Simon reflects on patience, Zapatista government and his visit to two Zapatista Caracoles.

 A friend recently told me how she came upon a snail slinking across the sidewalk in front of her house one morning.  As she watched the snail moving slowly along, she had to quell the urge to pick it up and move it to the safety of the grass nearby.  Instead she chose to watch the snail as it inched towards the lawn, which was a test of her patience.  It was hard for her to stay still and observe the snail, while a nagging voice inside her head insisted that she had better things to do, that she should hurry on her way.  She remarked that for her this was an important reminder of the importance of patience, of the fact that things need time to mature and develop, to follow their own course.  That snail was doing fine on her own, and didn't need anyone's help reaching her final destination.  All things come to fruition in their own time.

I find this little anecdote to be quite relevant to my experiences here in Chiapas in a number of different ways.  Zapatista communities in Chiapas are organized in five regional Caracoles,  which are the seats of the Juntas de Buen Gobierno - the "Good Government" Councils that manage the affairs of the autonomous municipalities in the area.  Caracole translates directly as snail, and represents the conch shell that is blown to call the members of the community to a meeting.  It is important to the Zapatistas for all to participate in the direction of community affairs, for: "aqui manda el pueblo, y el gobierno obedece," or "here the people lead, and the government obeys." 

Caracol also refers to the spiral of the snail shell, starting at a small center point, and expanding outwards in ever greater circles.  This can also refer to the structure of Zapatista communities, which begin in the heart of an individual, expanding to villages, which are gathered into autonomous municipalities, which are in turn encompassed by the Caracoles. I imagine a great swirl of energy and participation expanding out in every greater spirals.  And the influence of these swirling whirlpools of information and experience are taken outside of Zapatista communities, as visitors and supporters share knowledge of the Zapatista struggle with their own communities across the world.

 The practice of this form of community-based consensus decision making takes time.  I had the opportunity to experience this first hand while visiting the  Caracoles of Oventic and Morelia.  I was acting as a translator for a group of  Israeli and American peace activists who were eager to learn more about Zapatismo, and share their experiences of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  During our visits we had to wait as the council members dealt with other pressing community matters before we could meet with them.  As much as this waiting was a test of patience for myself and the other visitors, it is surely a larger challenge for the members of the council who deal with the stream of daily business in the Caracol. As visitors to and supporters of Zapatista communities, we also must realize that these snails have their own processes and do not need external interference.  There are certainly ways that outsiders and internationals can support and collaborate with the Zapatistas.  But it isn't helpful to forcefully move a snail a great distance out of pity or divine benevolence when that snail is completely capable of doing it on his own.  Indeed, that snail has been sliding around of her own volition for her entire life.

I find this message of patience to also be important to me personally.  Arriving here from the US, I feel I'm coming from a society where everyone wants everything right now!  No waiting!  To quote Veruca Salt: "Give it to me now!"  Patience is not very high on the list of American attributes.  When I feel frustrated that my Spanish ability isn't improving as quickly as I'd like, or when I feel it's taking me a long time to make friends or find ways contribute to communities here, it's very helpful to remember that little snail crossing the sidewalk.  She'll reach the grass on the other side in due time... exactly when she's supposed to.