The First Hemispheric Encuentro Against Militarization took place in the city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México, May 6-9, 2003. It was characterized not only by the high levels of qualitative and quantitative results, but also by the great geographical and representative participation, i.e., the wide political diversity among the networks and organizations. It was an encuentro from the heart with shared expressions of struggle and resistance, but also one about our continuing solidarity.

We express our solidarity with:

·           The Cuban people in their struggle against the beast of imperialism that seeks to annex them.

·           The struggle and resistance of the autonomous communities and zapatista support bases and the communities displaced by the war.

·           The Colombian union movement.

·           The Guatemalan people as they resist genocide.

·           The Honduran people as they continue to fight the assassinations of their leaders..

·           The Argentine people and their crisis.

·           The Venezuelan, Colombian, Mexican, Haitian, Brazilian people, the poor people of the United States, and in general, all Latin Americans and people of the world who fight and resist the harassment and hostility of the United States government.

·           The Palestinian people.

·           The Lencan people of Montaña Verde, Honduras, for the assassination of Teodoro Martínez, Francisco Morazán and so many fallen compañeros in resistance.

We reject:

·           The construction of hydroelectric dams on the Usumacinta River.

·           The hostility toward and the blockade of Cuba by the United States.

·           The military exercises by the Armed Forces of the Americas in Manta, Ecuador.

·           The exploitation of farm workers.

·           Torture and all other forms of repression used to silence the people.

·           Plan Columbia, Plan Puebla Panama, the FTAA and all projects that deny the rights and liberties of the people.

We demand:

·           The fulfillment of the San Andrés Accords

We unite behind:

·           The struggle of women for the rights they have been denied

·           The resistance of the inhabitants that are being harassed in the Montes Azules region in Chiapas.

We support:

·           The opening of negotiations in Columbia

·           And are in solidarity with political prisoners; we want them alive, free and at home.

 We unite ourselves with:

·           The process of constructing a just world with the faith and hope that another world is possible.

·           The resistance to Bush’s idiotic war. We won’t back down!

Finally, we shout out:

The San Andrés Accords Now! Not later!

Yankees Here, Yankees There, the world will condemn you!

No to the PPP; Yes to Solidarity!

A campesino without land is a campesino without peace!

What do the people of the world want? Justice and Peace!

Military bases and military maneuvers out of Latin America!

Military genocide – Never forgotten and never forgiven!

Without peace there is no justice!

United and organized we will win!

Following are some of the expressions of solidarity that took shape during the encuentro. But the situation demands more than demonstrations of solidarity. The biggest challenge was the construction of a Plan for Continental Action that follows. The encuentro also generated a lot of local, regional and national proposals and plans, but here we note the continental plan.

ACTION PLAN

1.      Spread the accords of this forum throughout each country.

2.         Have a second forum against militarization: The proposal is to hold the Conference on the Campaign for the Demilitarization of the Americas (CADA) on March 5-7, 2004 in Quito, Ecuador. Preliminary plans for the Second Hemispheric Encuentro against Militarization (2005) will be made at the Social Forum of the Americas, March 8-13, in Quito.

3.      Investigating, spreading, educating.

-          Establish or consolidate permanent networks and channels of communication.

-           Expand the use of alternative and independent media (networks, radio, printed matter).

-                   Generate a database to promote informational and broadcast campaigns; responsible groups are: Radio Teocelo in Veracruz; Pacificar Foundation in Costa Rica, Uruguay and Argentina; Radio Santa Clara, Free Radio Network, UPR COMPA in Honduras; Fet cultural activities in Mexico; and Melel Xojobal in Chiapas. Other networks to be added.

-           Develop a web page to include a gallery of human rights violators in specific countries, with the objective to organize and maintain an historic record.

-          Systematically record the human rights violations committed by the US government.

-           Create a list of US products in order to start a boycott. Upload the list to the Internet.

-          Boycott US products – Coca Cola, McDonalds, Texaco, CNN, Fox; do not shop in COSTCO or WALMART

-          Hold local meetings about militarization in the Americas.

-          Create and use educational materials and form communication networks.

-          Exchange, strengthen, and share experiences and testimonies from active nonviolent struggles, including information about conscientious objection and civil disobedience.

4.     Instruction, denunciation and solidarity

-           Create an “International People’s Tribunal” or turn to existing ones to denounce the crimes of Bush against humanity.

a.         This will be the tribunal of last resort.

b.         During the Second Hemispheric Encuentro against Militarization, each country will bring results of its national people’s tribunals.

-           Tribunal against Bush’s crimes.

-                  Denounce in a united manner, human rights violations in our countries perpetrated by the Armed Forces.

-         Work in our national congresses to demand the reduction of military budgets.

-          Mobilize actions against US military bases in the hemisphere; prepare a map of those bases.

-                 Maintain a permanent campaign in solidarity with Cuba and Venezuela against the intervention of the USA, and with all peoples in resistance and struggle.

-           Reject, denounce and condemn the persons responsible for actions of genocide, both past and present..

-           Expose those instances of disappearances and killings (such as that of Digna Ochoa).

-         Strengthen the work in defense of Human Rights.

5.      Organization, communication, action

-           Support the Mexican struggle to fulfill the San Andrés Accords and to demilitarize the indigenous communities.

-           Develop strategies and action plans in support of social action groups in resistance in the United States and Canada.

-         Support protests against the School of the Americas that demand its closure.

-           Send an international delegation to Iraq – as soon as possible.

-                  Campaign against the FTAA, the PPP, Plan Columbia, the Andean Initiative, the WTO, and all other plans of economic and military domination.

-                Demand an immediate moratorium on petroleum exploration in Chiapas.

-                  Strengthen the autonomy of the countries of the Americas.

-                   Organize a day of solidarity with the Poor People’s Movement in the US during their national march in August 2003 demanding economic rights and against the FTAA and militarization. This march marks the 35th anniversary of the Poor People’s campaign organized by Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968. Contact radio station KWRU in the United States.

Within the context of the Action Plan, we will also launch the Campaign for the Demilitarization of the Americas (CADA). previously the Continental Campaign against Militarization, which came into existence in mid 2002 when pro peace and justice groups in Latin America decided that it was important to form a hemispheric network to denounce and resist militarism and promote peace with justice. In October 2002, at the protest against the FTAA in Quito, Ecuador, steps were taken to organize CADA by the movements against external debt (Jubilee South/Americas), globalization (Continental Campaign Against the FTAA), pro human rights (Shout of the Excluded) and peace (Nonviolence International).

In November 2002, during the Second Hemispheric Encuentro against the FTAA, in Havana, Cuba, a workshop about militarization was led by Shout of the Excluded, Jubilee South/Americas and Nonviolence International. These groups worked with COMPA (Convergence of the People’s Movements of the Americas) to convene the First Hemispheric Encuentro Against Militarization held in Chiapas. It was a team effort by COMPA, Shout, Jubilee, Nonviolence, the Chiapaneco Network against Neoliberalism that strengthened this Campaign.

In January 2003, at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, CADA led a seminar about militarization in the Americas in which all of CADA’s networks participated. The seminar included the participation of hundreds of persons that had experienced militarism in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States, among other places. A coordinating meeting of the Continental Campaign Against the FTAA was held a day after the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre at which participants were informed about CADA and made the decision to have the next Coordinating meeting against the FTAA in Mexico City, May 11-13, after the Encuentro in Chiapas. This decision was in strong support of the initiative of CADA on the part of the Campaign against the FTAA.

The Mission of CADA: Confront war and its human and environmental impacts as provoked by the economic/military hegemony of the US government throughout the world. The Campaign for the Demilitarization of the Americas reaffirms its conviction that another hemisphere is possible and we commit ourselves to promote alternatives based on peace with justice via communication and coordination of the organizations that seek to demilitarize the hemisphere. The neoliberal economic model of globalization (promoted by rich governments and their allies, i.e., transnational businesses and international financial institutions) is imposed and maintained by the militarization of the Americas and the world. We will investigate, monitor, and denounce the violent impacts of militarization in each country in the Americas, that is, the repressive expressions of internal and external militarization stemming from the US government, particularly against those marginalized by race, age, gender and/or economic condition. We propose to transform the causes and consequences of militarization of the Americas by strengthening solidarity and globalizing alternatives that create sustainable models based on a common well-being and not on privilege of those that would dominate with money and arms.

            The objectives of the First Hemispheric Encuentro against Militarization were to:

1)         Share information, analyses and diagnoses about militarization of the Americas at all levels and in all areas.

2)         Share experiences about the significance of militarization and its causes, effects, and consequences on the environment and on urban, rural, social, political, economic, religious and cultural life – particularly on those most often excluded such as the indigenous people, women and the economically marginalized.

3)         Unite our forces, hearts and will in order to spell out peaceful alternatives to militarization.

4)         Create a permanent and continuing process of analysis, reflection, sharing of experiences, mobilization and search for alternatives through CADA.

CADA is the driving force behind the Hemispheric Encuentro against Militarism. Entering the process of sharing reports and analyzing experiences about the impact of militarization in the Americas, originally known as “Abya Yala”, it was proposed to work through a network of pro justice and peace organizations in order to implement the mission of CADA. The three components of this implementation are:

1)            Investigation, Sharing and Education – a) Investigate the impacts of the militarization of the Americas in all areas and levels. b) Share the analyses and diagnoses through printed materials, electronic communication and the media, especially the alternative press. c) Provide tools needed to implement grassroots education that empowers the people seeking alternatives.

2)         Monitor, Denounce, and Strengthen Solidarity – a) Monitor the processes of militarization in the Americas. b) Denounce the violations that are rooted in the growing militarization of the Americas. c) Strengthen effective and creative national and international solidarity, identifying the actions that have the greatest impacts

3)            Organize, Communicate and Act – a) Maintain and share a Calendar of national and international Encuentros that promote demilitarization and alternatives to the predominate economic model. b) Establish and consolidate networks and permanent channels of internal communication within CADA and promote collaboration in order to strengthen solidarity. c) Coordinate simultaneous hemispheric solidarity actions via CADA.

Founding Networks of CADA: Convergence of People’s Movements of the Americas (COMPA), Shout of the Excluded, Jubilee South/Americas, Nonviolence International, the Chiapaneco Network Against Neoliberalism.

International Networks that support CADA: Continental Social Alliance, Continental Campaign Against the FTAA, International Committee of the World Social Forum, Latin American Conference of Campesino Organizations (CLOC), Derechos en Acción/Rights in Action, Continental Federation of Community Organizations (FCOC), International Resistance to War, Inter-American Platform of Human Rights, Democracy and Development (PIDHDD), Latin-American Network of Peace Builders, Network of Social Movements, Peace and Justice Service in Latin America (SERPAJ-AL) and Campesino Way. Everyone who attended the Encuentro adds his or her strength in support of this campaign!

Demilitarized Americas are Possible!

Another America is Possible!

Globalize Resistance, Alternatives, Hope and Demilitarization!

Here ends the proposal for the campaign against the militarization of the Americas. But there are many names and faces lying behind these efforts, faces and names on which are imprinted the hopes of the regions and nations of our world. We share here the names of those involved in this week of reflection and experience sharing, of song and music. Among them are persons of 35 nationalities that attended – presenters, participants, observers, workers, vendors, delegates or members of the following indigenous, campesino, social activist, union, religious and teachers organizations; persons who came in solidarity with Chiapas, and with the zapatista struggle from the United States and Europe; artists, intellectuals, students from many universities, the media – and many, many others.

“El Sucre”, Ecuador; ACAT, Mexico; Ecological Action, Ecuador; Permanent Peace Action, USA; Rural Clergy, Chiapas and Guatemala; AICH; AKBAYAN; AL CHILE; Civic Alliance, Chiapas; Civic Alliance; Women’s Alliance of Vieques, Puerto Rico; Alliance for Life and Peace, Peten; Diocesan Area of human Rights, Chiapas; Independent ARIC; San Andrés Artisans; Independent Artists, Honduras; Nomadic Art; Lawyers Association, Chiapas; Women’s Association, Ixmucance, Guatemala; Tlacolulita Assumption; BACOSAN; BUAP; Coffee Revolution; Sotol Sc’otol House of People’s Communication and  Folk Art; Coffee Cooperative of Lago Tres Colores; Tzobol Anzetik Cooperative; Continental Campaign against the FTAA of CUT, Brazil; CAPCI; CAPISE; Mexican Caravan; Caritas; Women’s House; CCDA; CCD-FZLN; Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center; Fray Julian Garces Human Rights Center and Tlaxcala People’s Development Center; Fray Pedro Lorenzode la Nada Human Rights Center; Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center; Tepeyac Human Rights Center, Oaxaca; CEDES, CEDIAC; CEIBA, Guatemala; Headquarters of the Coffee Growers’ Cooperatives, Honduras; Labor or Laborers’ Headquarters, Cuba; Center for Forensic Analysis and Applied Sciences, Guatemala; Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, Cuba; Father Hermogenes Lopez Center, Guatemala; José Maria Morelos y Pavon Regional Human Rights Defense Center; El Local Saint Sadurnia D’Anoia People’s Center; CEPAZ; CIDECI; CIEPAC; CIESAS; CIMCHOL; CIPO-RFM, Oaxaca; CNSP; CNTU; Resistance Coalition, Costa Sierra; Student Worker Coalition of ISTMO; COCICH; COCIDEP; COFADEH, Honduras; COCICH; COCIDEP; COFADEH, Honduras; COFEMO; Chiapas Collective; HIJOS Collective, Guatemala; Pablo Presbere Collective, Costa Rica; COMAL, Honduras; The Voice of those without Voice Human Rights Commission; Cancun Welcome Committee Against the WTO; Campesino Committee of the Altiplano; Chiapaneco Encuentro against Neoliberalism; People’s Dialogue Committee; Chiapas Support Committee; Central America Solidarity Committee of PRAT; Zapatista Solidarity Committee; COMPA, Chiapas; COMPA Continental; COMPA Costa Rica; COMPA Cuba; COMPA El Salvador; COMPA USA; COMPA Guatemala; COMPA Haiti; COMPA Honduras; COMPA Nicaragua; COMPA Oaxaca; COMPA Dominican Republic; COMPITCH; Peoples in Resistance, Peten; Niczin Rosas Cooperative; Chulum Chom Cooperative; Women’s Cooperative for Dignity; CONAVIGUA, Guatemala; CONCIENCIA; CONFRAS, Guatemala; Socialist Convergence; Martyrs of Guaymas Cooperative; Nichil Jolovoil Cooperative; Coordinator of Social Action Groups in Resistance; Coordinator of Coffee Producing Organizations; National Coordinator of Women for a Peaceful Way; Regional Coordinator of the Highlands; Regional Coordinator of the Highlands, Section VII; COPIDER; CONINH, Honduras; CORECO; COT81; CRIPDES, El Salvador; CUP; CUT, Brazil; Democratize the Media; Rights in Action, Guatemala, Canada, Honduras; Human Rights in the Forest; DESMI;  Dialogue 2000; ECOSUR; EDUCRDEANDO; EDUPAZ; Emiliano Zapata; Palestinian Ambassador to Mexico; Enlace Civil; Independent Radio; Social Science Faculty, UNACH; FEAG; Chiapas Federation; Federation of Fabric Workers; Feminario-MIM; FICAPO-APN; FIDEO; FLACSO, Chile; FMPDH; Forging Alliances South and North; Forum for Sustainable Development; Migration Forum; Urban Liberation Front; Indigenous, Campesina and People’s Front; Leon XIII Foundation; Myrna Marck Foundation; Pacifica Foundation, Costa Rica; FZLN; GAM; Global Exchange; Grassroots International; Shout of the Excluded, Brazil; GRUFERPROMEFAM; San Andrés Artisans; Fight Against Racism; Guevea of Humboldt; Brother Sun; Children of Corn, Nicaragua; ILSA; INEN; INESIN; International War Resisters; International Peace Department; ITAM; Jolom-Mayaetik; Jubilee South/Americas, Argentina; Kinal Antzetik; Kumool; KWRU; LANTIC; Las Abejas; LIFT, Canada; M.P.J.D.; Mama Maquin; Mani-Tese, Italy; Maya Antzetik; Maya Vinic; MCA, Honduras; Half Moon; Alternative Medicine, Trinitaria, Chiapas; Melel Xojobal; Global Table, Guatemala; Mexico Solidarity Network; MIM; Franciscan Missionaries; MLP, Guerrero; MODECH; MOPASSOL; Women’s Movement for Peace, Visitación Padilla; Citizens’ Democratic Movement; Independent Women’s Movement; Tzukimpop Movement, Guatemala; Corn Women in Resistance; Jovel Mayan Women of Jovel Weaving History; NICHIM; New Indigenous Dawn, 94SSS; OCEZ; ODEMICH; ODIC; OFRANEH, Honduras; Oilwatch, Ecuador; Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace; OMIECH; OMISJS; Stubborn Youth Organization, Honduras; Doctors and Midwives United Organization; Chol ’Tzental Organization; Independent Organization of the Mixtecos-T People; Chenalhó Parish; Ocosingo Parish; San Andrés Parish; Saint Thomas, Oxchuc, Chiapas Parish; Rural Activists of Ixcan; Peace and the Third World; Yellow Rock of San Juan Cotzocon Mixes; PIDHCH, UAM Xochilmilco; Solidarity with Chiapas Platform; Inter-American Human Rights and Development Platform; Platform Against Free Trade, Costa Rica; PRD; Aguas Calientes Products Muk’yc Chan; PROPAZ, Switzerland; Life and Brotherhood Project; The Believers; Indigenous Peoples, MEHPA; Radio UNAM; Rancho Esmeralda; Network of Community Defenders of Human Rights; Solidarity Network in Chiapas and Argentina; Southwest Network of Justice and COMPA; Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice; Electronic Network La Neta; Anti FTAA Network, Jalisco; International Nonviolence Network; Oaxaquena Human Rights Network; Social Network for Justice and Human Rights, Brazil; National Public Defenders Networks; RICCA; SADEC; Health and Gender; San Carlos Yautepec; San Francisco del Mar; San Mateo de Mar; Section 07 of Democratic Teachers Union; SEDEM; Permanent Study Seminar of Chicanos and Borders; SEPI; SERAPAZ; SERPAJ, Mexico; SINTRAUNICOL, Columbia; SIPAZ, USA; SITRAUNAH; SNAJTZIBAJOM; Sobol Antzetik; Chiapas Civil Society; SOFA, Haiti; SUTRAFADO, Dominican Republic; Aguatenango Textiles; Tierra Vida; Transnational Institute; Tzome Ixuk; UAM; UCIZONI; UNACH; UNACODHI; UNAM; UNEAC;  Autonomous University of Chapingo; University of Buenos Aires; Lincoln University; Campesino Way; Villa Nueva San Francisco del Mar; Widows for Democracy.

The media – commercial, official and alternative - was well represented. Fifty local, national and foreign organizations were present representing radio, television and the written media. Included among them were: La Jornada, Libertador, Semanario Proceso, Sin Línea Newspaper, Radio Universidad, Melel Xojobal, Indymedia Chiapas, Channel 10 Chiapas, Radio Margaritas, Cuarto Poder, Estación Libre, Promedios, XEWM Radio, Boca de Polen, Comunicación Social, Tiempo, La Foja Coleta, CNI Channel 40, Radio Red, FEM magazine, Carteles of Comitán, Milenio, Siglo XXI, El Universal, Notimex, Estilo Gráfico, Radio 99.1 Frecuencia Libre, COMPITCH, TV Azteca y Televisa. Among the foreign media were: Revista de Solidaridad MO (Belgium); Cooperación Técnica Sueca/UBV and Stockholm’s Fría (Sweden); Associated Press; Agencia EFE; ONGC Catalunya magazine; CFUU Radio (Canada); AFP (France); China Times (Taiwán); Radio CSB (USA); Free Speech Radio News (Indymedia USA); BBC Radio (England); Guerre Pace, Liberazione. L´Altracittá (Italy); Pacifica Radio Network (The Philippines); Agencia Latinoamericana de Información (Ecuador); CONFADEH (Honduras); Folha (Brasil); Pacificar,  Radio Universidad y Radio Santa Clara 550am (Costa Rica).

Those who want to see, can see. Those that have ears to hear, can hear. And those can read, it is hoped they can understand.

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