[act-ma] 11/7 Zapatistas, Women & Popular Education in Mexico; 11/11 Extra-Judicial Killings in Colombia

[Suren Moodliar]

There are three upcoming educational fora involving encuentro 5 and
Massachusetts Global Action. Tomorrow (Saturday, 11/7, 6:30 p.m.)
we'll be hosting Patricia Hernandez speaking to the development of
popular education in Mexico; on Wednesday, 11/11, Martha Lucia Giraldo
Villano addresses the extra-judicial violence in Uribe's Colombia.

Next week, we will be announcing an all-day conversation on the role
of the state in social change. The tentative title is "Eye Wide Open:
the State, Politics, Social Movements & Alternatives"; it is be
organized together with the Global Economic Alternatives Network for
Saturday, December 5, 2009. Visit http://www.encuentro5.org for
updates, directions and details.

Saturday, November 7, 2009, 6:30 p.m. Mexico-US Solidarity Network
invites you to join us for a discussion of popular education in
Zapatista indigenous communities and the role of urban academics as
resources in constructing an autonomous education system.

Patricia Hernández, a sociologist specializing in education & gender,
has worked since 2001 with indigenous communities to develop their
primary and secondary schools, following a model of "autonomous
education." She worked intensively with indigenous teachers—called
"education promoters" (promoter at s)—to develop the secondary school for
indigenous children living in the Zona Selva Tzeltal. Local leaders,
who oversaw the project, wanted the community's demands for land,
food, peace, justice and democracy to serve as the content for classes
on history, language and mathematics.

As a sociologist in Mexico City, Patricia spent 10 years teaching
college courses in social sciences, economics and Mexican politics.
Her organization, Organización Zapatista "Educación para la Liberación
de Nuestros Pueblos" (OZELNP), formed in 1999 when Zapatista
leadership first called for experienced educators (capacitador at s) to
share knowledge with indigenous promoter at s and participate in building
their educational programs. OZELNP is now also collaborating with a
community organization in the outskirts of Mexico City to build an
autonomous school, and seeking ways to bring the principles of
autonomous education into the urban education system.

Patricia is also engaged in feminist dialogue with a diverse group of
women committed to political change. Since October 2007 female
unionists, students, housewives, teachers and indigenous migrants have
come together in the "Weavers of Resistance" Women's Meeting Space to
share the challenges they face as members of a social movement that
Patricia says is "still permeated by a male-centered vision."

Both the "Weavers of Resistance" and OZELNP are members of the Other
Campaign, the network of Mexican social movements initiated by the
Zapatistas, and have campaigned to stop military & paramilitary
aggression towards Chiapas indigenous communities.

Patricia will be joined by a representative from the Mexico Solidarity
Network and both will discuss:

* The meaning of "autonomous education" and her experience working in
Zona Selva Tzeltal
* The role of academics and other urban activists in the Other Campaign
* The role of women in Mexican social movements