by Mickey Foley (originally published on April 18, 2016 on the Land Stewardship Project website) On day two of our trip, we visited EDUCA (which stands for the Spanish equivalent of “Services for an Alternative Education”), an NGO located in Oaxaca City. It was housed in a two-story building, with a wall out front and a formidable door. EDUCA was formed in 1994 to promote civil participation, indigenous rights and indigenous leadership. That year was a turning point in the hi

por Maggie Ervin En la ciudad de Oaxaca, Claudia Trujillo almorzaba detrás del mostrador, tal como lo hace todos los días, con su anciana madre sentada a su lado. “Se siente feo. Aquí estoy trabajando duro, cada vez con pagos de luz, teléfono y el IVA más altos. Y ellos están comprando propiedades en Nueva York, Miami, y no sé dónde…y con sus cuentas en Suiza”, señaló. Esta fue su reacción ante el último escándalo político en México, presentes en la vida cotidiana tanto como

Attacks against land are constant, and in Mexico even more so since NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) went into effect in 1994. NAFTA changed laws so drastically that it sometimes seems like the government was in a rush to hand over the territory to the highest bidder, the one that offered them the most crumbs. Thanks to NAFTA, corporations have more freedom than ever to exploit Mexican people and Mexican natural resources. Ever since 1994, the government has passed

Los ataques contra el territorio son constantes, y en México se han facilitado desde 1994 cuando entró en efecto el Tratado de Libre Comercio con Norte América(TLCAN). El TLCAN cambió las reglas de una manera tan drástica que en ciertas ocasiones parece que el gobierno tuviese prisa por regalar el territorio al postor que les deje más migajas. Gracias al TLCAN las corporaciones tienen más libertad y más beneficios que nunca para explotar a las personas, y a los recursos natu

Por Miriam Taylor, equipo APP México Conduciendo a través del Istmo de Tehuantepec, en el sur de México, el paisaje parece una ojeada a un futuro no muy lejano. En cada dirección, aerogeneradores dan vuelta afanosamente, sin requerir algún combustible fósil. Como uno de los lugares más ventajosos en el mundo, al parecer ésta sería la manera ideal de reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y un paso adelante para combatir el cambio climático. Sin embargo, en el cl

By Miriam Taylor, Witness for Peace Mexico Team Driving through southern Mexico’s Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the countryside unfolds like a glimpse into the not-so-distant future. Wind turbines turn busily as far as the eye can see, no fossil fuels required. As one of the windiest places in the world, this seems like an ideal way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a promising step toward combating climate change. But in the global clamor for access to the burgeoning renewabl

From February 25 to March 4 I was in Oaxaca, Mexico as coordinator of a Witness for Peace delegation exploring links between migration and economic conditions, and also looking at steps Oaxacans are taking to make it possible for them to stay at home. The fifteen delegates included 11 New Hampshire residents, plus two from Massachusetts, one from Rhode Island, and one from Washington DC. Here’s my first report. It was market day in the village of San Miguel Huautla, where D

On April 6, 2011 protests erupted throughout Mexico, calling for an end to the violence and for the U.S.-backed Mexican military to end its role in anti-drug efforts. #demonstration #FelipeCalderon #Oaxaca

On April 27th, a caravan of people intending to enter San Juan Copala was attacked by an armed group. Residents of San Juan Copala had declared their autonomy in January 2007 from their municipality in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca. This was in response to recent violence by paramilitary groups fighting for control in the region, but it was also a reaction to the annexation and subsequent fragmentation of Triqui communities. (The Triqui are a large indigenous group in Oaxaca.

by Tony Macias, Mexico International Team “We know that our life is here in the earth, in the water,” declared a speaker at a recent national conference for the defense of rivers in Paso de la Reina, Oaxaca. “Here, we take care of our river,” asserted another orator. These simple words are a powerful call to action against a proposed massive hydroelectric project on the Rio Verde that would provoke major environmental damages and the displacement of thousands. The town of Pas