Press Release

In the realm of artistic activities, in the community of Morelia today there were singing presentations, led by Emilio Amayo of the United States, Jordi Mareti of Catalu�a and Walter Barrientos of Peru. There were dramatic performances by Carlos Bracho, Leopoldo Ayala, Pavel Fernandez and Flor Jorgen, all of Mexico, and Fredric Gustaedt, Lyazid Khinoun and Stephanie Corby, from France. Nicolas Nu�ez performed with his Theatrical Research Workshop of the UNAM. Stefan Dierbach and Monica Ahvens of Germany, played the guitar and violin respectively; Erica Maes and Alex Bruck, of Mexico, presented a piece titled "Contrapunto en Lucha", accompanied on violin and viola. The Chuchumbe group of Veracruz and Sonia Jim�nez Armendariz also performed. There was a folding screen with 18 silkscreens by 18 artists from the Metropolitan Convention of Artists and the "Cuahtemoc Venencio Sanchez" Cultural Laborers, from Mexico City. Performers worked with the children of the community and presented a performance of juggling demonstration under the direction of Salemi Antonio and Fred Duret of Belgium, Robert Kalmar of Switzerland and Elizabeth Douner of the United States. Helene Becq of Belgium sang children's songs; Isabel Escudero, of Spain, organized games, and Juan Carlos Gonzalez, of Mexico, taught the children a Toltec dance. In the Aguascalientes IV Auditorium, there were dramatic performances by Ruben Pagura of Costa Rica, Raquel Salinas of the United States, Sarah Franco-Ferrer of France. A little girl from the community recited a poem and a little boy sang a song. [The Group Cuchumbe.]

A proposal for the creation of a Worldwide Zapatista Liberation Network which would function through the Internet resulted from the Working Tables. In Sub-Topic A, on means of communication, a call was made to information workers to refuse to allow themselves to become "accomplices" to the system of misinformation. Over the three days, various videos were shown, including: "The EZLN and Women", "The Country of Murals", "Euskai Herria 1995" and "Tourism in the Canaries" . At Sub-Topic B, Education, participants observed that neo-liberalism is trying to develop technical experts or technocrats, but not well-rounded human beings, and if the State really does have a responsibility to provide education, it is not providing education that is integral. For this reason, participants proposed the creation of a system of self-managed education, since the important aspect of education is not papers or certificates but the actual development of an individual. Commander Salvador noted that a school building itself may not be necessary, and if the teachers are not thriving on the thoughts and minds of the children, then education is dead and we are in a system of authoritarianism. Among the proposals resulting from Sub-Topic C, Art, was the proposal to strengthen creation in its collective forms, to use abandoned lands, buildings and plazas in order to create art schools and cultural spaces, to create an International Graffiti Day, and to develop Workshops regarding the culture of the body (i.e., dance and sexuality). At Sub-Topic D, Diverse Cultures, it was noted that culture is not an object but it is a spatial act, and there are no superior cultures. Culture is evident in everyday life and this is where the struggle for culture must take place. We must try to share our differing viewpoints and recognize the other in us. In brief, the participants agreed that it would be impossible to create a Movement in three short days. After almost three days of incessant rain, today, the day of the full moon, we saw the sun.

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