August 2003 Newsletter
Article written by Emily Dulcan
August, the quintessential summer month, ushers in a new format for my web diary and Chiapas Peace House Project news and updates. I decided I wanted to get a little creative, a little analytical, and a lot interesting for my readers. In this brand sparkling new edition of my web diary, you will find the following:
I. Chiapas Peace House PROJECTS: An update of new and on-going volunteer projects
II. What's Happening Here: A brief analysis of indigenous relocations in Chiapas
III. Interesting Stuff: Facts for the Translator, Food is Yummy, and Palenque is Hot
IV. When will you hear from me again?
I. Chiapas Peace House PROJECTS
New and Urgent PROJECTS
Do you speak Spanish and English? Cuz there's translation to be done!
The CPHP has just received a flood of documents to be translated from
Spanish to English from partner organization CIEPAC. CIEPAC
incorporates the collaboration of professionals in sociology,
communications, psychology, and economics. Members of CIEPAC carry out
research and analysis on the economic, political, social, and military
situation in Chiapas in its national and international context.
One of the many wonderful things about translation work is that you
don't have to be HERE to do it; you can translate from the comfort of
your own home or while you're on the road, then send me the translated
document via email. If you want more info or want to start translating
as soon as possible, please email Emily at info@uupeacehouse.org and
include the word "translation" in the subject heading.
CIEPAC is Looking for Volunteers
CIEPAC (see description in above paragraph) is looking for volunteers
to help out in their San Cristobal office for a minimum of two months.
Responsibilities vary based on volunteers' interests and expertise.
Past volunteer projects and upcoming needs include: conference and
event planning; designing materials for CIEPAC campaigns; researching
and writing about neoliberalism in Chiapas. CIEPAC also welcomes
students doing research for projects and theses. Benefits of
volunteering include working with some of Chiapas' foremost researchers
on the effects of neoliberalism and observing CIEPAC's popular
education workshops in communities in Chiapas. Conversational Spanish,
a basic understanding of relevant political and economic theory, and an
interest in learning more about Chiapas are required.
On-Going PROJECTS
Interviews with Al Sol
Al Sol, San Cristobal's microlending institution, has provided small
loans to about 3,000 women in Chiapas, many of whom are single, shunned
by their families and communities, and who lack access to basic social
services. In addition to banking, Al Sol is currently developing
reproductive health and literacy programs for members and a handcraft
professionalization program so members have easier access to commercial
markets. Al Sol has asked CPHP volunteers to help them interview bank
members so as to learn their stories and how they got involved with
micro-credit. Volunteers will have the opportunity to travel to
communities near San Cristobal and talk to women who have taken
advantage of Al Sol's micro-lending program. In addition to the member
interview project, Al Sol has an ongoing need for volunteers with
photography, video, and design experience.
Human Rights Observation
Human rights observation (human rights observers are also known as
campamentistas) aids indigenous communities that experience
"low-intensity warfare" at the hands of the military and paramilitary
groups. Human rights observers live in a community for a minimum of two
weeks, providing an international and protective presence intending to
dissuade harassment or human rights violations. Observers are always
sent out in pairs and given an extensive orientation and information
session before being assigned to communities.
II. WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?
Indigenous individuals and entire indigenous villages continue to
suffer from discrimination on a daily basis, despite the Mexican's
government's promises to protect their human rights. What are basic
human rights? The United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948,
contains thirty articles outlining basic rights for all human beings.
Article 17 states, "everyone has the right to own property alone as
well as in association with others," and "no one shall be arbitrarily
deprived of his property." Articles 25 and 26 guarantee rights to food
security, social services, and health, and education, respectively.
The Chiapanecan daily newspaper Cuarto Poder, recently reported on some
of the families who peaceably left the Montes Azules Reserve when the
Mexican government promised them land elsewhere. "Mateo Perez
Gutierrez, a 90 year-old indigenous Chol, has spent the last twenty
years of his life looking for land in different municipalities in
Chiapas; he currently lives with his family in a makeshift refugee
community outside of Comitan. He has not lost hope, however, that one
day he will have "a place to plant corn, beans and live with his
children." At the other end of the generational spectrum, many young
children of displaced families haven't attended school for years or
must be sent to live with friends or relatives because their parents do
not have enough food to feed them.
Indigenous families and villages are asked and often forced to move
from land that they have been cultivating for decades or lifetimes for
a variety of reasons. Sometimes there are inter-tribal conflicts in
regard to which group is entitled to land. In other cases,
paramilitaries forcibly remove indigenous people from arable land so
they themselves can cultivate it. In circumstances like Montes Azules,
the federal government and multinational corporations have identified
valuable natural resources but must first remove the people whose homes
and communities inhibit their access. No matter what the reason, the
results remain the same: displaced families must move from one refugee
camp to the next or settle in under-served shanty towns. People like
Mateo Perez Gutierreze, therefore, only hope to resettle in a place
where they can return to their preferred ways of life. "All is not
lost," says Perez. "We are going to keep struggling so that we may
some day live in dignity, but we are no longer going to hope for
anything from a government that only threatens us and tells us lies."
The Montes Azules reserve continues to be a contentious region when it
comes to land disputes. Ironically, in 1989 the Mexican government
ratified Agreement 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO),
which protects the rights of indigenous villages to determine
development priorities for land that they inhabit and cultivate.
Indigenous communities still remain in Montes Azules, despite coercion
on the part of the Mexican government and multinational corporations
("coercion" ranging from promises of new land to armed threats), and
according to the ILO agreement and the UN Universal Declaration of
Human Rights they have the right to do so.
For more information on:
UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, see www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
Montes Azules, see www.sipaz.org/frme.htm and www.ciepac.org
III. INTERESTING STUFF
Facts for the Translator (and Other Interested Parties)
Those of you who have done a little or a lot of reading about the
struggle for indigenous rights in Chiapas have surely run across a
plethora of acronyms, most of which are in Spanish, making them that
much more difficult to understand/remember. So here's one of those
pesky acronyms explained. COCOPA is the Commission of Concordance and
Peace. COCOPA was formed in 1996 to facilitate the dialogue between the
EZLN and the Federal Government.
Food is Yummy
As many of you know, I love food. I love looking at it, preparing it,
and especially tasting it. I'd like to have a food section in every
newsletter so I can share with you some of the new culinary delights
I've discovered in southern Mexico. My first food feature is the
succulently subtle chayote, known in English as the "pear squash." An
apt name, the two varieties of chayote are about the size and shape of
a pear, one with smooth green skin the other with prickly green skin.
Chayote were a staple food of the Aztecs, and the Spanish word comes
from the Nahuatl chayoti. The Mayans eat the starchy fruit, chayote
roots, and shoots.
I've come across chayote prepared in a variety of ways, including
steamed; baked; sliced, breaded, and fried; in vegetable soups and
stews; stir-fried; and relleno (stuffed with cheese, breaded, baked,
and drenched in salsa). Often you see women sitting on street corners
with large metal basins full of hot water and boiling chayote. You can
purchase one on a stick for five pesos, or 50 cents. I've especially
enjoyed chayote when baked and seasoned with oil, cheese, and ground
pepper, or as a member of a steamed vegetable medley. Each chayote
contains a seed about the size and shape of a lima bean, and while the
recipe below says to discard them, I think they're the tastiest part of
the fruit. Chayote have become popular in the U.S. and are found in
many large markets. They are being cultivated in Florida, California,
and Louisiana. They are very common in Latino grocery stores. In case
you are now so moved to seek out the tasty chayote, here's a recipe:
4 chayotes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Cut each chayote lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges and discard seed if
necessary. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat oil over moderate heat until
hot but not smoking and cook chayotes, stirring occasionally, until
crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add cream and simmer until chayotes are
tender and cream is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Add chives and
season with salt.
Serves 6
From Gourmet Magazine, April 2003
Palenque is Hot
Yes, right now it is hot and humid in Palenque (pronounced pa-LEN-kay),
home to perhaps the best-preserved Mayan ruins. At 80 meters above sea
level, Palenque is about 2,000 meters lower than San Cristobal,
accounting for the dramatic differences in temperature and humidity. I
was there about two weeks ago with a number of my loving family members
who came to visit me here in Chiapas. The excavated ruins are beautiful
and awe-inspiring, well worth the five-hour trip on winding jungle
roads. Palenque was "rediscovered" by colonizing forces near the end
of the 18th century. There are about 500 buildings covering over 15
square kilometers at Palenque, but only a few of the ruins have been
excavated to date. It costs $3.70 to enter the site, but it is FREE on
Sundays and holidays. Buses from San Cristobal now cost $7.
IV. When will you hear from me again?
The new and improved version of my web diary is a bit more
labor-intensive than the previous once-every-two-weeks version.
Therefore, you'll probably receive more ground-breaking updates,
insightful analysis, and mouth-watering recipes in about a month's
time. In the meantime, send me some emails so we both remain in touch
and engaged.
Questions? Answers? Comments? Concerns?
Write to me at info@uupeacehouse.org
Peace & Love
Emily
August, the quintessential summer month, ushers in a new format for my web diary and Chiapas Peace House Project news and updates. I decided I wanted to get a little creative, a little analytical, and a lot interesting for my readers. In this brand sparkling new edition of my web diary, you will find the following:
I. Chiapas Peace House PROJECTS: An update of new and on-going volunteer projects
II. What's Happening Here: A brief analysis of indigenous relocations in Chiapas
III. Interesting Stuff: Facts for the Translator, Food is Yummy, and Palenque is Hot
IV. When will you hear from me again?
I. Chiapas Peace House PROJECTS
New and Urgent PROJECTS
Do you speak Spanish and English? Cuz there's translation to be done!
The CPHP has just received a flood of documents to be translated from
Spanish to English from partner organization CIEPAC. CIEPAC
incorporates the collaboration of professionals in sociology,
communications, psychology, and economics. Members of CIEPAC carry out
research and analysis on the economic, political, social, and military
situation in Chiapas in its national and international context.
One of the many wonderful things about translation work is that you
don't have to be HERE to do it; you can translate from the comfort of
your own home or while you're on the road, then send me the translated
document via email. If you want more info or want to start translating
as soon as possible, please email Emily at info@uupeacehouse.org and
include the word "translation" in the subject heading.
CIEPAC is Looking for Volunteers
CIEPAC (see description in above paragraph) is looking for volunteers
to help out in their San Cristobal office for a minimum of two months.
Responsibilities vary based on volunteers' interests and expertise.
Past volunteer projects and upcoming needs include: conference and
event planning; designing materials for CIEPAC campaigns; researching
and writing about neoliberalism in Chiapas. CIEPAC also welcomes
students doing research for projects and theses. Benefits of
volunteering include working with some of Chiapas' foremost researchers
on the effects of neoliberalism and observing CIEPAC's popular
education workshops in communities in Chiapas. Conversational Spanish,
a basic understanding of relevant political and economic theory, and an
interest in learning more about Chiapas are required.
On-Going PROJECTS
Interviews with Al Sol
Al Sol, San Cristobal's microlending institution, has provided small
loans to about 3,000 women in Chiapas, many of whom are single, shunned
by their families and communities, and who lack access to basic social
services. In addition to banking, Al Sol is currently developing
reproductive health and literacy programs for members and a handcraft
professionalization program so members have easier access to commercial
markets. Al Sol has asked CPHP volunteers to help them interview bank
members so as to learn their stories and how they got involved with
micro-credit. Volunteers will have the opportunity to travel to
communities near San Cristobal and talk to women who have taken
advantage of Al Sol's micro-lending program. In addition to the member
interview project, Al Sol has an ongoing need for volunteers with
photography, video, and design experience.
Human Rights Observation
Human rights observation (human rights observers are also known as
campamentistas) aids indigenous communities that experience
"low-intensity warfare" at the hands of the military and paramilitary
groups. Human rights observers live in a community for a minimum of two
weeks, providing an international and protective presence intending to
dissuade harassment or human rights violations. Observers are always
sent out in pairs and given an extensive orientation and information
session before being assigned to communities.
II. WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?
Indigenous individuals and entire indigenous villages continue to
suffer from discrimination on a daily basis, despite the Mexican's
government's promises to protect their human rights. What are basic
human rights? The United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 1948,
contains thirty articles outlining basic rights for all human beings.
Article 17 states, "everyone has the right to own property alone as
well as in association with others," and "no one shall be arbitrarily
deprived of his property." Articles 25 and 26 guarantee rights to food
security, social services, and health, and education, respectively.
The Chiapanecan daily newspaper Cuarto Poder, recently reported on some
of the families who peaceably left the Montes Azules Reserve when the
Mexican government promised them land elsewhere. "Mateo Perez
Gutierrez, a 90 year-old indigenous Chol, has spent the last twenty
years of his life looking for land in different municipalities in
Chiapas; he currently lives with his family in a makeshift refugee
community outside of Comitan. He has not lost hope, however, that one
day he will have "a place to plant corn, beans and live with his
children." At the other end of the generational spectrum, many young
children of displaced families haven't attended school for years or
must be sent to live with friends or relatives because their parents do
not have enough food to feed them.
Indigenous families and villages are asked and often forced to move
from land that they have been cultivating for decades or lifetimes for
a variety of reasons. Sometimes there are inter-tribal conflicts in
regard to which group is entitled to land. In other cases,
paramilitaries forcibly remove indigenous people from arable land so
they themselves can cultivate it. In circumstances like Montes Azules,
the federal government and multinational corporations have identified
valuable natural resources but must first remove the people whose homes
and communities inhibit their access. No matter what the reason, the
results remain the same: displaced families must move from one refugee
camp to the next or settle in under-served shanty towns. People like
Mateo Perez Gutierreze, therefore, only hope to resettle in a place
where they can return to their preferred ways of life. "All is not
lost," says Perez. "We are going to keep struggling so that we may
some day live in dignity, but we are no longer going to hope for
anything from a government that only threatens us and tells us lies."
The Montes Azules reserve continues to be a contentious region when it
comes to land disputes. Ironically, in 1989 the Mexican government
ratified Agreement 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO),
which protects the rights of indigenous villages to determine
development priorities for land that they inhabit and cultivate.
Indigenous communities still remain in Montes Azules, despite coercion
on the part of the Mexican government and multinational corporations
("coercion" ranging from promises of new land to armed threats), and
according to the ILO agreement and the UN Universal Declaration of
Human Rights they have the right to do so.
For more information on:
UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, see www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
Montes Azules, see www.sipaz.org/frme.htm and www.ciepac.org
III. INTERESTING STUFF
Facts for the Translator (and Other Interested Parties)
Those of you who have done a little or a lot of reading about the
struggle for indigenous rights in Chiapas have surely run across a
plethora of acronyms, most of which are in Spanish, making them that
much more difficult to understand/remember. So here's one of those
pesky acronyms explained. COCOPA is the Commission of Concordance and
Peace. COCOPA was formed in 1996 to facilitate the dialogue between the
EZLN and the Federal Government.
Food is Yummy
As many of you know, I love food. I love looking at it, preparing it,
and especially tasting it. I'd like to have a food section in every
newsletter so I can share with you some of the new culinary delights
I've discovered in southern Mexico. My first food feature is the
succulently subtle chayote, known in English as the "pear squash." An
apt name, the two varieties of chayote are about the size and shape of
a pear, one with smooth green skin the other with prickly green skin.
Chayote were a staple food of the Aztecs, and the Spanish word comes
from the Nahuatl chayoti. The Mayans eat the starchy fruit, chayote
roots, and shoots.
I've come across chayote prepared in a variety of ways, including
steamed; baked; sliced, breaded, and fried; in vegetable soups and
stews; stir-fried; and relleno (stuffed with cheese, breaded, baked,
and drenched in salsa). Often you see women sitting on street corners
with large metal basins full of hot water and boiling chayote. You can
purchase one on a stick for five pesos, or 50 cents. I've especially
enjoyed chayote when baked and seasoned with oil, cheese, and ground
pepper, or as a member of a steamed vegetable medley. Each chayote
contains a seed about the size and shape of a lima bean, and while the
recipe below says to discard them, I think they're the tastiest part of
the fruit. Chayote have become popular in the U.S. and are found in
many large markets. They are being cultivated in Florida, California,
and Louisiana. They are very common in Latino grocery stores. In case
you are now so moved to seek out the tasty chayote, here's a recipe:
4 chayotes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Cut each chayote lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges and discard seed if
necessary. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat oil over moderate heat until
hot but not smoking and cook chayotes, stirring occasionally, until
crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add cream and simmer until chayotes are
tender and cream is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Add chives and
season with salt.
Serves 6
From Gourmet Magazine, April 2003
Palenque is Hot
Yes, right now it is hot and humid in Palenque (pronounced pa-LEN-kay),
home to perhaps the best-preserved Mayan ruins. At 80 meters above sea
level, Palenque is about 2,000 meters lower than San Cristobal,
accounting for the dramatic differences in temperature and humidity. I
was there about two weeks ago with a number of my loving family members
who came to visit me here in Chiapas. The excavated ruins are beautiful
and awe-inspiring, well worth the five-hour trip on winding jungle
roads. Palenque was "rediscovered" by colonizing forces near the end
of the 18th century. There are about 500 buildings covering over 15
square kilometers at Palenque, but only a few of the ruins have been
excavated to date. It costs $3.70 to enter the site, but it is FREE on
Sundays and holidays. Buses from San Cristobal now cost $7.
IV. When will you hear from me again?
The new and improved version of my web diary is a bit more
labor-intensive than the previous once-every-two-weeks version.
Therefore, you'll probably receive more ground-breaking updates,
insightful analysis, and mouth-watering recipes in about a month's
time. In the meantime, send me some emails so we both remain in touch
and engaged.
Questions? Answers? Comments? Concerns?
Write to me at info@uupeacehouse.org
Peace & Love
Emily
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