If there is something that neoliberal globalization aspires to it is the mobilization of merchandise as well as goods. This would also include people if that is what the great corporations want and need. And in spite of the obstacles put in the way by migration authorities, embassies, ambassadors and other counterinsurgent actions, the right to come together to converge and struggle against the terrorism of the states was realized in the First Hemispheric Encounter Against Militarization in the city of San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico May 6 – 9, 2003 (www.desmilitarizacion.org).  996 persons participated in this event.  They come from Indigenous, campesino and social organizations; they are personalities, academics and intellectuals; professional journalists from prestigious newspapers and alternative means of communication; centers of human rights, development, research and the culture of peace; cooperatives and communities affected by militarization; widows, displaced persons, families of the disappeared; organizations of women and youth; unions; and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, among others, who met in this impressive encounter.  Of course the government and military “ears” were not lacking in presence as the tried to gain access (to the encounter) and observe in the hallways camouflaged as journalists or (members of) social organizations or Indigenous people.

Women represented 46% of the participants coming from various nationalities and sectors.  Overall, folks came from 272 organizations and 35 countries.  Among these can be found Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, United States, Philippines, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, England, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Basque Country, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Sweden and Switzerland.  It is for this reason that one of the characteristics of this encounter was its geographical, sectoral, thematic, cultural and experiential diversity united under the common banner of: the struggle and longing for a demilitarized America.  And though other people on the Continent could have called for a halt to militarization and the grave effects of living under this situation, the call for encounter, for unity and the search for alternative ways came from Chiapas and the Zapatista struggle.  Thus having accomplished this encounter in one of the most militarized regions of the Continent with such representation is without precedent.

This would not have been possible without the combined efforts of everyone.  Around 104 persons from 25 social organizations in Chiapas worked together to prepare the encounter dividing themselves into 20 committees.  This has been an opportunity for the unity of diverse sectors of civil society with the aim of making use of reflections, diagnoses and plans of against continental militarization. This effort crystallized one of so many calls that the Zapatistas had made to civil society over the years: to move, to plan and to unite to struggle for the changes that we desire regarding justice, democracy and liberty.  Civil Society is alive and advancing, planning and moving ahead even though they continue to slander it or try in vain to destroy it with the actions of low intensity warfare.  As someone said: “A tree that bears fruit will be pelted with stones.”

Everyone contributed her or his effort in building this great continental hope.  Some also contributed funds and resources in kind. Among them are Chiapas Civic Alliance, CIEPAC, Fray Bartolome de las Casas Human Rights Center, Kinal Antzetik, and the Chiapas Network against Neoliberalism – all from Chiapas.  Also contributing were U. S. organizations such as the Center for Economic Justice, Global Exchange, SIPAZ, Mexico Solidarity Network, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, Sisters of the Presentation, Dominican Sisters or Perpetual Adoration, Dominican Sisters of Racine, Wisconsin, Funding Exchange, Ghandi Peace Foundation, Nonviolence International and A. J. Muste Memorial Institute.  From Canada they had support from Kairos and Development and Peace; from Cuba the Martin Luther King Memorial Center and CUT; from Brazil, the Center for Justice and Human Rights, as well as the Cry of the Excluded and from Argentina, Jubilee and the Network of the Convergence of Movements of the Peoples of the Americas.

The encounter was the sum total of its own efforts and contributions. Each foreign delegation brought its own resources. Unfortunately, many who registered remained unable to come because of a lack of resources.  Other special guests and speakers came with their own means and no one received remuneration, but only the joy of participating in this encounter and the gratitude of everyone because they made the effort to be present . The organizations of Chiapas also contributed with much work on the various committees and with materials and personnel. Among those already mentioned are CAPISE as coordinator of the general encounter and CEPAZ, Café Museo, CIDECI; COFEMO, EDUPAZ, FEMINARIO, Fundacion Leon XIII, Boca de Polen, COMPITCH, COPIDER, INDYMEDIA, Melel Xojobal, CORECO, OMIECH, PROMEDIOS, Radio 99.1 Frecuencia Libre, the Network of Community Defenders for Human Rights, the electronic network La Neta and Witness for Peace.

But where do so many fit in?  Thanks to the cooperation of OMIECH, the New Spring, COMPITCH, la Casa Diocesana, CIDECI, Hotel El Cerrillo, La Cabala, the offices of Kinal Antzetik, the Civic Alliance, Junaz, Fundacion Leon XIII, INESSIN, SIPAZ, BACOSAN, and the Network of Community Defenders of Human Rights  as well as the houses of so many people who offered hospitality.

During these days around 50 expositions by expert and experienced speakers from communities and Indigenous, campesino and social organizations occurred.  All countries and sectors participated.  More than 40 videos were screened with themes about peace, militarization, and testimonies about militarization in Chiapas and Zapatismo. Parallel cultural activities also occurred – music, theater, puppet shows, clowns, graphic arts, photo exhibits, and the sale of publications, all centered around peace and militarization. The participation was open and plural in order that anyone who wished could display photos and testimonies on the walls; or so that anyone who wished might share a video, a testimony or a denunciation.  Groups of representatives from the press were organized so that the media listened to expert speakers on important themes and to Indigenous and campesino organizations with their experiences.  During the “Continental Fair” the different regions explained visually - with music and plays - the results, plans of action, denunciations, and every mode of expression centered around peace and militarization.

Among the themes expounded is the situation of the communities of Monte Azules in the Lacandon jungle on the side of the same communities threatened with expulsion from their lands on the part of the government and the federal army.  In a packed auditorium organizations from the entire continent applauded the struggle of the Indigenous communities in resistance.  Miguel Angel de los Santos  who is the lawyer for the Zapatista prisoners explained the situation of th San Andeas Accords.  The Civil Society of the Bees spoke about the militarization and paramilitarization in Chenalhó.  Researcher Juan Manuel Sandoval explained the “counterwar against the war of the social network of the Zapatista movement – the New Counterinsurgency  Strategy of the Pentagon”  The assessor of COMPITCH talked about the relationship between river basins, rivers, biodiversity and militarization.  The Network of Community Defenders of Human Rights spoke about their experience of defending the Indigenous peoples of Chiapas.

The problem of the abuse of women and human rights in Guerrero was shared along with the human rights situation in Oaxaca.  Other themes tackled centered around the relation ship of oil and the armed forces; US military intervention in Latin America; the technology of the US armed forces; the crisis in the Middle East (Palestine and Iraq); the budgets and military industry in Latin America; the struggle of women in the face of imperialism and military occupation; Plan Columbia; women and militarization; communication strategies and the culture of peace; civil society in the face of the debate about hemispheric security; the struggle of the poor in the US and the role of civil society against militarization; the free determination of the Indigenous peoples and militarization; justice and the armed forces; the struggle for land and the repressive action and military intimidation in Honduras; the international nonviolent forces; displacement in El Salvador; those disappeared by the war; police education in Costa Rica; religion against militarization; narcotic trafficking and the armed forces; the exhumations in Guatemala; the Population of the Communities in Resistance in the Petén; counterinsurgency and the guerillas; the armed forces and FTAA; militarization and sovereignty; militarization and human rights; the School of the Americas; and many other topics.

Among the expert speakers who participated are Carlos Montemayor, Carlos Fazio, Enrique Maza of Proceso, the lawyer for the Zapatista prisoners, Miguel Angel de los Santos, General Francisco Gallardo, Hector Mondragón, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.  Also included are the researcher Jorge Luis Sierra Guzmán, Dr. Fawi M. L. El-Mashni, Palestinian ambassador to Mexico, Argentine specialist Marcos Pablo Moeznik, Blanche Petrich of La Jornada, Juan Ignacio Domínguez, legal advisor of COMPITCH, and investigator Ana Esther Ceceña.  Also present were the economist Tomás Scheetz, María Luisa Mendoza of Grito de los Excluidos and the CUT of Brazil, Bertha Cáceres of COPINH Honduras, David Alvarez, researcher for Flasco Chile and Esperanza Martínez of Oil Watch Ecuador among many others.  All the speakers can be consulted on the Encuentro web page: www.desmilitarization.org.

Among the organizations who participated with reports of their experiences are the Bees of Chenalhó, the Network of Community Defenders for Human Rights and COMPITCH of Chiapas; the Organization of Independent Mixtec and Tlapaneco Peoples and the Center for Human Rights Tepeyac of Oaxaca; the Center for Human Rights Tlachinollan of Guerrero; Foundation for Peace and COMPA of Costa Rica.  Also included are Global Exchange, KWRU, School of the Americas Watch, Mexico Solidarity Network and Witness for Peace from the US; CUT of Brazil and the Brazilian and Cuban chapters of the Continental Social Assembly; the Rural Communities for the Development of El Salvador; the Campesino Resistance Movement and the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH).  The following are added to the list: the Center of Forensic Analysis and Applied Sciences (CAFCA), the Association of Ixmucané Women, the Youth Movement for Conscientious Objectors, Colectivo HIJOS and the Communities of Population in Resistance (CPR) in Guatemala; the Social Network of Justice and Human Rights of Brazil; the Permanent Human Rights Assembly of Brazil; the Movement of Women for Peace “Visitacion Padilla,”and the Committee of the Families of the Detained and Disappeared (COFADEH) of Honduras; ALAI Ecuador; the Center for Human Rights Miguel Agustín Pro and SERPAJ; COMPA of the Dominican Republic; the Interamerican Platform of Human Rights, Democracy and Development of Bolivia; and the Andean Information Network, among many others.

This event had its origin  in Chiapas when in the First Chiapaneco Encounter Against Neoliberalism held in October of 2002 it was decided to take the proposal to the Third Continental Assembly of the Convergence of Movements of the Peoples of the Americas and the Second Hemispheric Encounter of Struggle Against FTAA the occurred in Havana, Cuba in November of 2002.  There, with the participation of Cry of the Excluded, COMPA, Jubilee South/Americas, and the International Nonviolence Network as well as the nascent Continental Campaign Against Militarization, the proposal was approved.  We will take a brief look at the above mentioned organizations.

Jubilee South/Americas (www.jubileesouth.org) It was set up in Porto Alegre, Brazil in January of 2001 in order to continue the coordinated continental action for a millenium without debt, initiated two years earlier in Teguicigalpa, Honduras. This PLAN OF ACTION was drawn up by the representatives of the campaigns, coalitions and groups of action against debt in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, as well as the Interamerican Platform of Human Rights, Democracy and Development and Service for Peace and Justice in Latin America, who participated in the coordination meeting in Buenos Aires, April 2-4, 2001.

International Nonviolence Network (www.members.tripod.com/nviusa/index2.htm) supports individuals, organizations and governments who struggle using nonviolent methods to make changes that reflect the values of justice and human development at the personal, social, economic and political levels.  It is committed to educating the people about the nonviolent struggle and to decreasing the use of violence internationally.  The network thinks that each culture and tradition can learn and use nonviolent ways that are appropriate for its culture and that are aimed at positive social change and world peace.

The Cry of the Excluded (www.movimientos.org/grito) is shaped by a worldwide network of organizations against the exclusion of society from economic life, from culture and from power.  The cry of the excluded is a cry of indignation and rebellion against injustice and for the fundamental rights of persons and peoples:  the right to self determination, to life, to culture and to love.  The cry of the excluded is also an explosion of indignation and rebellion.  It is not limited to being conscious of a tragic situation but sides with the victims in its evaluation and condemns the system generating the exclusion and death.  It is the rejection of the ideology of such a system and its values and becomes a call for the excluded to mobilize and construct a new history.

Convergence of Movements of the Peoples of the Americas (COMPA) (www.sitiocompa.org) is a continental American movement of broad, autonomous, plural and democratic coordination in which women and men from the different organized sectors struggle for the construction of alternatives in the face of neoliberalism towards a new society.  COMPA is formed by more than 120 networks and Indigenous, campesino and social organizations from 18 countries on the American Continent whose central ideas of action, defined in the Second Assembly carried out in 2000in Chiapas,, are the fruit of a common diagnostic: against FTAA, PPP and the free trade treaties; genetically modified products; militarization; and the external debt of the countries of the continent. and for an alternative integration; respect for Indigenous territories; biodiversity; sustainable rural development; a culture of humanity and peace and justice.

The Chiapas Encounter Against Neoliberalism, “Strengthening Resistance and Searching for Alternatives”(www.laneta.apc.org/sclc/noticias/021011encuentro.htm) has its origin in the First Encounter held in October 2002.  Around 300 people of diverse social, Indigenous and campesino organizations participated in this encounter in Chiapas.  Then in February of the present year the Second Encounter was held in the Indigenous community of Nuevo Huixtán with the participation of over 700 persons coming from more than 100 campesino, Indigenous and social organizations as well as inhabitants and cooperative  authorities from a vast number of communities, that met in order to continue with the diagnostic, exchange of experiences and plans of action in the face of the effects of neoliberalism.  The participants came from more than 30 municipalities of Chiapas.  The results of both encounters can be found in the Bulletins “Chiapas Today” No. 319 from October 24, 2002 and No. 334 from February 26, 2003. (www.ciepac.org)

Reflections and a plan of action were formulatedin the Second Chiapas Encounter where the participants were those such as EDUPAZ,  La Aurora Mpio. Chilón; Campesino Alliance for the Liberation of Ixtapa (ACLI); Civic Alliance Chiapas; Altamirano Mpio. Independencia; Amatitlán Mpio. Maravilla Tenejapa; Area of DDHH of the Diócesis of San Cristóbal de Las Casas; ARIC Independiente; ARIC Union of Uniones; Bacosan; CAPISE; CDH Fray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada; CDH Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas; CDH de la Sierra Madre del Sur; CDH Miguel Augustín PRO; Centro de Estudios de Fronteras y Chicanos; CEPAZ; CESC; Chihuiltic Mpio. Yajalón; Chilín Mpio Huixtán; CIAM; CIDECI; CIRSA; CIEPAC; CIOPAC; COCIDEP; CODEHUTAB; CODICHIS; Col. Francisco I. Madero Mpio. La Trinitaria; Col. Guadjam Yalcuc; Col.Mizohá Mpio.Tila; Col. Monterrey 2a. Sección Mpio. Tila; COLEM; Col. Palmar Mpio. Las Margaritas; Col. San Vincente Mpio. La Trinitaria; Com. Rancho Alegre Mpio. Las Margaritas; Comisión Ampliada sobre Hidroelétrica Oax.; Comité DDHH 10 de enero; Mpio. Chicomuselo; COMPITCH; Com. 8 de febrero; Com. Caracolito Mpio. Las Margaritas; Com. de la Nueva Esperanza; Com. El Zapote Mpio. Las Margaritas; Com. La Estación; Com. Lindavista 2; Com. Nuevo Tenejapa; Com. Saltillo; Com. Cuauhtémoc Mpio. Comalapa and Comité de DDHH de Tabasco.

Also participating were la Coordinadora de Cafecultores Yaxaiwitz Mpio. Chilón;COPIDER; CORECO; Pueblo Creyente de Tenejapa; Coordinadora de Resistencia Civil, CORTAMORTAJA Oaxaca; Coordinadora de Resistencia Civil de la Costa; Delegación de Maestros de Secundarias Técnicas de Maravilla Tenejapa; DESMI; Desplazados Nuevo San Marcos; Durazno Santa Fe Mpio. Chilón; Ejido Lindavista Mpio. Las Margaritas; Ejido Nuevo Francisco León; Ejido Nvo. San Andrés Mpio. Maravilla Tenejapa; Ejido Zacualtipan Mpio. Maravilla Tenejapa; El Vesubio Mpio.Yajalón; Enlace Comunicación y Capacitación; Estación Libre; M.A. San Pedro de Michoacán; M.A. Las Margaritas; Estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales UNACH; Estudiantes de la Facultad de Derecho; Feminario; Flor de Café Mpio. Maravilla Tenejapa;  Foro para el Desarrollo Sustentable; Frente Petenero contra la Represa; Frontera Corozal Mpio. Ocosingo and la Fundación León XIII.

We relied on the presence of other countries such as Fundación Bol of El Salvador; Equipo Maíz El Salvador and Global Exchange.  Folks also came from communities like Guadalupe Tepeyac in addition to other sectors such as Hermanas Franciscanas de SCLC; Iglesia Católica de Independencia; Iglesia Católica Nuevo Huixtán; Iglesia Católica Santa Julia Mpio. de Indepednencia; Iglesia Católica San Mateo Zapotal; Iglesia de Saltillo; Iglesia La Estación; Iglesia Zona Sagrada; INI Región Fronteriza; ISMAM; Jerusalén Mpio. Las Margaritas; Jolom Mayaetik; Kajaljá Rio Caliente Mpio. Las Margaritas; Kinal Antzetik; La Ceiba; La Constitución Mpio. Margaritas; La Era Mpio. Nuevo Huixtán; La Gloria Mpio. La Trinitaia; La Nuevo Esperanza Mpio. Independencia; La Nueva Maravilla; La Toma de Zacatecas Mpio. Trinitaria; La Ventana Mpio. Yajalón; Lagos de Colores Mpio. Trinitaria; Las Nuevas Maravillas; Las Palmas; Lindavista Mpio. Las Margaritas; Loma Bonita; Magisterio Sección 7 y Melel Xojobal.

Obviously in this plural spirit there was unity on the part of all.  Others who participated were el MOCRI (Centro Freylezca); MOCRI-CNPA (Selva); de Monte Cristo Río Escondido Mpio. de Maravilla Tenejapa; Médicos Indígenas de la Sierra; Misión de Guadalupe; Monte Flor de Maravilla Tenejapa; Mujeres de la communidad Nuevo Paraíso Mpio. La Trinitaria; Nueva Esperanza Mpio. La Independencia; Nueva Reforma Frontera; Nueva Reforma Santo Domingo; Nueva Reforma Mpio. Chilón; Nuevo Altamirano; Nuevo Horizonte; Nuevo Maravilla; Nuevo Matzam; Nuevo Ojo de Agua Mpio. La Independencia Región Planada; Nuevo Pregreso Mpio. Chilón; Nuevo Reforma; Nuevo Rodolfo Figueroa; Nuevo San Juan Chamula; Nuevo Tenejapa; Nvo. Poza Rica Mpio. Margaritas; Nvo. Sto. Tomás Mpio. Las Margaritas; OCEZ (Ocosingo); OCIOAC; ODEMICH: Organización Democrática Plural de Obreros y Campesinos (ODPOC);  OMIT; Organización Agroecológica Ch’ul Jmetik Balumil; RICAA; Paraíso Mpio. Maravilla Tenejapa; Parroquia de Altamirano; Parroquia Huixtán; Parroquia de San Andres; Parroquia de Santo Domingo; Comitán; Partido Verde Ecologista de Tabasco; Peña Blanca; Playa Azul Mpio. Independencia; Poblado Chuljá Mpio. Las Margaritas; Poza Rica y PRD San Miguel Allende Gto.

And still they came from a vast number of communities like Pueblo Nuevo Mpio. Chilón; Ranchería Cajcam Mpio. Comitán; Ranchería Linda Vista Mpio. La Trinitaria; Rancho Alegre Mpio. Laas Margaritas; Ranchos Unidos de Las Margaritas; Red de Acción de Plaguicidas y Alternativas en México; (RAPAM) y de América Latina (RAP-AL); Red de Comunicación Boca de Polen; Red de Defensores Comunitarios por los Derechos Humanos; Rizo de Oro Mpio. Margaritas; Sac Lumil Mpio. Chilón; Sagrado Corazón de Jesús CEBs; San Antonio Buenavista Mpio. La Independecia; San Antonio de los Montes; San Antonio de las Flores; Mpio. Las Margaritas; San Carlos de Río Mpio.Margaritas; San Felipe Jataté Mpio. Maravilla Tenejapa; San Isidro; San José del Rio Mpio. Las Margaritas; San José del Palmar; San José la Revancha Mpio. Las Margaritas; San José Zapotal Mpio. Las Margaritas; San Mateo Zapotal Mpio. Las Margaritas; San Miguel Mpio. Huixtán; San Pedro el Porvenir Mpio. La Trinitaria; San vincente Mpio. La Trinitaria; Santa Catarina; Santa Julia; Santa Catarina Mpio. Huitiupán; Santa Martha Mpio. La Independencia; SIPAZ; Sociedad Civil Las Abejas Mpio. Chenalhó; Sociedad Cooperativa de Productores Tzeltal-Tzotzil; Sociedad Cooperativa Arroyo Frío Mpio. Sabanilla; S.S.S. Cafeticultores del Mpio. Maravilla Tenejapa; Tepeyac Mpio. Simojovel; Tierra Blanca; Tojtzotze Li Maya; Tzajalá 1a. Sección; Tziscao; Unión de Ejidos de la Selva de Mpio .Las Margaritas; Unión de Milperos Tradicionales Mujeres y Hombres de Maíz; Unión Tzotzil Mpio. Simojovel; Vincente Gro. Mpio. Ocosingo; Xinich; Yamtel Ach Vinik (Trabajo de Hombres Nuevos); Yomblej; Zamora Pico de Oro; Zona Indígena Tzeltal; Zona Pinada Mpio. Las Margaritas.

This has been the sustaining base of the Chiapas Encounter Against Neoliberalism whose third session will take place in March of 2004 in the community of Huitiupán, municipio chiapaneco, where the population carries on a struggle of resistance against the construction of a hydroelectric dam at Itzantún.They were these same Indígenas of the communities of Nuevo Huixtán and Huitiutpán, members and participants of the Chiapas Encounter Against Neoliberalism, who gave the welcome and the “See you again soon” in the First Hemispheric Encounter Against Militarization.

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