opens her eyes and the day begins. She tosses a shawl over her shoulder and goes outside and looks at the sky, a soft light is radiating from behind the mountains while the last stars are shimmering. Don Tomás, whistling, greets her as he tends to the turkeys and horses, "Buenos dias, mi amor," he says. He kisses her cheek before going up to the rooftop to spread out yesterday's coffee harvest to dry.
Aunque Sea Tortilla Con Sal: Mexicans Rise Up In Defense of the Humble Tortilla
“We Want Tortillas, Not PAN!”
On January 31, 2007, tens of thousands of Mexicans filled the central plaza of the capital in the March for Food Sovereignty and In Defense of a Minimum Wage and Employment. This megamarcha in Mexico City was a mass expression of similar protests that have mobilized all over the country since the beginning of January when the price of tortillas increased drastically.
“True Compañeras”: Women’s Participation in the Popular Movement of Oaxaca
By Yakira
Women have not only acted as participants in the ongoing popular movement in Oaxaca, but have also profoundly shaped the course of its history. They have created some of the most powerful stories and moments in the past nine months, and have helped tell them. Stories of women who have built the movement are everywhere in Oaxaca.
Casa de Los Amigos In Solidarity
By Gray Dunia
Often when I am finished writing an email to a compañero or compañera I conclude with, "en solidaridad". The concept of being in solidarity is something activists, peace workers, and revolutionaries often speak of. But on a tangible, concrete level, how does solidarity manifest itself? Through my work with CASA Chapulin, I was shown a little piece of solidarity in action. This sense of solidarity was experienced not only in my own work, but also by feeling the direct support of others, particularly when we found ourselves in danger.
On the Toilet in the Zapatista Hospital
By Amaya Alvarez
The Zapatista struggle has improved the health of indigenous people in Chiapas. Clearly defining health care as a basic human right, the Zapatista health care system also occasionally extends their services to other humans in need, independent of whether or not they live in Zapatista territory.
In the midst of the Intergaláctico- a gathering of people all over the world, organized by the Zapatistas to inspire discussion about alternatives to the dominant neo-liberal model- two men at the Zapatista Clínica la Guadalupana receive a puking tourist.
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