Greetings from sunny San Cristobal, where the rainy season is finally over
(don't let the rain storms fool you). In the last several weeks we've been
celebrating the day of the dead, enjoying the week long Cervantino cultural
festival, preparing for our new volunteers arriving in November and December,
and admiring the wide range of animals our mama cat kills to feed her kittens
(mice, frogs, rats and lizards).

In this newsletter you will find:

I. Learn Spanish or Tsotsil in a Zapatista Caracol

II. CPHP committees: volunteer without ever leaving
home

III. Analysis: Electricity privatization and state
propaganda

IV. Web-Site Problems

V. Food: Indo-Mexican War (Start an international incident...in
your mouth!)

I. Study Spanish or Tsotsil in a Zapatista Autonomous
community in Chiapas

The Primero de Enero Zapatista Autonomous Rebel Secondary School (ESRAZ),
via the Center for Spanish and Mayan Languages, offers classes in Spanish
and Tsotsil. The ESRAZ is an autonomous education project built with community
resources and international solidarity. The Center is a space for interaction
with peoples and cultures from around the world. Classes in Spanish and/or
Tsotsil are part of a cultural and educational exchange in the context of
an indigenous community in resistance. "For us, language is not just another
form of merchandise. We don't sell it, but we share with those who are interested
in a unique cultural experience and who identify with our struggle." To fund
the classes, ESRAZ requests a donation equivalent to three days minimum wage
in the country in which the student lives. This donation covers 15 hours of
classes (3 hours per day for five days), plus food and lodging for the five
days. Student fees will help cover costs for indigenous youth who are attending
secondary school in the same community. The classes take place in Ovantik,
and begin every Monday. There are three levels of classes: beginning, intermediate
and advanced. Communication skills are emphasized over grammar.

This is a wonderful opportunity for volunteers not only to learn Tsotsil
or improve their Spanish while working at the Peace House, but also a chance
to live in and interact with the autonomous communities in a different context.
For more information, please check out http://www.enlacecivil.org.mx/centrolenguas.html.
Information is also available at the Mexico Solidarity Network's website,
www.mexicosolidarity.org.

II. Chiapas Peace House Project Committees

The CPHP is pleased to announce the formation of volunteer committees. This
is great way to volunteer for the CPHP from home, and help us build and continue
the work that we're doing here. There are three committees:

The Personnel Committee is responsible for supporting the peace house staff,
including weekly email updates, reviewing their performance and guiding their
decision making.

The Finance and Fundraising Committee is assembled to draft, maintain and
update the annual budget and income. The committee is responsible for tracking
the organization's growth and ensuring that future needs can be met in a sustainable
and responsible manner. Also, this committee is responsible for seeking out
opportunities for fundraising.

The Outreach Committee is responsible for publicizing the peace house and
searching out new opportunities for advertisement, articles, speaking engagements
and web-links. This committee will also recruit volunteers and delegation
members and work to improve the peace house's relationships with churches
and other NGOs in the United States.

If you're interested in working on any of the committees email info@uupeacehouse.org
for more information.

III. Analysis: Electricity privatization and state
propaganda

It's been impossible to watch television or read a newspaper in Mexico in
the last several weeks without being aware of a major issue facing the Mexican
congress right now: electricity privatization. The electricity industry is
one of the once numerous key industries nationalized and constitutionally
protected since the presidency of Lázaro Cardenas, popular reformer in the
1930's who was responsible for, among other things, the largest land reform
in Mexican history. Over the last decade most of these industries have been
privatized, including the telephone, railway, highway and banking industries
as well as Mexico's national airline. The only major industries that still
remain in state hands are the electricity and petroleum industries, and increasingly
it appears that their days are numbered as well.

Really, the privatization of electricity has been taking place for 12 years
now. In 1992, then president Salinas reformed article 27 of the Mexican constitution,
allowing foreign companies increased access to energy production. Under the
new plan, foreign companies could build plants in Mexico, which export electricity
out of the country, selling only the "excess energy" back to the Mexican government.
As a result of this arrangement, foreign investment in the energy sector increased
considerably, particularly by US companies hoping to outsource environmental
problems by building their plants in across the boarder. In 2001, President
Vicente Fox, whose rightwing party PAN has been a vociferous proponent of
privatization and neoliberal reforms, sidestepped public debate by issuing
a presidential decree allowing foreign energy producers to begin selling their
surplus energy publicly rather than back to the national electricity company.
Although the Mexican Supreme Court overtu! rned that decree, the Fox administration
has continued to push privatization. Currently, the Mexican senate is debating
a proposed constitutional amendment to end the national electricity monopoly.

The pressure to privatize is not just coming from the PAN. Recently, the
IMF released a statement arguing that the Mexican government needs to do more
to convince the public of the necessity of reforms in the electric and financial
sectors. The Fox administration seems to have taken the advice to heart, as
evidenced by the government sponsored commercials that have begun running
on the television here. In one, a group of well dressed, light skinned Mexicans
sitting in a cafe are talking about the future of the country. One by one,
they make their suggestions. "More electricity," one of them says, "Yes, for
more businesses" adds another, "which will provide jobs!" the third one exclaims.
"That's it," says the fourth, "Energy reform means more electricity, more
businesses and more jobs!" The people around the cafe all smile and nod. A
second commercial shows two "indigenous" men in soccer uniforms on a sports
field at night. One of them comments on how bright the lights are li! ghting
the field. "That's nothing," the other retorts, "with energy reform, there
will be more electricity, and the lights will be even brighter." "But will
the energy still be ours?" Asks the first man, looking concerned. "Don't worry,"
responds the second, "the energy will always be ours."

These government-sponsored advertisements are disturbing on a number of levels.
Beyond their obvious use of racial and class stereotypes, presumably to try
to appeal to different sectors of the Mexican population, their arguments
are so distorted as to border on lies. The government continues to argue,
both within and outside of the commercials, that energy production is somehow
hampering industrial growth, despite the fact that according to critics interviewed
in La Jornada, even the most optimistic projections of growth over the next
several years still won't outstrip production capacity. We won't even get
into the argument that the lights will be brighter after the reforms.

The opposition to electricity privatization here is fierce-which is unsurprising
given the track record of this type of privatization. Beyond the disastrous
example of deregulation in California, after the privatization of the telephone
industry here, rates rose over 170%. Civil society is planning a caravan from
ten different states in Mexico to converge on the capital in November 20th
for a massive demonstration against the constitutional amendment.

IV. Web-Site Problems

Over the last couple of weeks the peace house's hosting service has experienced
a number of problems. These problems have effected the functioning of our
web-site and our ability to keep it up to date. The problems appear to have
been fixed and in the next few days we should undo any damage done to the
site. Once the site is fixed we plan on making a number of modifications,
including posting a whole bunch of new resources and photos. We'll keep you
updated!

V. Food: Indo-Mexican War (Start an international incident...in
your mouth!)

While I used to snicker and look down my nose at those fresa fusion cuisine
places in the United States, we have really come into our own here as original
chefs by various amalgamations of well know international food styles. Most
of our meals have beans and tortillas and salsa involved, but once in while
we make Italian (American) or Nepali (more recognizable as Indian) food. But
we just couldn't keep back the ever-present tortilla. We have dabbled in the
vegetarian sloppy Joe taco, and the brie quesadilla with brushetta salsa,
but my personal favorite is (in an homage to Dave Eggers "Heartbreaking Work
of Staggering Genius") the Mexican-Indian War, or the AlooDaal Taco.

Daal

• 1 cup brown lentils (the mexican kind, or the Goya kind in the US)
  
• enough water to cover the lentils (about 2 _ to 3 cups water)
  
• 1/2 an onion, finely chopped
  
• chili pepper, dried or fresh
  
• five or six cloves garlic, chopped finely
  
• about an inch of ginger (about 2 tea spoons) finely chopped
  
• cumin seeds, dry fried and ground (or cumin powder)
  
• simple curry powder (which should cover things like turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom)
  
• olive oil
  
• butter (together the oil and butter simulate gui, or clarified butter)
  
• salt and pepper (to taste. It's all to taste really.)
  
• sugar, just a bit (especially if you put in too much salt)
  

Melt butter in a pan on low heat, adding olive oil after it is almost melted.
Add cumin and curry powder (you always want your spices to cook first, to
release the flavor). Next add the onion, allow cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.
Next add garlic, chili pepper and ginger. Sauté for 3 or 4 more minutes. Next
add the lentils. Allowing them to cook in the pan without water for too long
will toughen them, so only cook them about 45 seconds or so. Then add the
water, salt, pepper and sugar. Turn the heat up high and bring to a boil.
When it begins to really boil turn the heat down low and allow to cook, covered,
for 25 minutes or so. After 25 minutes, taste it and if it tastes done, it
is.

Aloo Tarkaree

• 4 medium sized potatoes
  
• vegetable oil
  
• whole cumin seeds
  
• mustard seeds
  
• curry powder, if desired
  
• chili pepper
  
• 1/2 onion chopped
  
• 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  
• 3 small tomatoes
  

Cilantro goes first in a pot, until a fork slides easily into them. Take
them out and peel them if you don't like the skins. Cut them up and set aside.
Cut up the tomatoes into small pieces, and also the cilantro. Set aside. Put
oil in a largeish pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and
curry powder. Allow them to cook until the mustard seeds begin to pop (watch
out!). Add the onion. Allow cooking for 2 minutes or so. Add garlic and chili.
Cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Then add the potatoes. Sauté them. It shouldn't take
every long for them to cook the rest of the way, since they have been boiled.
I use the taste method, to tell when they are done. When they taste done,
turn off the heat and add the tomatoes and cilantro, continuing to sauté with
the heat off, until the cilantro has wilted slightly.

This is where the fusion part comes in. Get some corn tortillas, if in the
US probably from a bag. Heat a dry pan and cook the tortillas 15 second on
each side (the Octavio Flores method). Fill them with Daal and Aloo, salsa
(we just use lime) and avocado. Bon appetite.