HOW CIVIL IS SOCIETY?

Civil Society v. the Machinery of Death: Anti-militarism and ecology, and repression and resistance. Jails and mental institutions." The struggle for human rights should be in a separate working group. It was also decided that, during the afternoon meetings, all those attending Working Group A will decide how to divide their workshop. At that meeting, the majority decided to divide the workshop into 4 working groups, which will deal with all the topics listed for Working Group A in the original proposal.

July 30, 1996, 12:00 noon. FORUM OF POLITICAL ORGANIZATION LEADERS. La Realidad, Municipio de las Margaritas, Chiapas.

July 31, 1996, 12:00 noon. FORUM OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION LEADERS, Oventik, Municipality of San Andres Sacam'chen, Chiapas.

We who are called excluded and ignored have come to this Forum because all women, feminists, lesbians, the indigenous, were invited as part of this movement and our voice must be heard. We bring a long history of struggle against the patriarchy, now in its neoliberal phase, which has a particular impact on us. We have much wisdom and experience in resistance and rebellion, and we want to contribute our share to all the women and men involved in this struggle against neoliberalism.
We have discovered ideas in the Zapatista movement that are very similar to ideas we feminists brought forward a long time ago: a new way of doing politics, a new ethic of non-patriarchal power (that is, not vertical, dominating and excluding, but based on horizontality from below). Also, to go on reclaiming utopias, the power of the voice instead of violence, a different style of organizing that respects diversity and knows how to integrate experiences from many different struggles.
We have been very impressed by the hospitality and generosity with which we have been received and by the power of an organized community. We have noted a great willingness to listen to our diverse ideas. We would also like to take advantage of the opportunity for critical reflection that has been offered us during this Forum, so that we can express our discontent with the following: a contradiction between the call that was made to us as women and the space that has been allotted to us. How could you think that we would limit ourselves to being part of a working group of the excluded?
Once again, those who organized the workshops used patriarchal logic, assigning the public issues to be discussed at workshops on the economy and politics, while leaving the women to busy themselves with traditionally feminine subjects: sexuality, education, health, children and service delivery; in other words, anything related to serving others. As long as we maintain this division, in which the private sphere belongs to women and the public domain to men, there will be no new society. What we need is a profound change in the way we value these two domains. Our demand is not just that women have access to public space, but also that men make themselves equally responsible for domestic and private issues.
We were forced to organize ourselves in order to have our own autonomous spaces; there, we could work together and everyone could share their experiences. That was very enriching, even though we had to do it at the cost of our breaks, recreation and full participation in other spaces that also belong to us. Some of us preferred to bring our voices to other workshops. But, in some way, our voice was diluted as a result of the Forum's methodology and that was a loss for the entire Forum. It would be very sad if we were to distance ourselves from this project because we don't see our own concerns reflected here. We've come from all over the world with great motivation and enthusiasm to share and listen to the many ideas and struggles that are represented here.
We accomplished that, and now we want to express our opinions and proposals to you:

1. The neoliberal patriarchy tries to individualize and divide us. Beyond different cultures and histories, we have encountered one another in our diversity, and that is just the beginning.
2. A focus on gender must be incorporated into every level and every discussion. We propose that the appropriate methodologies be sought in order to accomplish this.
3. As women, we need our own spaces in order to develop our proposals by seeking unity and strength.
4. It is necessary for every woman and man to question ourselves at a deep level about the patriarchy in all its dimensions: economic, political, education, health, social, personal and intimate relationships.
5. It is vital for both the language and the content of resolutions to reflect a vision of gender, and for us to speak specifically about men and women, boys and girls, etc.
6. We want an end to behaviors that ridicule and marginalize choices other than heterosexuality. We question the whole of sexuality and the social, economic and political relationships that are derived from it.
7. As an extreme form of patriarchy, militarization has never benefited women, since we are used as spoils of war and all forms of violence are aggravated.

Tuesday, July 30, 1996

This morning the sun rose to greet the participants in the First Forum for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism in this Aguascalientes II. The workshops began about 10:30 a.m. Workshop B had extensive discussions about homosexuals and lesbians. A Swiss man remembered the first massacre that the Spanish committed in American territory; it occurred in Venezuela and was committed against homosexuals. Dogs devoured them. Meanwhile, the Germans opened a debate about same-sex marriages, at which an Askatasuna woman said it seemed contradictory to her that we were participating in a forum against the dominant system and yet appealing to an institution like marriage, which sustains that system.

For one Mexican woman, the fact that the Left had abandoned the discussion about homosexuality at the last Forum in Sao Paolo, Brazil, was an inexcusable step backward. In turn, the fact that the discussion was reopened in this Forum brings light to the world, one more light brought by the Zapatistas.

Working Groups C-D took up the subject of political prisoners. A Belgian woman read a statement from a political prisoner who was released by Turks and said that neoliberalism constitutes the suppression of ideas because money is perceived to be the only merchandise. Along the same lines, an Italian man emphasized that neoliberal society creates dangerous people because it places money above men.

On the subject of mental institutions, participants said that psychiatry promotes treatment with medications, leading to bad addiction problems and, of course, increasing the capital of the pharmaceutical industry.

Working Group A discussed spirituality, brother/sisterhood and the community.

The sessions ended about 9:00 p.m. Comandante David and other comandantes (Javier, Hortensia, Susana, etc.), gave several interviews to the international media, including the Greek magazine PRIN, Chilean Community Radio, Canadian television and D'urto of Italy.

Due to a power outage and lack of microphones, the Special Forum on political prisoners was postponed until tomorrow, after which the plenary will take place to reach conclusions. Darkness brought friendly socializing among people of many different nationalities. The Zapatista comandantes retired, wishing us all a good night.

Between songs and talks, the rain made another appearance at this Aguascalientes II in Oventic.

Wednesday, July 31, 1996, Oventic, Chiapas.

At this Aguascalientes II, work at the different Workshops began between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. on the last day of the First Forum for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism. Working Group C concluded its discussion of political prisoners. Spanish citizens related that it is a crime there for more than 20 people to assemble together, while a man from Oaxaca said that overcrowding in the CERESO [federal prison] is a serious problem because many prisoners bring their families to live with them. At Working Group B, "The Excluded Civil Society," the subject of drug addiction was discussed.

About 2:00 p.m. the session called "Alternate Forms of Civil Resistance to Neoliberalism" began in the Emiliano Zapata auditorium. This panel included Sandro Guiglia of IRED, who spoke on "Third World Networks"; Gilmar Mauro of Brazil, who spoke on "Landless Rural Workers' Movements" and denounced the police massacre of a campesino group at an encampment on April 17; Salvador Ramos Bustamante of El Salvador, who spoke on "Unionism: New Forms"; Rena Crisoco of Greece, who delivered a "Proposal for a New Movement"; Edur Velasco of SITUAM, who discussed "New Forms of Labor Organizing"; Ricardo German of Italy, who presented "The Resistance Movement in Italy and South Central"; and Hector de la Cueva of the Forum's International Liaison, who presented "The National Resistance Process." Comandantes Isaac, Hortencia, Guillermo, Javier and Susana attended from the EZLN.

Comandante David closed the Forum with the words, "You must remove from your mind competition, egotism, ambition and individualism, which prevent peoples from uniting and prevent a people from developing themselves in each of the world's nations." He spoke of community and criticized individualism, saying that it isn't easy to reach agreement, but if each one individually seeks the good, some will find it and others won't. Then, his speech took another turn and, referring to a fly-by over Oventic by the Mexican army that had occurred just moments before, he said, "Today we have seen one of the attitudes of the evil government and we have warned the Workshops about military troop movements and low-flying aircraft using special army details from the evil government. This is how our people have lived, you are witnesses of what our people must go through ... nevertheless, none of this will interrupt our path. Nothing and no one can change our opinion. No matter how powerful they are, we must go on. They will not intimidate, frighten or scare us. We know we have more strength: the force of reason, justice, the quest for a life of dignity. Because we want to humanize humanity. In our hearts we wish to build, not destroy. Nobody will deflect us from our path on behalf of humanity." As he closed his speech, the packed auditorium applauded for more than five minutes.

That night all the working groups closed their labors by reading their resolutions. The following are highlights:

Working Group A:

1. Create a documentation center in Oventic for the worldwide resistance to neoliberalism.
2. Begin an international campaign of struggle against neoliberalism.
3. Support and attend the pro-immigrant march to be held on November 12, 1996 [**CORRECT DATE IS OCTOBER 12, 1996**] in whatever way each country chooses.
4. Create an international network against neoliberalism.

1. Agreed to support and promote the EZLN's 13 demands.
2. Develop information exchange networks.
3. Strengthen ties among women worldwide.
4. Strengthen solidarity with indigenous Zapatistas.
5. Defend children's rights to education, health, nourishment, emotional bonds, protection and recreational spaces.

1. Promote a Grand Carnival on October 12, the peoples' independence day.

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