Tuesday, May 11, 2010

TEACHING AND LEARNING IN CHIAPAS


The Chiapas exposure challenges students to not make assumptions about the current system while at the same time inviting them to think anew. Rather than only exposing students to alternative ideologies such as those expressed by the utopian realities of Zapatista autonomous community and NGOs clearly motivated by their Zapatista agenda, the preparation readings, program orientations, visit of organizations and activities during the immersion week in Chiapas are carefully designed to demonstrate the complexity of problems but also the variety of possible solutions. Since March 2004, the first year of the SPS Chiapas Program, alumni and coordinators have recognized eight elements that make this program a “best practice” in professional and adult service learning.

1. Chiapas Coordinators: A local coordinator, in dialogue with the instructor, does the coordination and adaptation of the program itinerary, selected organizations and other adjustments. Through this, the “service” emphasis of the program and its relevance for the current context of the Chiapas process is guaranteed. The coordinator, Marina Patricia, does more than “coordinating”. She is actually an invaluable presence for her expertise and personal commitment to the work with indigenous people. Her leadership and knowledge blend with the role of the director and instructor of the program, Marco Tavanti, who has been conducting collaborative research projects and leading delegations to Chiapas since 1997.
2. Global Learning: Chiapas is a unique place for the study of globalization from above (free trade agreements and development programs such as NAFTA, FTAA, CAFTA, PPP) and globalization from below (Zapatista movement, Mexican and international NGOs, indigenous civil society). In addition, as the southernmost state of Mexico bordering Guatemala, Chiapas also provides an excellent context for understanding border issues, cultural diversity and indigenous rights. As the poorest state in Mexico, Chiapas appeals to DePaul University to continue developing a transformative educational presence in this state. Every year, about four students decide to go back to Chiapas to work as volunteers and interns in local NGOs. Other initiatives organized by the students include inviting a delegation of indigenous women and leaders in the United States for speaking tours and presentations in academic conferences.

3. International Service Learning: Due to the professional engagement of the instructor and coordinator, the SPS Chiapas program is all but “cross-cultural tourism.” Students get to know organization and encounter situations that they would not be able without the trust and connections of the instructor and coordinator. They acknowledge the privilege of participating in such a unique experience and they reflect and act on their social and professional responsibility to make a difference and to return some of what they received. Instead of “doing something for them,” students are required to invest their energies in what is more useful to the process of Chiapas: listening, observing, learning and then action once they go back into the United States.

4. Facing Poverty and Suffering: Although every participant comes to the program with their own unique background and sensitivity to people in poverty, the Chiapas program challenge students to actually see, meet and, even for a short time, experience poverty first-hand. In the 2006 program students spend a night in precarious conditions of two internal displacement camps in the Highlands region. In addition, hearing the testimony of survivors of the December 22, 1997 Acteal massacre deeply impacts our students. The emotional intensity of these testimonies did not preclude students from recognizing the courage of indigenous people belonging to the Civil Society Las Abejas.

5. Beyond Borders: Latino and Chicano students in particular, recognize how the struggle for the recognition and rights of indigenous communities in Chiapas is not so different from the struggle of Latino immigrants in the United States. The program helps participants go beyond Cancun and stereotypes of Mexicans; rather, it helps them recognize the ethnic diversity and indigenous dignity of Mexicans and Central America. In addition, immigration is viewed not only as a pull factor to the American dream, but as a push factor for economic instability, lack of opportunities, violence and discrimination, particularly visible in the Southern border of Mexico.

6. Ngo Visits And Panels: The program offers students the opportunity to visit several NGOs in their work places. It also promotes dialogue among NGOs, who were, until recently, more focused and isolated in their own projects. It also fosters professional dialogue between Chiapas NGO leaders and our NGO/Nonprofit professional students. Through these panels, the SPS Chiapas Program encourages Chiapas-based NGO representatives to listen to each other experiences, sharing best practices and foster more inter-organizational collaborations. What distinguishes this program from other Chiapas delegations is that Chiapas NGO professionals get to engage in a dialogue with our students, professional managers in nonprofit organizations in the United States and other countries.

7. Organizational Missions: The Program benefits from the support of the Vincentian mission of DePaul University. Because of its Vincentian and Catholic dimensions, the University is support the program in its academic quality and self-sustainability. It encourages the relation with the San Cristobal de Las Casas Diocese and with other religious based organizations working in line with the evangelical and Vincentian option of the poor. In addition to the historically affirmed presence of Jesuits and Dominicans in Chiapas, the connection with the Vincentian family is represented by the work of the Daughters of Charity with their San Carlos Hospital in Ocosingo, in the Lacandon Forest of Chiapas. Their service to the indigenous poor, also members or sympathizers of the EZLN made them a target in the counterinsurgency operations following the 1994 uprising.

8. Institutional Relations: The program has established good collaborations with academic institutions. This generated the organization of an annual conference that includes the participation of university scholars and administrators that would be otherwise insolated and in competition. During the 2007 conference on development at the Universidad de la Tierra, about 200 participants received a certificate from DePaul University. The partnerships and collaborative relations are purposely maintained with very diverse institutions that reflects diverse political perspectives. The ultimate objective in promoting institutional relations is to highlight the values of participating institutions while promoting programs and initiatives empowering local, indigenous and impoverished communities of Chiapas.

9. Holistic Education: Contrary to other programs in Chiapas, our academic program offers students the opportunity to taste the complexity of Chiapas. Rather than looking at one side, the program attempts to offer an education to the complex interception between sectors, political positions and organizational constituencies across conflicting sides. This best practice could not be possible without the active collaboration of students in their preparatory readings.
10. Unique Experience: Even though the experience of previous participants is incorporated into the program, each year the trips to Chiapas have unique features and experiences. In addition to the improvements made in logistics and the learning experiences, each program is purposely designed to have something different that can make alumni of the program foster collaborative group dynamics based on the sharing of unique experiences as opposed to seniority. Yearly experiences, organizations, and itinerary require more work from the part of the coordinators, but it has the advantage of keeping up with the constantly changing organizational landscapes of Chiapas.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Why is Fair Trade Important?

By Rose M. Boras

I recently discovered that most soccer balls are made in India or Pakistan with child labor. Even when adults are involved in production, they are rarely paid a decent living wage. Fair Trade Sports was created in Seattle, Washington to reconcile this complex issue. The non-profit ensures that all of their sports balls are made by adults paid under Fair Trade certified wages and healthy working conditions.

Now you are probably wondering what sports balls have to do with Chiapas. And I would say everything. Most consumers are unaware of where and how the goods they purchase are created - from soccer balls to coffee. Everyday millions of Americans get their morning caffeine fix at home from Folger’s or on their way to work at Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts. While Fair Trade awareness among coffee consumers doubled from 12% in 2004 to 27% in 2007, these numbers are still too small(Taylor). Also, they only refer to awareness, not a conscious decision to purchase Fair Trade coffee all the time.

So then, why is Fair Trade important? Isn’t capitalism working? In his opus,Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith (2004) refers to the invisible hand that naturally guides a society through self-interest. In other words, if I have something to sell and you have the means to buy it, we should reach an equitable agreement. Therefore, if green coffee is being sold on the stock exchange at a dollar a pound,coffee farmers are able to pay for their production costs and earn a small income. How is it then that millions of farmers worldwide receive less than fifty cents a pound for their coffee beans after the middlemen take their cut? This seems to be in no one’s self interest.

According to Amartya Sen (1999), the reason this poverty continues to exist is because “there are unequal advantages in converting income into capabilities.” In other words, prevailing market prices for the goods produced in developing countries are too low for farmers to reap a living wage reflecting their dignity. Hence, the reason, organizations such as Fair Trade Labeling (FLO), Transfair and coffee co-coperatives such as Maya Vinic and Union Majomut are so vital to the economic lifeblood of coffee farmers. These organizations take on the responsibility of buying coffee at super competitive prices in order to alleviate poverty.

My trip to Chiapas was full of excitement because of my own coffee background. I was thrilled at the prospect of visiting coffee co-operatives and learning how they were practicing sustainability and surviving the global market. We first visited Maya Vinic where we learned about the coffee production process,basically turning green beans into the coffee beans we love to drink. At UnionMajomut, we were given an insiders’ perspective into running a co-operative. Union Majomut believes their most important struggle is for land and coffee production. They feel it is their duty to empower the indigenous coffee farmers by helping them grow quality beans and providing micro credit. They also keep profits out of the hands of middlemen or coyotes.

Interestingly enough, both Maya Vinic and Union Majomut complained about the cost of maintaining a Fair Trade label. FLO comes out yearly for 2 or 3 days to certify the co-operatives. The cost to both is $35,000 Mexican dollars or 2,300 Euro annually. However Fair Trade is still the best answer to balancing the volatile global coffee market. It is also less confusing to consumers. Many coffee retailers, large (Starbucks) and small (Intelligentsia) have converted to direct trade. Thereby, eliminating Fair Trade as the middleman and claiming they would rather the $3,000 branding fee go toward the coffee farmers. However, stressed out consumers do not have the time or inclination to review every single coffee retailer to see whether they are paying a fair wage to farmers. Since, most corporate contracts are proprietary, consumers have to take the word of coffee retailers. Fair Trade, by its very nature is not only fair, but transparent. And that is why Fair Trade is important to consumers and coffee farmers.

References

Fair Trade Sports. http://fairtradesports.com/

Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books.

Smith, Adam. 2004. The Wealth of Nations. New York: Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Taylor, David A. 2007. “Certified Coffee: Does the Premium Pay Off?” Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 115, No.9: 456-459.

Transfair USA. http://transfairusa.org

Union Majomut. http://www.majomut.org/

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Chiapas: Complicado y Frustrado

When asked the question of what I learned about sustainable development during my stay in Chiapas, it led me to become completely confused and angered. So many responses come to mind, the concept itself is complicated, and typecasts images of bottom of the pyramid poverty. Below are some rants and ravings on my stay in Chiapas.

Sustainable Development, as described by the United Nation’s Brundtland Report is "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs[1]." This description creates more frustration than clarity because it is so vague. If I were to tell someone that they should live by what they need, so that their grandchildren will be able to live by their needs, I would get a few blank stares and calls to clarify. As Castro also finds, scholars cannot agree on the perfect definition.[2]

Now back to Chiapas, I feel that sustainable development was/is there in the concept of culture and identity. The Zapatista Rebellions of1994, brought international attention, and with it came international tourism. Tourists come from all over the world to see the Modern Mayas, the ancient Mayan ruins, consume the best coffee in the world, and see how the indigenous communities live. This led to many foreigners staying and bringing their version of community into San Cristobal. In one block, you can have Lebanese falafels, Argentine steak, or if you miss American fast food, then have a Whopper from Burger King. But the gentrification has created tension. There is graffiti that states “Putos Hippies” and “Los terroristas son los turistas.” San Cristobal becomes two very different cities; one that is still colonial and you can get great coffee, while looking at local art, and one where the Tzotzil people hold mid-night market to sell their produce.

Upon arrival to S
an Cristobal de Las Casas, you see bright colors and gorgeous patterns abound, from the Tzotzil women selling their shawls, scarves, and Zapatista woolen dolls. Of course, you feel obliged to buy, and the products that they are selling just draw you in. I personally bought three shawls, a Zapatista doll, a woolen monkey, and the warmest purple pullover. The introduction of the Maya culture via textiles brings income to these women, but it also creates a new obstacle. While selling the shawls, income is being brought to the indigenous textile; it also creates a frozen state on development. What I mean to say is that in my time in Chiapas, there are only so many varieties in patterned scarves that a community can sell. The shawls bring income, they preserve culture, and they bring development, for example the women in Kinal Ansetik are taught how to weave and how to become independent, but these shawls do not bring further development. They are just a starting point for development.

Sustainable development in Chiapas has multiple obstacles: gentrification, tourism, and the largest obstacle, the Molotov Chiapaneco. The Molotov Chiapaneco consists of poverty, corrupt government, and narco-trafficking mafias, this cocktail is the hardest obstacle for development in Chiapas. It is one of the reasons that I am frustrated because there is so little that I can do to stop narco-trafficking, there is nothing I can do to stop corrupt government, just look at what happened in Arizona, but I can help in someway alleviate poverty. This leads me to more frustration because I do not know how I can help to do so. Therefore my final thought, is that I want to help, I just need assistance to find my calling to do so, I want to start hosing down the damage caused by the Molotov Chiapaneco.

[1] Castro, Carlos J. “Sustainable Development: Mainstream and Critical Perspectives.” Organization & Environment. Jun 2004 p. 195-225

[2] Ibid.

Please feel free to comment, i would love an open discussion.

A World in Which Many Worlds Fit

A familiar slogan used by the Zapatisa communites and their supporters is “Un mundo en que quepan muchos mundos” (A world in which many worlds fit). The slogan adorns the top of a brightly colored poster with images of people hand in hand, accepting and celebrating their diversity. Aside from the call for universal peace and harmony, I believe this slogan also serves as the foundation for a Zapatista (and overall indigenous) critique of the western development perspective and where it’s leading us. As Gustavo Castro Soto, the representative from a Mexican civil society organization called Otros Mundos Chiapas, told us “if every country on earth reached the lifestyle and consumption level of the US it would take 6 planets worth of resources to meet the need.” In other words, the development of the west (US, western Europe, Japan etc.) has created a world in which not even one earth can fit! This is the antithesis of sustainable. If the world continues to hold the paradigm of development as aspiring to be at the level of the west where will this lead us.

As pointed out in John Bamba’s article Indigenous Peoples: Development with Culture and Identity, true sustainable development embraces the indigenous perspective of a relationship with the earth over the western perspective. The manipulation and domination of nature present in the western monoculture production, commercialization and privatization practices run counter to traditional indigenous views, which see the earth as an extension of humanity. While in Chiapas we learned that the Mayan cross was originally the symbol for a sacred tree, rooted in the ground of “Mother Earth,” representing humanity’s familial relationship with her. From this perspective, land, air and sea are not “assets” to be exploited, but family to be cared for and deeply respected.

One of the many lessons I learned through the Chiapas experience is the importance of understanding the differences of development perspectives and how to communicate them to others. If we in the west wish to show solidarity with the oppressed of the world, such as the indigenous peoples of Chiapas, we must start to integrate new ideas in our economic theories and shift our policies of domination towards cooperation. Sustainability has become a big buzzword for international developers, but how do we implement these practices? Not by idealizing indigenous cultures, there are oppressive systems at work there too (just ask members of
Ki’nal Ansetik)
, but taking the spiritual/emotional wisdom of how to relate to the earth as an extension of humanity should help inform sustainable development efforts.

A reoccurring theme from discussion sessions in Chiapas is framing sustainable development as a human rights issue. No environmental, economic or political situation is sustainable if human beings’ basic rights to exist and subsist off of their own land are violated. Organized resistance to unjust economic systems
can slowly help restore the integrity of the land and dignity of the people in some areas, but our job, as beneficiaries of economic dominance, is to help change the system from within. A human rights approach may prove useful for starting a dialogue on how sustainability is interwoven with systemic change.

1
I purchased a few copies of this poster along with many other Zapatista items at their community store in Oventik. Yes, even in the Zapatista communities my capitalist consumer habits were taken advantage of, but this time is was to support the struggle against injustice, so it’s ok right?

2
Ki’nal Ansetik is one of the most impressive organizations we visited in Chiapas. Most of their work revolves around empowering indigenous women. One of their main strategies is allowing young women to live in community at their center while they finish their high school or college educations with the goal of going back to their communities.

3
For example the neo-liberal policies of NAFTA which benefit the already dominant economic powers at the expense of the “underdeveloped.”

By Dan Pasquini

Saturday, April 24, 2010

From Colorful to Black and White

The first impression received when arriving in a new place is the airport. Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas, has a white, beautiful and modern airport. The second impression is the people. Talking and observing the Chipanecos you can find, right the way, the amazing culture they have, warm and cordial, make you feel in home. I took a cab to San Cristobal de las Casas, located one hour to the south of Tuxtla Gutierrez, and the view from the ride is gorgeous. Mountains, waterfalls and a beautiful valley with a blue river is the welcoming crew. San Cristobal de las Casas is a beautiful town with colonial architecture that is becoming more touristic in the past years. The natural resources, the diversity of the people, culture and food make this town an excellent vacation destination. However, this beautiful scene changed from colorful to black and white once I started looking through the eyes of the Chiapenecos.



Chiapas needs to be seen by its own reality of oppression that came from years of isolation and poverty. The southern most state in Mexico, about one quarter of its population are of Mayan descendant. Chiapas a poor state with rich natural resources, in other words a rich land with poor people. The population has grown enormously, from one million in 1940 to two million in 1980 to four million in 2005. Ironically it has one of the highest gross birthrates at 22%,but also takes the first place in child mortality at 25%. The economy is based in agriculture and minerals. They produce 13% of country's maize, 54% of its hydroelectric, power, 5% of the nation's timber, 4% of its beans, 13% of its gas, and 4% of its oil, Despite its richness of natural resources, Chiapas is an economically underdeveloped state. Highest rate of unemployment, below average literacy, and a high infant mortality rate. Only 11 percent of adults earn what the government calls moderate income of at least $3,450 per year (versus 24 percent nationally); less than 50 percent of households have running water (versus 67% nationally); and only 14 percent have (versus 45% nationally). It seems that Chiapas has become, over the years, the trash yard of Mexico. Amazingly, the region is making it’s own attempt at overcoming the corruption of the government and its own oppression. Starting, in 1994, the same year that NAFTA was signed, an uprising led by the Zapatista movement reminded the world that indigenous people are still struggling for their rights-even 500 years after the Spain conquest. Today, the struggle for indigenous autonomy and to create peaceful communities free from poverty and oppression continues.


The indigenous communities have create different sustainable projects, with the help of the international community, that is aiding in the development of economic, social and cultural autonomy. The international community is playing a huge role in training and maintaining these communities. There is still a lot to accomplish, for example in education, health issues, poverty, land rights.But the one most disturbing is the violence that this people are exposed to, just because they are human beings that want to fight for the right to live a descent life in the land that belongs to them. It was very shocking to see how many of them have been victims of violence and massacres.


Even worse, the paramilitary groups who supported by the government and who are the authors of these crimes, were recently released from jail and set free of charges. Although, the people from this small part of the world, keep struggling for their rights, the beauty of their transparent hearts brings a hope that one day “Father God and Mother God” will do justice in this land that once were forgotten but now is in the interests of many for the natural resources.





Friday, April 23, 2010

The Past and the Future of Chiapas

When you arrive in San Cristobal de Las Casas you are immediately greeted by a picturesque colonial town full of architectural beauty, commerce, and history. You are also immediately greeted by an obvious disparity of wealth. There is great wealth visible in Chiapas, as well as great poverty. The colonial facades of San Cristobal speak of both the past and the future of the region. The grandiose architecture in San Cristobal reminds you of the colonial significance of the city. It also reminds you of how that importance was achieved thanks to the blood and sweet of a population that still remains. Mexico is a country that embraces their colonial past by conserving what the Mestizo majority considers appropriate traditions, and denying those that are considered other. Having Mexican parents, I know too well that most Mexicans tend to think of indigenous peoples as a part of the past; relics that must be remembered as such rather than a population that has contributed significantly to modern Mexico. This attitude has lead to a dangerous indifference and denial of Indigenous peoples in Mexico.

The awareness of how environmental, economic, gender, religion, and political issues affect everyday life in Chiapas is essential to addressing the root causes of the economic poverty my colleagues and I witnessed a few weeks ago in Chiapas. Aid alone will not alleviate problems in Chiapas. The problem is not just the economic poverty that is visible to all those who visit Chiapas. Instead, poverty is a terrible symptom of greater issues. There are rights and freedoms that are being denied to the indigenous Chiapanecos in the name of development. Education is denied, land is denied, cultural freedom is denied, and even the right to worship is denied. Denial of these rights is at the center of economic poverty and the rebellion that occurred in Chiapas January 1st 1994.

Still, all is not lost in Chiapas. I saw many signs of hope and optimism for the future. In fact, these are the most memorable images of Chiapas in mind. Organizations and communities are creating new models of development based on different metrics of success. Amartya Sen reminds us that income deficiency is often connected to a deficiency of capabilities. In fact, it is only when people have substantive freedoms that they are on a path toward true development. This is a point I found particularly significant while in Chiapas because it was repeated by all organizations in one way or another. The organizations and communities we met, especially the EZLN community, mentioned rights and dignity as necessary elements for development.

Organizations like the women’s cooperative K’inal Anzetik are working toward the empowerment of women by creating new job and educational opportunities for them. Melel Xojoban is another organization planting the seeds of progress and empowerment for the future. Melel Xojoban is a human rights organization that focuses on indigenous children’s rights and participation. Both organizations are providing the tools and support for the indigenous people of Chiapas to define their own futures. Knowledge is something that no government, multinational corporation, or paramilitary can take from a person.

For more information:

Melel Xojobal
http://melelxojobal.org.mx/

K'inal Antzetik
http://kinal.laneta.apc.org/maskinal.htm


Sen, Amartya. Development as Freedom. New York, 2000. 14

The Struggle: A Personal Reflection of the Chiapas Experience


I have learned one key concept from Amartya Sen when he recently spoke at the Ritz in Chicago, he said, “we need someone to force us to think about issues.” What a simple concept to consider, yet so true and straight to the point. How often do we get consumed within our own lives and forget about others?

When I think of Sen’s comment, it takes me back to Chiapas. I think of sustainable development and our own purpose within the concept. What did we gain from this trip? The influence of our own society is taking its toll on the traditional culture, or even just changing it to cater to the new “revised” culture. The overwhelming influence of Coca-Cola in Chamula (as well as the State in general) represents more than just “pop” culture (no pun intended); it represents an international phenomenon so deeply woven into the indigenous culture that it has become a way of life most of us can not compare to. The use of Cola-Cola (and the bottles themselves) for everyday drinking, for weddings, for religious ceremonies, for medicinal purposes, and to venerate the dead, has led to a society that has become dependent on it but now is it finally seeing the adverse health affects of not drinking water (www.ciepac.org).

Did it take a few thousand empty bottles carefully placed on graves for me to “think about the issues?” It creates a sadness inside my heart. How can this feeling be changed?

My experience in Chiapas is one that I struggle with. While learning a lot about sustainable development in many different ways, I had positive experiences throughout the trip, but I struggled, and continue to struggle internally with my perspective on what is going on there. I don’t know how to make it right, and maybe I never will. Maybe another trip is necessary to help solve the confusion I feel after spending time in communities that make little progress in their struggle, visiting cooperatives where women learn to carry on traditions of the past while integrating the future into their weave of life, listening to the stories of a tamale seller at 630Am in the town square, and seeing children, who walk from hours away, go to school to learn without a single book to look at.


As outsiders, how can we help be a part of the change? Can we help them sustain their indigenous culture and integrated lifestyles by supporting those students that are not supported by their own government? A government that supports internationalism to the extreme, yet within these communities is unwilling to help their own future (children) be educated. Instead they knowingly (or not) contribute to the failure of their own future generations.

Can we support a library in these communities that will encourage them to be educated in the basic knowledge that will help them to lead superior lives, supporting their fight for the right to have a voice. Voices that understand the history of their own past, present, and future so that they will either have a voice in their future, or will be left behind to suffer as they continue to be denied their human right to a better life. Can we make a difference without being one of those “international” groups just wanting to help the poor voiceless people?

Now that we are back, we need to rethink what we’ve learned, and decide what we really want to get out of the trip. I want to say that we did something that makes a difference in the life of at least one person in Chiapas. Amartya Sen says it best, “ We, women and men must take responsibility for doing things or not doing them. It makes a difference, and we have to take note of that difference. This elementary acknowledgement, through simple enough in principle, can be exacting in its implications, both for social analysis and for practical reason and action” (Sen 1999, 190).

Who or what does it take for you to think and become active about the issues we are learning about? A teacher, volunteering, seeing homeless people sleep on the sidewalk, or a trip a few thousand miles away to see a disadvantaged community? For me, it was empty Coca-cola bottles on a grave. It was seeing “the future” wrapped in a shawl on a woman’s back, it was seeing hundreds of children lined up, sweating in the sun as some gringos exchange curious glances with them. Which would you rather do, use our degrees and get to work, or forget about it now and go back to our everyday lives of being “better off.” Choose wisely, because: 1. Children are the future, and 2. Someone might be listening to you as you talk about the issues.


http://www.ciepac.org/boletines/chiapas_en.php?id=437

By Elizabeth Hall