With the intention of preparing ourselves for the Third Continental Assembly of the Convergence of Movements of Peoples of the Americas (COMPA) in Cuba, from 5 – 10 November 2002, we met at the first Regional CANADA-USA-MEXICO Meeting in Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, from the 9^th to the 11^th of November. Social and civil organisations from the United States, Guatemala, and from three neighbouring states of our Republic were present. Amongst them were: Witness for Peace (WFP-DF); Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United (PCUN-EU); Center for Economic Justice (CEJ-EU); South West Organizing Project (SWOP-EU); Oxfam Australia; Mesa Plan Puebla Panamá de la Cámara de Diputados de la Comisión especial por el PRD (DF); Estación Libre (Chis.); Educaciòn para la Paz (EDUPAZ-Chis.); Parroquia de San Andrés de los Pobres (Chis.); Sociedad Civil “Las Abejas” (Chis.); Coordinación Diocesana de Mujeres (CODIMU-Chis.); Misión de Guadalupe (Chis); Comunidad de San Pedro Cotsilnám (Oax.); Municipio Magdalena Aldama (Chis); Centro de Investigaciones Económicas y Políticas de Acción Comunitaria (CIEPAC-Chis); Centro Universitario Salina Cruz (Oax.); Coalición Obrero Campasina Estudiantil de la Región del Istmo (COCEI-Oax.); Comisión de Derechos Humanos Bachillerato Asunción Ixtaltepec (Oax.); Unión de Comunidades Indígenas de la Región del Istmo (UCIRI-Oax.); Red Oaxaqueña de Derechos Humanos (RODH-Oax.); Acción de los Cristianos para la Abolición de la Tortura (ACAT-DF); Comunidad de San Francisco del Mar (Oax.); Sociedad Cooperativa Santa Rosa (Oax.); Organización de Pueblos Indígenas de la Chinantla (OPICH.Oax.); Centro Popular de Apoyo para la Formación de la Salud (CEPAFOS-Oax.); Unión de Comunidades Indígenas de la Zona Norte del Istmo (UCIZONI-Oax.); Grupo de Trabajo Colectivo del Istmo (Oax.); Organización Tierras a Tierras (Francia); Comunidad de San Juan Guichicovi (Oax.); Promotor de Derechos Humanos de la Región del Bajo Mixe (Oax.); Instituto Tecnológico del Istmo (Oax.); Tequio Jurídico (Oax.); Grupo de Preservación de la Cultura Huave (Oax.); Red Nacional de Promotoras y Asesoras Rurales (Oax.); Comité de Participación Ciudadana (Oax.); Comité de Voluntarios por el Mejoramiento Ambiental (Oax.); Colegio Santo Domingo (Oax.); and Centro de Derechos Humanos Tepeyac del Istmo de Tehuantepec (Oax.).

The predecessor dates back to October 2000 when the Second South-North Assembly “The People of the Americas Constructing Alternatives in the face of Neoliberalism” took place in San Cristobal de las Casas (see “Chiapas al Dia” Bulletin No.219), today called Convergence of Movements of Peoples of the Americas (COMPA). More than 120 organisations from 18 countries of the American Continent carried out a diagnosis of neoliberalism and then a Plan of Action (www.sitiocompa.org) with 6 strategic focus areas for combating and constructing that revolved around the themes of:

1) The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA/ALCA) 2) Militarization and the Colombia Plan 3) Foreign Debt 4) Gender Equality 5) Indigenous Peoples, biodiversity, transgenics and territories; and 6) Rural Development. The Organisations agreed to meet two years later in Cuba in order to assess the fruits of our actions. Meanwhile, the organisations would carry out regional meetings. Thus, in Nicaragua, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and now in Mexico these conferences have taken place.

Within this framework, we reproduce the Declaration of Tehuantepec where ‘during three days, the organisations present exchanged experiences about the successes, goals, forms of articulations (tactical strategies) of our fights against neoliberal policies in a continental and global situation.’

‘After the community had reflected upon this, we agreed to take action which would take place within a network, in which we could combine and clarify real possibilities, forms of national, regional and continental articulation.’

‘During these days of intense and shared work, we saw the importance of taking a stand on different themes and areas.’

‘In the matter of rural development we oppose disarticulation in the countryside and are against governmental policies that bring about, and moreover, that restrict a fair development, creating an atmosphere of great insecurity. The governments must understand that it is not agricultural advance designed under foreign schemes that will transform the countryside, it is the farmers who transform agriculture and carry out such an advance. As farmers we must produce in order to sustain ourselves and create networks of co-operation and solidarity with our own communities and with other sectors. A country without production does not have the capacity for self-sufficient sustenance and without this there is no life.’

‘We declare ourselves against the migratory policy which our governments have implemented that responds more to foreign economic interests than to the majority of the national population. In the case of migrant workers who go to the United States, we consider the exploitation to which they and their families are subjected unjust, from crossing the Northern border and from the moment they settle in the USA they suffer violations of their rights which do not allow them to live in dignity.’

‘We declare ourselves emphatically against the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA/ALCA), designed and financed with objectives and ends foreign to our people but which are beneficial for the companies, and against a trade agreement with broad, global dimensions and consequences which the Free Trade Agreement has been, promoting the reduction of subsidies, and the privatisation of areas rich in natural and mineral resources. Consequently this type of Free Trade Area does not benefit us, and yet infringes upon the form of community action of farmers and indigenous peoples.’

‘Also we declare ourselves against the Puebla Panama Plan (PPP) since together with the FTAA, it generates an infrastructure for increasing trade for large capital. Thus, we see how governments provide the infrastructure and the companies only invest without any risk, with the threat that if they did not invest, there would not be an economy, and without this, they would not be salaries. According to this logic, salaries equal development.’

‘We oppose a neoliberal economic policy, which has affected all countries of the world, regardless of age, gender or race. In this sense, it is important to say that the idea that there is no poverty in the USA is a myth, as men and women suffer the effects of neoliberalism similar to those which people in other parts of the world suffer, an example is the discriminatory form of structural adjustment in social services, which leads to people of colour suffering more within the welfare system.’

“We reject the process of militarization driven by large capital, specifically by the United States government. It is a process which sustains, and is based on, the neoliberal system, taking as a pretext the fight against drug trafficking.”

“It is important to highlight the Mexican case, the militarization in communities and in the rest of the country increased in the sixties resulting in serious human rights violations against men, women and children which constitute crimes against humanity. The majority of them have remained unpunished. We do not want the Federal Army or paramilitary groups, which suppress us as peoples, not in public security tasks, drugtrafficking, migration, etc because their arbitrary actions have gravely affected us.”

“Therefore, we propose the following tasks and actions:

To socialise experiences in our communities, about what has been shared in this conference.

Not to let ourselves be caught unawares nor bound by disguised programmes such as PROCAMPO, PROCEDE, PROGRESA.

To examine from our organisations and communities, the actions and policies that contribute to maintaining gender matters, unequal and unfair relationships.

To search for mechanisms of support for production, promoting programmes to cut migration.

Making government secretaries realise that farmers and peasants are the subject of development and not an instrument of it.

Strengthening education about the rights of migrants.

The PPP and the FTAA allowing consultation and respect for the San Andres agreements. Open procedural and self management areas, respecting the autonomy of communities and organisations.

Information to enable awareness and impact of the concept of national sovereignty.

To write an account or record of transnational companies in order to carry out an analysis of their policies.

Organise an information campaign to reproduce these meetings (through conferences

in our countries, in our mother tongues, etc.).

Production of educational material which is popular and accessible.

Insist on the necessity of resistance to defend our riches.

Analyse the connections with, and consequences of, development of the PPP and FTAA.”

This is the Declaration. It is worth indicating that in a festive atmosphere experiences of resistance could be shared between all the organisations in order to learn about mechanisms of resistance in other regions and set out alternatives. The participants visited the indigenous community of Tlacolulita, Oaxaca, which shared with us their struggle, which they carry out to defend the habits and customs of their community so that they may elect their authorities, for which they do not use political parties and the municipal president does not receive a salary but rather performs the service for the community. However, they are carrying out a difficult struggle and resistance against the construction of a highway, which would, as part of the PPP, cross their plots of land and their community.

Also, various indigenous and women’s organisations shared their experiences and struggled over the necessity of gender equality in political, economic and social climates. As fruit of this discussion three women from three indigenous organisations in Oaxaca and Chiapas were chosen to represent this conference the region at the Third Continental Assembly in Cuba 2002. These are the experiences and processes that demonstrate that another world is possible.

Sources: Uno más Uno, Milenio, Crónica, Este País, La Jornada, Proceso, Quehacer Político, Vértigo, Cambio, Proceso Sur, Impacto, La Crisis, Época, Economía Nacional, USA Today,  UNICEF, United Nations, ILO, UNHCR, etc.

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