Chiapas

“Bech, bech, tolouk! Bech, bech, tolouk!”

Jose Adolfo, his two friends, and a very shy little girl smiled as they stood ready with their knees bent; waiting to run the minute I stepped into my role as nabalum – the jaguar. The routine was familiar; I had already drenched my shirt that morning chasing them around the community church, up the bank, and around a boulder in a lengthy game of tag. Playtime, it seemed, never ended in Tzajalchen. I took a deep breath, knowing my muscles would be crying later, raised my claws and ran once more in vicious circles.

Ben has described the "caricole" (snail) nature of the Zapatista communities in Chiapas and I am interested in examining the educational philosphy applied in Zapatista primary schools. At the moment, the Zapatistas are only able to provide primary education for their children given their limited resources, and more importantly, the requisite that teachers must embody the Zapatista way of life.

I have just returned from lunch at a local cafe after a morning with a fairtrade coffee co-op and a walk through the market to gather the fruits and vegetables we will be eating for the next two days in the mountain community. I am trying to balance between the excitement of having absolutely no means of communication with our community hosts and the fear of appearing as tourists in a living museum.

In a brief pause to gather my thoughts before our next meeting, it is difficult to summarize my thoughts over the past two days. I am amazed at the energy of our guides, Todd and Rob, and the energy of the leaders of the various organizations we have had the opportunity to meet. The horizon is dark ... Lea, the SiPaz representative, told us on our second evening in Chiapas and I feel those words echo through many of the discussions we have held.

Migration, stratification, poverty, militarization ... these are the themes of Chiapas´ indigenous population.

Last week we had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Thomas Klak and viewing the documentary "Life and Debt" focusing upon the impact of international market forces in Jamaica. The documentary showcased the ramifications of free trade upon workers in Jamaica in response to the commercialization of indigenous industries - principally local banana and dairy production - and the exploitation of human labor in Western "free zone" factories.