Resources on Chiapas
ORGANIZATIONS
Schools for Chiapas: This solidarity group regularly organizes caravans to Chiapas and works closely with the Zapatistas. It is now organizing the “Y2K Caravan” to celebrate the opening of the junior high school at Oventic. It will also be planning caravans and events for the summer of 2000.
Two of the group’s support campaigns include:
- Buy school bonds for Oventic. $5 each (100% of the money goes to the school). For each bond bought your name will be entered to win an autographed copy of Subcommandante Marcos’ bilingual children’s book, La Historia de los Colores/The History of Colors.
- Write to your Congressman and demand that Peter Brown, Schools for Chiapas Director, be allowed re-entry to Mexico. He was expelled because of the solidarity work by Schools for Chiapas. The Zapatistas at Oventic specifically asked that U.S. citizens help in this effort.
Contact:
Schools for Chiapas
1717 Kettner Blvd., Suite 125
San Diego, CA 92101
619-232-2841; fax 619-232-0500
http://www.igc.org/mexicopeace
e-mail: mexicopeace@igc.apc.org
WEBSITES
flag.blackened.net/revolt/zapatista.html
This site is generally considered the best single resource on Chiapas.
www.execpc.com/~forpolcy
This is the official site of the Milwaukee solidarity group, Pledge for Resistance. It has links to many valuable sites not only about Chiapas, but international human rights organizations and worldwide human rights efforts.
www.EZLN.org
This site holds most of the official documents of the EZLN.
www.laneta.apc.org/consultaEZLN/
This site has both Spanish and English communications from the EZLN and FZLN. For example, there is a Spanish and English version of the letter of solidarity from Subcommandante Marcos to Mumia Abu-Jamal, the political prisoner on death row in Pennsylvania.
BOOKS
Rebellion from the Roots: Indian Uprising in Chiapas, by John Ross (Monroe ME: Common Courage Press, 1995). ISBN 1-56751-042-6.
Ross’ book gives a detailed modern history of the Chiapas Maya movement particularly from the years 1970 to 1994. Ross provides a range of difficult-to-find information.
Rebellion in Chiapas, by John Womack Jr. (New York: The New Press, 1999). IBSN 1-56584-452-1
Womack’s book looks at Mayan history as far back as 1545, but with an emphasison contemporary issues. Much of the book is comprised of historical documents, and the book is extremely useful for the classroom.
