Elementary school sports centers strengthen autonomy and peace 

On May 12 and 13, 2008 ~ with balloons and banquets; basketball and theatre; songs and poetry ~ the Tzotzil communities of San Antonio Saclum and Paraje Xuxchen in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico celebrated an enormous advance in their struggle for indigenous autonomy. The inauguration of these two Primary School Community and Sport Centers, funded by the Larson Legacy, were an occasion of great joy for children and adults alike. Despite having had an ugly military/police intrusion cancel a previous sports center inauguration in March 2008, the dedications of the new basketball courts proceeded without a hitch in mid-May. In fact, almost half of the teams who played in the two basketball tournaments were non-Zapatista ~ perhaps opening new pathways to peace and understanding.

Celebrations mark completion of four elementary school sports centers, funded by the Larson Legacy, in the Rebellious Autonomous Zapatista Municipality of Magdalena de la Paz!

Here the basketball hoops in San Antonio Saclum are being sealed ~ Schools for Chiapas participants were offered the first throw on both days, but twice failed to make the point and break the seal.

This first grade dance was followed acts from all six grades attending the indigenous, autonomous primary school in San Antonio Saclum. Click here to the sixth graders dancing.

Woman announcer and Tzotzil authorities participate in the celebrations at Paraje Xuxchen.

Mayan girls watching women's basketball and perhaps seeing that a new and better world is possible for them.

The women's section of the basketball tournaments was fast paced and exciting in Paraje Xuxchen.

Traditional prayers and blessings in the Tzotzil language were offered throughout the day in San Antonio Saclum.

Click here to support children's programs in Chiapas!

 

April, 2008

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Schools of Hope|Education for Health|Ecological Agriculture Education|Artisan Sales Education|International Solidarity

Education for Health

September, 2007

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This fund, named after the much loved Comandanta Ramona who died in 2006, helps pay for emergency procedures and travel for indigenous patients throughout the highlands of Chiapas. Last year an Italian organization donated an ambulance for emergency medical transportation; Ramon's Fund helps pay for gas as well as tests and food while in the city.

Click here to contribute to the Ramona fund

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Schools of Hope|Education for Health|Ecological Education|Artisan Sales Education|International Solidarity

Ecological Education to save Mother Earth

April 2009

Native Chiapas Bees: Recouping a Mayan Tradition

Easter week or Semana Santa as its called in Mexico is a time of sweet celebrations and profound hopes throughout the indigenous communities of Chiapas.   This year some Zapatistas hope to sweeten the lives of their communities by re-cooping the ancient Mayan tradition of cultivating hives of the stingless, native bees of Chiapas.

“This year I am going to put several stingless bee hives into boxes so that we can reproduce the hives - because most of the big trees where they live have been cut down.” explained a middle-aged Chol indigenous bee keeper who is a long time supporter of the Zapatista movement.   As he carefully harvested the bags of Melipona honey from his hives he added, “I’ve always kept African bees and the stingless kind, but people bother me a lot for the wild kind of honey and the old people want the wax for their candles so they can pray.   But I never knew until now that we could use boxes to reproduce the wild bee’s hives so now I am going to work at saving these little bees.”

Known in Chiapas as Ansil Pom (Tzotzil) or Melipona (Spanish), these native bees’ have traditionally been highly valued for their honey which has strong medicinal qualities and a powerful sweetness.  The wax from their uniquely structured hives is used to make candles which are vital when praying or communicating with family members who have passed on – especially during Day of the Dead ceremonies.

“My father said the entire community used to go the mountains to get honey during Easter weeks to collect honey,” was the wistful comment of one young Tzotzil Mayan beekeeper in the highlands of Chiapas during a recent bee keeping workshop in the Zapatista civilian center of Morelia.   He continued in a somewhat angry tone. “But the trees were all cut down so people could make money and our bees are gone.  Now we know a lot about caring for African bees and have almost 80 hives, but I am sad the Anzil Pom is gone and we don’t have the special honey my father talks about.  Now that I know a little about Meliponas and have seen this model bee box, I want to get hives for my communities.”

“Most of us are good carpenters and we’d love to make more of these boxes for our communities,” replied the Tojolabal spokesperson who was attending the same workshop.  “My neighbor has a Melipona hive that he want to sell and I’m going to buy it whenever I can save enough money.”

Springtime, specifically Semana Santa, is the moment to walk in the mountains seeking stingless bee honey in the hollow trunks of huge trees.   Families who husband wild bees near their homes harvest honey from the hollow trunks previously collected in the wild.  With trees and flowers in riotous bloom everywhere, the hives of these native American bees are literally dripping with honey during this time of year.

“They’ve cut down our trees and poisoned our land with their chemicals; our native Melopona bees are even being exported to Japan to pollinate tomatoes in greenhouses, yet we’ve almost forgotten about these bees,“ the Tzotzil promoter of ecological agriculture was speaking passionately in heavily accented Spanish to a rapt group of highlands bee keepers in the Zapatista civilian center of Oventic.  “Everyone should study this Melipona bee keeping box carefully because it is easy to make and all of us need to learn how to raise and reproduce Meliponas in our communities.”

Ever increasing de-forestation means fewer large trees and thus fewer nesting places for the stingless bees.   Also the Africanized European bees compete with native bees both for nesting places and for food sources.  Finally, many native bee hives kept in trunks near peoples’ homes have not been well maintained due to Mexican government programs encouraging introduction of high producing commercial bees and a general loss of tradition during the 1970’s and 1980’s.  However falling honey prices and the aggressiveness of Africanized bee hives have cooled many Mayan communities to commercial bees.

“My mother always had her bee trunk beside our house,” reminisced one 50 year old Zapatista leader from an important Tzeltal community in the northern zone of Chiapas.  “She used the honey for medicine when we had sore throats and to sweeten our tortillas.  She called the wax, “black wax”, and she always used the “black wax” for candles so she could pray during Day of the Dead.  I want to be part of recouping this tradition because it is very important to us.”

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As a part if it’s ongoing support for Ecological Education in Zapatista communities, Schools for Chiapas is currently seeking funding for workshops on caring for stingless bees and for constructing Melipona hive boxes for use by Mayan community members.  We also seek contact with individuals and communities who are knowledgeable in the Mayan tradition and modern means of caring for this important American pollinator.  Click here to get involved or visit our web site at www.schoolsforchiapas.org

Click here to see a few photos of the native stingless bees of Chiapas, Mexico.

 

August, 2008

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Zapatistas are applying lessons learned during the last two planting seasons to greatly increase the number of Neem trees growing in the autonomous, indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico. Late in the summer of 2008, in conjunction with national and international allies including Schools for Chiapas staff, Mayan farming families are planting thousands of delicate Neem seeds in specially designed, rural nurseries.

During the summer of 2008 new Neem seedbeds have been established at health clinics, schools, ecological agricultural centers, and Mayan communities

This immature neem seed matures and falls in early August at which time it must be de-pulped and dried before it is ready to be planted or used for medicine.

Prepared neem seed is stored carefully before being distributed to Zapatista communities.

Mayan girl receives neem tree for planting in a Zapatista health center in Chiapas, Mexico.

This seed bed uses palm leaves to keep direct rainfall from damaging the seeds while keeping the soil plenty moist for the early stages of growth.

Neem seeds are carefully planted in the Zapatista caracol of Roberto Barrios which is located in the northern zone of Chiapas, Mexico.

Volunteers plant the neem seed bed as part of an ecological agriculture work delegation.

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Schools of Hope|Education for Health|Ecological Agriculture Education|Artisan Sales Education|International Solidarity

Artisan Sales Education

June, 2008

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Tzotzil Collective Sends Weavings

These Tzotzil women from the autonomous, municipality of Madelena de la Paz recently sent Schools for Chiapas supporters many beautiful weaving which are now available at our online store.

Click to see the Chiapas products now available!

Schools for Chiapas staff travel to all 5 of the Zapatista zones to seek out and purchase goods from a variety of collectives and individuals. Most of these small producers live in remote areas and have extremely limited access to markets. When we encounter Zapatisa-made products, we purchase them outright and pay full asking price. We then make them available to you through our on-line store. We use data which we collect based on your purchases to provide feedback to these producers regarding the rate of sales. In this way, we can provide feedback regarding both the quality and price of the items which allow the producer to adapt or modify items to increase sales and the income which results from the sale.

For many families, the income derived from these sorts of artesania sales represent the bulk of the families cash. Autonomous families are sustainable, self sufficient farmers who generally grow all the families food but cash is needed in order to obtain supplies such as salt, sugar, tin for the roof of a house and shoes which must be purchased from commercial vendors.

Loans and donations urgently needed to increase inventory! Email us to learn more.

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Schools of Hope|Education for Health|Ecological Agriculture Education|Artisan Sales Education|International Solidarity

International Solidarity

June, 2008

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Mexican troops and police threaten food supply in La Garrucha
On June 4, 2008 some 200 Mexican troops and police engaged in aggressive actions against Zapatistas in the Patiwitz Canyon of the Lacandon Jungle. Specifically the heavily armed military / police convoy entered the corn and banana fields surrounding Zapatista communities. This threat to the communities' only food supplies provoked a desperate response by Mayan boys and girls, women, and men.

Schools for Chiapas supports educational projects in this region and can testify that the Zapatistas neither grow nor tolerate drugs. Using the false pretext of searching for marijuana plants, these actions of the Mexican government against the key Zapatista caracol of La Garrucha and nearby communities are extraordinarily disturbing. The soldiers promised to return in 15 days; Schools for Chiapas believes the consequences of continued Mexican government provocation against the Zapatistas could be profound.

Click to read Indymedia's translation of the Zapatista denouncement

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To people of conscience ~ Chiapas "Peace Observers" are Needed NOW!
As you see in the above article, there are ongoing and serious Mexican government provocations against the Zapatistas. Peace Observers play an important role, especially in tense and potentially explosive situations. Most atrocities committed against indigenous men and (especially) women that take place far from the observing eyes of the outside world. Your presence as a witness and an observer for peace helps prevent such attacks.

You can support the indigenous communities of Chiapas by joining a "Civilian Observation Brigade" and spending seven or more days of rustic living in a rural "hot spot" of Chiapas. "Peace Observers" must be at least 18 years old, speak Spanish fluently, and participate in a training sponsored by FrayBa Brigade Requierments (El Centro de los Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas) or CAPICE Brigade Requierments (Centro de Análisis Político e Investigaciones Sociales y Económicos). Your only expenses will be for transportation and the food you cook. Schools for Chiapas urges our supporters to consider contacting FrayBA or CAPISE and serving as a "Peace Observer" this summer in Chiapas, Mexico.