Oaxaca fundraiser, eye witness report & film in Galway

galway | anti-capitalism | event notice Thursday April 03, 2008 07:34 by Global Women's Strike Ireland Ireland at allwomencount dot net 087 7838688

Oaxaca Community-Teacher Mass Movement in Mexico

The Archaeology Society in NUI Galway and the Global Women’s Strike (GWS) are hosting a fundraiser, short film and report back on the Oaxaca community-teacher mass movement in Mexico. The event also marks the 9th annual Global Women’s Strike.

Thursday April 3rd, 9.30 am -12 noon. Careers Seminar Room near the Archaeology Department, Arts/Science Building (opposite the library), NUI Galway. All welcome. Donations will go directly to Oaxaca communities.

About Oaxaca

Oaxaca is one of the places where agriculture first began and an area of other internationally significant archaeological, anthropological and natural heritage, including the breathtaking Zapotec pyramids of Monte Alban and trees that are over 2000 years old. This is a rare opportunity to hear about the problems faced by Indigenous people in their efforts to fight corruption and protect their communities, heritage and culture.

The people of Oaxaca are up against Plan Puebla Panama (PPP) – the US expansion of the free trade agreement Nafta to Central America. PPP would bring expropriation of land, environmental and cultural devastation, sweatshops and destitution. Following years of government corruption and electoral fraud, and the violent eviction of thousands of teachers on strike who had occupied Oaxaca's city centre, a massive community-teacher movement got together and formed an alternative grassroots government. Teachers, students, housewives, Indigenous and rural communities and other sectors of the population marched in their hundreds of thousands demanding the removal of state governor Ulises Ruiz. Women have played a central role, occupying TV and radio stations. Despite the severe repression people have faced – which has been condemned by a number of international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International – they have continued to organize in defence of their rights.

Report Back

Maggie Ronayne, an academic in the Archaeology Dept of NUI Galway and a member of the Strike, has just returned from several weeks’ work in Oaxaca where she visited the archaeological sites and witnessed first hand the struggle of the communities for resources to defend and develop their heritage from cultural destruction and other repression. She was the only participant from Ireland in the first international women’s conference held in that area, attended by 400 local Indigenous women and some men, and by women from nine other countries. The conference was organised by CODEM (Committee for the Defence of the Rights of Women), CODEP (Committee for the Defence of the Rights of the Peoples) and the GWS.

About the film – Oaxaca: Megamarch for Justice

The film shows the ongoing struggle of a united people determined to win and the repression they face: disappearances, murders, including the murder of Indymedia journalist Brad Will, arbitrary detentions, torture and rape. 30 minutes. Edited by Nina López & produced by the Global Women's Strike.

For further information:

Tel GWS on 087 7838688 (mobile).