Sunday 23 December 2012

SKA for Chiapas - fundraising concert for San Marcos Aviles

With wild skaning on the rhythm of the band SKA2-D2 and solo concert by S. J. with his banjo, the Zapatista Solidarity Group - Essex continued its fund raising initiative for the community San Marcos Aviles in Chiapas. The gig kicked off in the Colchester bar "Tin Pan Alley" where more than 100 visitors came to listen to the music and support the indigenous struggle in the south of Mexico. 


The community San Marcos Aviles was attacked by paramilitary groups earlier this year in a large government-backed attempt to crackdown Zapatista support bases in the region. The intensified attacks provoked huge international campaign in defence of the victims of government, paramilitary and corporate aggression, including the political prisoners - Alberto Patishtan and Francisco Santiz Lopez. The Essex group participated with making a solidarity video, organising a protest in front of the Mexican embassy in London and two fundraisers. 

Facebook page of SKA2-D2: http://www.facebook.com/ska2d2

Video from the Event:


Friday 30 November 2012

Essex fundraising for San Marcos Aviles

Under the slogan "Not charity - solidarity" the University of Essex Zapatista team fundraised more than 140 pounds for the community of San Marcos Aviles. The activists were selling burritos and Zapatista coffee as part of their efforts to support the attacked by paramilitaries communities in Chiapas. 

Earlier the group from Essex organized a protest in front of the Mexican embassy and filmed a solidarity video, condemning the terror against the autonomous indigenous communities. The fundraiser is part of a larger campaign, backed by the Latin American Society which is also fundraising for the same cause on 30 Nov. The last fundraiser will be a SKA gig in Tin Pan Alley in Colchester on 14 December.

Sunday 4 November 2012

Article on YoSoy132's blog

A brilliant article on our protest against the repressions by the paramilitatires and the Bad Government on the page of our friendsYoSoy132 - Londres, who were there with us:

"Despite the initial YS132 focus was on the fight against the imposition of an illegitimate president and the blatant use of mass media to mislead the population, our stand in solidarity to the groups in resistance in Mexico such as Atenco, Cananea, the SME and the Zapatistas and other indigenous (or Nican Tlaca) groups in resistance, is clearly stated in our manifesto. This is why the movement participated yesterday with Essex Zapatista Solidarity Group and will continue to do so in similar actions, such as to oppose and make life impossible to the oncoming PRI rule in December.
“If we don’t strike up together, who will illuminate this darkness?”
¡ Basta ya !"

The whole article - here!

Saturday 3 November 2012

"Zapata vive" echoed in front of the Mexican embassy

With chants "Zapata vive, la lucha sigue!" and "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!" a group of supporters of the Zapatistas gathered to protest in front of the Mexican embassy against the repressions on the communities in resistance carried out in the last few months. The protesters demanded end of the attacks and release of the political prisoners jalied by the Bad Government.
"Our words are our weapon and the our bullets are flying towards Mexico in this moment" said Petar Stanchev from the Zapatista Solidarity Group - Essex. "We are here for the light of tomorrow, for a world in which many worlds fit, for a world where capitalism doesn't threaten us with complete destruction and being indigenous, homosexual, migrant or woman is not a crime". The protest was part of the global campaign "Worldwide Echo in support of the Zapatistas".

In addition, numerous solidarity groups from London such as the Tawantinsuyo Nation group and the Yosoy132 cellulé group took part in the demonstration in support of the recently attacked zapatista communities. Alberto, from the Yosoy132 reminded us of Subcomandante's Marcos words on the indigenous struggle and the recognition of the Other as an equal. Amaru from Tawantinsuyo Nation spoke about the importance of our indigenous roots and identity in the struggle for world recognition and economic redistribution, as well as the liberation from our colonized mentalities and the eurocentric ideas that we have about the justice.

A petition, signed by hundreds of Zapatista supporters was handed to the embassy with a clear message condemning the paramilitary attacks and the government that stays behind them. 

In the last few months a violent campaign of several paramiliraty groups, backed by the Mexican state resulted in attacking, threatening and intimidating peaceful Zapatista communities. Meanwhile, the state itself continued the policy of holding political prisoners and caged with fake alegations new companer@s whose only guilt is rejecting the neoliberal system of opression, poverty and exploitation and creating an alternative to it.

Sunday 14 October 2012

Zapatista Solidarity Essex talks at Occupy London

With a short talk on the Zapatista movement, Petar Stanchev from the University of Essex patricipated in the Global Noise Day in London. The event was on the first birthday of the Occupy London Stock Exchange and focused on the ongoing global austerity pillage and its effects on different parts of the world. Speakers from Greece, Portugal, Spain, Quebec and other places talked about the devastating effects of neo-liberal policies in their countries and the resistance against them.

The Zapatista struggle couldn't be but one of the examples for the attrocities of neo-liberalism and the struggle for another world. In his speech the activist from Essex emphasized on the ideological and practical similarities between Occupy and the Zapatistas. The "story of dignity and rebellion", as he defined the movement in Chiapas is a lesson for all the activists around the world of how people themselves can make a difference through self-organization, direct democracy and rejection of any concessions by a corrupt and criminal system:

"We are not here to fight for concessions from the government. Not even for free education, healthcare or social benefits, because even if we get a proper welfare state in the margins of the Capitalists system, that would just mean exploitation in another corner of the planet. We are here to fight for a complete overthrow of the Capitalist system!"

The Global Noise Day challenged the surrent system with various events around the world. Thousands of people, carrying pots and pans, gathered in London, Madrid, Lisbon, Mexico City and many other cities to protest on the austerity measures and the bailouts of the banks. Photos from the events here.

A place called Chiapas - screening

20 people attended the first screening for this year and introduction to the Zapatista Solidarity Group at the University of Essex. The group presented the documentary "A place called Chiapas" by the Canadian journalist Nettie Wild. The movie was accompanied by a short talk on several issues related to the struggle of the Zapatista communities and especially on the paramilitary attacks and threats carried out in the recent months.

For those who couldn't attend the screening on Friday, the full movie can be found online:


Monday 18 June 2012

Zapatista - Essex - In solidarity with the protesting students in Quebec

The Zapatista Solidarity Group Essex took part in an action in solidarity with the protesting students in Qubec, Canada.  Around 50 letters of solidarity, with a piece of red cloth attached to each of them, were signed and sent by students to the Canadian High Commission in London. 

“It is of crucial importance to stand in solidarity with the students in Canada who are being arrested and intimidated at the moment,” said Petar, a first year student at Essex who helped organise the letter writing. “We hope that groups of students across the country can do the same, and flood the high commission with letters.

The text of the letter:

To the Canadian High Commissioner to the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Mr. Campbell,

       I am writing to you with deep concern about the current situation with the rising tuition fees in the public universities in Quebec. As a student in the United Kingdom, I want to express my complete solidarity with the students in the region in their struggle for affordable higher education. I believe that education, at any level, is a human right and turning it into a commodity, measured by the scales of the market, can be in benefit of the big business and its profit, but it can hardly be in benefit of the society.

      As a student, actively involved in the local protests and campaigns for free higher education and against the cuts in the sector, I warn you that the students on the streets of Quebec are part of a global struggle against the profit as superior to the human being. Our voice echoes from the streets of Santiago de Chile, through Tahrir and Saint Paul squares, to the red flags covering Montreal, and in this struggle, just as students and protesters across the world will be our brothers, governments, oppressing their citizens in the name of the big capital, will be considered our enemies. With strong indignation, provoked by the repressions against the student movement, I will keep following the situation and take part in future actions in support of the protests in Quebec.


Regards:

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Essex visits Sofia

Petar Stanchev from the Zapatista Solidarity Group Essex held a talk on the struggle in Chiapas in the social centre ¡Adelante! in Sofia, Bulgaria. The presentation "The Zapatistas - roots, struggle, lessons" kept the attention of the nearly 30 visitors of the centre for more than two hours and provoked numerous questions in the audience. 

The talk was followed by a discussion where the guests had the opportunity to share their knowledge on the Zapatista movement. The hosts from ¡Adelante! also talked about their experience in importing and selling coffee from the Zapatista coffee collectives from the southern Mexican state.

¡Adelante! official page (in Bulgarian) - http://adelante-sc.org/

Friday 9 March 2012

Festival news Vol 3: 3-hour session on the Zapatista movement

Almost 3 hours lasted the session on the Zapatista movement at the Alter-Globalisation Festival this Thursday. The political sociologist at the UAM and GTA at the Uni of Essex, Rebeca Perez Leon, made a dissection of the social, political and cultural roots of the rebellion in Chiapas. Her presentation - "The EZLN and the struggle for the autonomy of the indigenous people in Las Cañadas of Las Margaritas, Chiapas Mexico" was based on her research in the pro-zapatista base las Cañadas between 2002 and 2004 and 2007 and 2008. Leon's critical approach managed to provoke unseen number of questions and comments among the 30 people who attended the talk.

Rebeca Perez Leon spoke about the indigenous communities of las Cañadas and the formation of the EZ, the zapatista army, as well as the development of the EZ, taking in consideration the positive and the negative aspects of the movement for indigenous communities. She emphasised on the role of the EZLN on facilitating the process of democratisation in Mexico and it's crucial significance for the preservation of indigenous cultural and political identity. At the same time she shared critical points based on her own research on the inability of the Zapatista commandment to establish fully horizontal approach trough the assemblies and ejidos.

Asked how does she see the EZLN in the next years and what is gonna be their role in the political life in Mexico and especially in the indigenous communities she said she believes the Zapatista movement has a really good chance to play even more significant role in the next years and solve some of the unsolved problems in the region. On the question "How do you see the ideology of Zapatismo implemented in other anti-capitalist and anti-neoliberal struggles around the world nowadays?" Leon answered:
"I think that one of the most important lessons and examples we can use is the idea of community and solidarity."


The festival committee continued gathering signatures for the solidarity letter that is going to be sent to the Zapatista communities in Chiapas through the London Mexico Solidarity Group and also handed to the Mexican embassy in London.

Thursday 8 March 2012

Festival News 2: The Food Crisis and Food Sovereignty - Esther Vivas !


In Tuesday's event on the food crisis and food sovereignty Esther Vivas, academic and activist from Barcelona, presented us with key problems brought about by irrational ecological capitalism. For Esther the food crisis was caused by the logic of capitalism, which allows for the speculation of the prices of food products, it creates a myth in the free trade agreements between developed and developing countries as core countries subsidise their own agricultural production disallowing peripheral countries their right to subsidize their own products. Furthermore, the core countries and its accomplices, the IMF, WB, WTO impose a minimisation of the role of the state, liberalisation of the economy and privatisation of public services, in effect kicking away the ladder and depriving countries of deciding what they produce and eat. As a consequence of the logic of capital the people who suffer the most are the people from the south, the small-scale subsistence farmer, the peasants, in short the nobodies of this world. This is due to a variety of reasons; colonial legacy, climate change, the ecological capitalist system and above all the neoliberal policies imposed by developed countries and their accomplices; the IMF, the World Bank and their platform of action, the World Trade Organisation. It is important to emphasise that the people who benefit the most from this unequal exchange of goods are the agribusiness, big corporations. Moreover, the pharmaceutical industry and chemical companies such as Monsanto also benefit the most from these policies because the latter provides fancy fertilizers that small scale farmers must buy for the imposed products they have to produce in order to subsist. 



Another feature that is worth highlighting in Esther’s talk is the extent to which women are encapsulated in the capitalist system, which also entails a patriarchal structure. Women own only a tiny portion of land and earn less than men in the food product chain. Furthermore, the irrational food chain model created by ecological capitalism ferments a reduction of biodiversity, not solely in developing countries, but also in developed countries. Esther presented us with example in Barcelona, her hometown, in which it was observed that the variety of apples in the region has decreased to solely 3 varieties in the region. Moreover, this type of system also had a grave effect on health as food is contaminated with hormones, vaccines. Concerning GMO food product Esther highlighted how these decrease the amount of biodiversity and the health risk it represented.


To combat this irrational ecological system Esther presented us with the radical alternative of food sovereignty, which allowed a local, direct linkage between the farmer and the consumer, so that we could control how and what we finally consume. Furthermore, she sustained that the issue on the ecological crisis should be politicised by demanding politicians, the politicians whom have no political will, to sponsor changes that people demand and which are necessary.

Monday 5 March 2012

Festival news:

Monday, 5.03.2012

50 people at the opening of the Alter-Globalisation Festival!


Approximately 50 people attended the first event of the Alter-Globalisation Festival at the University of Essex. The talk on neoliberalism and education managed to draw paralels between the student mobilisation for free education in Chile and the resistance of the British students against the rising fees and the attemps for privatisation and comodification of the higher education.

The three speakers focused on the ideas for public education outside the neoliberal model where its social role is sacrificed in the name of the market and the needs of the big business. Carlos Gigoux, professor at the Sociology dept, made an overview of the student revolution in Chile and the educational model in the country and gave examples of resistance that can be used by the students in the UK in their struggle for a fair and accessible higher education. According to him stuents and lecturers should unite and confront the governments since this is originally a political and a systemic problem.  

Ted Benton, also from the Sociology dept, emphasized on the dangers in the marketisation of the universities and the social impact such policies can have. On behalf of the Education Activist Network, Dan Swain talked on the importance of student activism and radicalisation and shared his experience from organising anti-cuts protests, strikes and walkouts.

Sunday 4 March 2012

We say NO!

We say no! We say no to the privatisation of our education, no to the cuts on public services, no to elitism, and no to the commodification of every sphere of life. We say no to the praise of money and death. We say no to a system, which puts a price on people and things. We say no to the liberty of money and the suicidal egoism of the powerful. We at the University of Essex resist the imposition of capital and have organised an Alter-Globalisation Festival, which will serve as an inspiration for and a springboard to strengthen the movement towards the emancipation from this system that puts profits before people.

The Alter-Globalisation Festival is intended to be a social forum to promote, discuss and exchange ideas about alternatives to neoliberal “globalisation”. It is projected to be a platform to present new forms of thought and social alternatives encompassing a wide range of political and social groups. Amongst the societies involved in the social forum are Amnesty International, Human Rights Group, EAN, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Sociology society, Food Not Bombs and the Environmental society. The forum is characterised by its plurality and diversity, is non-confessional, non-governmental and non-party. Furthermore, the aim of the festival is to foment decentralised coordination and networking amongst organisations engaged in collective action at a local and international level. More generally, the festival intends to be a social platform and not a representative body, dedicated to strengthen the offensive capacity against neoliberal globalisation and to deepen the resistance against capitalism, imperialism and oppression.

Our main events will take place from the 5th-11th of March and the topics will include:

  • Monday 5th - 6 pm: Neoliberalism and Education panel – Carlos Gigoux, Ted Benton, EAN activist (LTB 8)

  • Tuesday 6th – 6 pm: Food Crisis and Food Sovereignty – Esther Vivas (activist and member of the Centre of Studies on Social Movements in Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona) (LTB 8)

  • Wednesday 7th – 6 pm: The Right to the City – James O’Nion (co-editor of the Red Pepper newspaper) (LTB 8)

  • Thursday 8th – 6 pm: The Zapatista Movement – Rebeca Perez Leon (LTB 8)

  • Friday 9th – 6 pm:  Environmentalism (LTB 8)

  • Saturday 10th – 4 pm: Direct Action Workshop (LTB 5)

  • Sunday 11th – 4pm: Exploitation and Globalisation Workshop (LTB 5) 


We invite you to engage, discuss and exchange your ideas as well as experiences with the resistance against neoliberal globalisation in the social forum.

Alter-Globalisation Festival Committee

Friday 2 March 2012

Opening of the Alter-Globalisation Festival!

From the student revolution for accessible higher education to the White Paper and the rising fees in the UK -
Opening Plenary + Neoliberalism and Education

"They do not own our dreams - Higher education and Student mobilisation in Chile- Carlos Gigoux (fellow professor at the Sociology dept.)
On the White Paper - Ted Benton (professor at the Sociology dept.) EAN

Come and join the opening session of the Alter-Globalisation Festival at the Uni of Essex!

Another world is possible!

Screening ¡Viva Mexico!

Great success on our screening of ¡Viva Mexico! 40 people watched the movie and listened to the talk of dr. Rebeca Breen introducing the Zapatista movement.

More about the movie for those who haven't seen it:
http://www.vivamexicofilm.com/eng.html

If anyone wants to borrow the original DVD, contact pstanc@essex.ac.uk

¡Zapata Vive!