Magonista Tour through the US and Canada

north america / mexico | indigenous struggles | press release Wednesday August 10, 2005 17:08 by Dolores Villalobos - CIPO-RFM

Proposal for a CIPO-RFM tour to rebuild the historic solidarity that has existed between the people of Canada and the US with those of Mexico.

Magonista Tour through the US and Canada

Taking into account the importance of communicating directly with you to strengthen and encourage our efforts, exchange experiences, to support each other in every way, to link our struggles and to accompany all initiatives, we have proposed to do a tour through the US and Canada. Also, we want to rebuild the historic solidarity that has existed between the people of Canada and the US with those of Mexico, particularly with the struggles of the Magonistas who formed the Mexican Liberal Party. That is to say, we want a reunion with the neo-Magonistas after almost 100 years of having initiated this collaboration, as it is shown by the history of the peoples who struggle. We will commission several members to spread the word of our communities and organization and to fulfill the following purposes:

a) To present a balance of the situation faced by the indigenous peoples of Mexico and particularly those of Oaxaca after four years of the Fox government and half a year of the government of Ulises Ruiz.

b) To spread the organizational project of the Magonistas of the CIPO-RFM, our forms of resistance and struggle, as well as the way in which we are making possible in our space, a world different than the one now, with autonomy, self-management, and self-determination as a compass.

c) To organize committees of support for our struggle, our communities and organization, or even to establish networks to stop the harassment, the violence, the repression as well as how to resolve community problems of development, health, housing, education, training, human rights, etc., for the communities of the CIPO-RFM but for others as well.

d) To create relations with networks, with unions, collectives, foundations, good-hearted people, and other groups and associations of support that already exist, and to elaborate with them, a specific work plan, according to their willing- ness, compromise, and possibilities.

e) To establish agreements of collaboration and exchange with the foundations, associations, unions, organizations, universities, and all of those who can and have the disposition to collaborate with our projects, to provide technical, economic, or any other kind of support.

f) To build agreements of commercialization of the products produced by our communities, clay craftwork, textiles; organic honey and coffee; mole and chocolate.

g) To orchestrate the common international support, for the organization and the representatives of the CIPO-RFM.

In order to accomplish all of the above, we believe only you can help us and that is why we are asking if you have the possibilities:

1) To organize meetings, talks, interviews etc., in different locations in your area with: organizations, foundations, means of communication, universities, people, intellectuals, artists, religious people, women, young people, queer folks, elders, workers, teachers, business people, etc. That implies the propaganda, the local spaces, etc.

2) To establish contact with other places where activities such as the above can take place.

3) To coordinate our agenda in each of those places. In this point, do not worry, we are used to working 24 hours a day.

4) To help us with the costs during our stay, meals, and transportation to the next place of activities, including the costs of getting to the US and Canada. Since the tour depends on the invitations, we will not reject any invitation, we just ask that that you let us know what activity shall take place in each location, so that we can come prepared. The idea is that you organize yourselves internally to define what day will be held in the certain place and what will be done there.

We are convinced that without your help, this activity will be impossible to accomplish, that is why we ask for your support.

We look forward to hearing from you, and hope that your responses will be favorable, we send you a red and black hug, that is to say, searching for a way to meet our equals.

For the reconstruction and free association of our peoples. The organizing committee of the CIPO-RFM

Dolores Villalobos
General Coordination Area