Zapatista Ecological Education in Africa!

Notice the traditional "kitenges" featuring a corn design worn by these activist corn farmers from the Lake Victoria region of Kenya. Like many others at the World Social Form they were excited to receive GMO-free Zapatista corn seeds for planting in the rich soils of Africa! Like many others they will share the harvest and their newly gained information about the Zapatista indigenous resistance with their communities, their organizations, and their families.

Mother Seeds in Resistance is a multifaceted effort to socially, politically and scientifically oppose genetically engineered crops everywhere on the planet and especially in the birthplace of corn - the Mexican southeast.To join the living seed bank, click on any photo in this newsletter.

Click here to donate to Mother Seeds in Resistance / Schools for Chiapas

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Nellie Chimada of Malawi

Mrs. Chimada plans to share seed with her rural community over the coming years to create a local resource of Zapatista corn. An increasing number of small farming families throughout Africa desire long-term seed security and are questioning both hybrid and gmo seed.

Click here to order gmo-free Zapatista corn seed

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John Odour of Kenya

Mr. Odour is excited about the possibilities of growing corn from the birth place of corn – which is to say the Mexican southeast. And he is particularly excited to know that this Mexican corn has returned to the birthplace of humans – which is to say Africa. His goal and his dream is to creat a long-term relationship between Kenya and Mexico through exchange of corn.

Click any photo to gmo-free Zapatista corn seed

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Mptuthumi Morris Bozo of South Africa

Wearing the signature green cap of the international movement of small farmers, Via Campesino, Mr. Bozo of the Nowane Farmers’ Association agreed to grow Zapatista corn in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.

Click photo to order gmo-free Zapatista corn seed

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Via Campesino accepts the gift of Zapatista corn seed

Rafael Alegria of Via Campesino displays multicolored ears of gmo-free Zapatista corn ears and thanks the small farmers of Chiapas for their gift of seed and their example of struggle. Small farmers in Chiapas, Mexico recieved the blessing and suport of their autonomous Good Government Boards (JBG) to donate the seed that Schools for Chiapas representatives distributed at the 2007 World Social Forum in Nairobi, Keyna.

Click any photo to order gmo-free Zapatista corn seed.

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African Biodiversity Network agrees to plant Zapatista corn

Regional Coordinator Dr. Gebremedhin Birega Dagaga (center) and other Ethiopian members of the African Biodiversity Network (ABN) are shown receiving seed packets of Zapatista corn which they will distribute for planting in Ethiopia and throughout Africa.

Click photo to order gmo-free Zapatista corn seed

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Zapatista Corn Available for Planting

You can offer sanctuary to GE-free Zapatista corn in your community! This spring you can sow the seeds of resistance and join the growing movement against transgenic contamination of Mayan corn in Chiapas, Mexico!

By planting Zapatista corn, you become a part of a global effort to preserve a vital genetic heritage that has evolved along with the Mayan people over thousands of years. You can plant these powerful Zapatista corn seeds in your community, farm, home, school, or family garden. Join us, today!

The autonomous, indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico and their promoters of ecological agriculture are using field testing kits to identify concentrations of GMO contamination in their corn fields. Each of these test kits cost $6.50; therefore in addition to shipping costs we request a donation of $6.50 for each seed package. By making this donation (or more if you can afford it) solidarity growers in the north support the continued testing for gmo or genetic engineered contamination in Chiapas, Mexico. Resistance is fertile – plant Zapatista corn. Place your online order for Zapatista seed TODAY!!

Click here to order your corn seed for 2007

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Kibera Community Youth Programme in Nairobi, Kenya

Kibera Community Youth Programme “empower youth to have a stake in the future" in what is often referred to as "Africa's largest slum" with over 1,000,000 residents from dozens of tribal groups. The leadership of this youth group had read about Emiliano Zapata, but did not know there were contemporary Zapatista rebels in Mexico.

"We've never see corn with these colors and we will carefully grow this seed," enthused group members. "We want to learn from revolutionaries everywhere how we are going to empower our people and save the planet."

Inscríbete a Nuestro Boletín

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The Mt. Kenya Alternative Initiatives Group sends the following message:

Nanyuki, Mt.Kenya Region, Eastern Africa

Dear Colleagues in resistance,

Now we have the Zapatista corn seeds in our hands and we are now planning on where to plant them come our long rains in March. We are all very excited in being a part of your resistance movement and we believe that a Kenya-Mexico movement on mother seed could have unique benefits to the biodiversity of mother planet. The Zapatista corn now have a new home and new friends. Don't worry, they will not be lonely. We are going to introduce them to other plants around here! Down with GMO's! So long and Viva the Resistance, Viva the Chiapas.
Laikipia Initiative

Click any photo to order gmo-free Zapatista corn seed.

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Grace Malikebu of Malawi

With the biggest smile at the World Social Forum, Grace Malikebu of Malawi is a traditional chief in her community. Her dream is that Zapatistas and others will come to see the corn that she and others are planting to make another world possible.

Click any photo to order gmo-free Zapatista corn seed.

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Come to Chiapas!

Join Schools for Chiapas in the misty mountains and steamy jungles of the Mexican southeast. This spring and summer there are many opportunities for exciting, educational, and meaningful travel. In particular you will have many opportunities to live and learn directly with the indigenous rebels of Chipas

This photo was taken after a basketball tournament in which a Schools for Chiapas delegation took third place. The visitors are awaiting their prize.

Click here to see upcoming 2007 travel opportunities in Chiapas, Mexico

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Africa has much to teach and Schools for Chiapas remains dedicated to learning and education. We learn again and again that education doesn’t take place only in school. Education takes place in homes and hearts, stomachs and streets; farms and fields. In this email we've tried to share a little about our international education programs which are focused on sustainable agriculture and living seed banks.

In most of Africa, corn is the primary source of calories and the center of every meal. Popular resistance to GMO’s is widespread. Most rural Africans still farm far from commercial fields which could carry GMO corn contaminations. These small and medium corn fields seem to be everywhere in East, Central and Southern Africa -leading many to believe that Africa may be the largest living seed bank of GMO-free corn in the world.

Schools for Chiapas is excited to have established “living seed bank” growing arrangements for GMO-free Zapatista corn with small African farmers in Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda, Botswana, Congo, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Malawi. In addition, new solidarity growers were also recruited from Switzerland, India, Sri Lanka. Many others were contacted in Nairobi through organizations such as Via Campesino and the African Biodiversity Network. Already we’ve learned a great deal from these new friends and in the years to come we look forward to growing international networks of solidarity and education based on shared commitments to dignity, democracy, and justice.

We thank all of our volunteers and supporters for your belief in Schools for Chiapas’ efforts to support the educational programs of the autonomous, indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico. Thank you.

Escuelas para Chiapas / Schools for Chiapas

Schools for Chiapas is wholly owned subsidiary of Grass Roots Events, Inc. a Federal tax-exempt, 501(c)3 California corporation with a U.S. mailing address located at 1631 Dale Street, San Diego, CA 92102. Join us!

Our cultural and educational work has been supported for more than 20 years by thousands of individual donors including many people of conscience who are members of the National Education Association. In addition, dozens of artists, organizations, and foundations have supported our efforts including Activist San Diego, Agapa Foundation, Amado Avendano, The Big Kitchen, Big Noise Films, Roy Brown, California Arts Council, British Columbia Teachers’ Association – Canada, Catholic Worker – San Diego, Committee for World Democracy, CNTE – Oaxaca (National Coordination of Education Workers - Mexico), Rosario Ibarra de Piedra, Global Fund for Children, John Hancox, Jose de Molino, Larson Legacy, Ofelia Medina, Ernie McCray, La Milpa Organica, Jose de Molino, Holly Near, Ocean Beach Peoples' Food Coop, Oceansong Wilderness Center, Gabino Palamares, Peace and Justice Caucus of the NEA, Resist, San Diego Foundation for Change, San Francisco Mime Troupe, Pete Seeger, Solidago Foundation, Sweet Honey in Rock, Tides Foundation, WESPAC Foundation, World Beat Center. We invite the full participation and honest support of people-of-conscience everywhere!

Join us...you'll be in good company!