By Leila Saraiva

By Julie Cowles

Pastel colored colonial buildings, centuries-old churches drenched in history, vendors selling freshly sliced mangos, indigenous women hawking brightly colored shawls, the sounds of the accordion players that line the streets… My senses are flooded each morning as I walk to the children’s center where I have worked as a volunteer each morning for the past 7 weeks. For me as a visiting foreigner, the beauty of Oaxaca has not been buried under the conflict that currently exists here.

By Scout Finch

The dates March 23 – 25 have been circled on my calendar for weeks. They mark the days that the family of Brad Will will be in Oaxaca. My days are full, there is a lot to do, but mentally I am preparing for their fast approaching visit. I never met the Indymedia journalist, I arrived in Oaxaca just days after he was killed, but his death and his family’s visit affect my life in many ways. Of the five witnesses that will be testifying in front of the Federal Attorney General on behalf of the family some are my friends, and another, the only family I have here in Oaxaca. All five of these witnesses are aware of the danger they face in testifying; the events of this past year in Oaxaca have left little doubt as to the danger one faces when speaking out against the State Government. Each witness has been subjected to harassment and intimidation by various government agents; one witness was forced into hiding and their houses are under constant surveillance… yet they are all willing to take the risk now, and they do it in honour and in memory of Brad.

By Naomi Briggs

Naomi recently spent 2 weeks as a human rights observer in the community of Las Abejas, Fracción Guadalupe. What follows is her personel reflection on the experience.

Article written by Tillie Scrunton

Tillie writes about her two weeks time as a human rights observer in a Las Abejas community, and recaps some of the history of their movement.

Article written by Rachel Wallis

Rachel writes about attending the final meeting of The Other Campaign on September 16th.

Article written by Indigo Jamee Eriksen

This January the municipal government in San Cristobal turned into the PRI machine again. The PRI ran on a platform of "reclaiming" San Cristobal which, evidently, means out with the increasing immigration of indigenous people into the city, out with the foreign and Mexican activists and the hippie artesanos and musicians that come along with them, out with indigenous artesanos too, out with bars and night life and safe spaces for people to go to at night and in with more familiar things like repressive government.