6.3: Story of Visionary Leadership Continued
- Page ID
- 349994
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Zapatista Film
The film "Zon the Zapatista movement shares the history of the movement and the many struggles the community has gone through, as well as the movement’s many successes. From the film, you will learn about their practices and their demands.
The film has both Spanish and English audio with English captioning and transcription.
The film includes some graphic images of mistreatment.
Zapatista Practices
The Zapatistas operate by centering Mutual Aid practices. This means they provide all of their needs as a community without the help and involvement of the Mexican government. This includes food, shelter, healthcare, education, and safety. They use the land to grow their own food and raise animals. They all participate in keeping the community safe from external threats. It is a great example of long-term mutual aid efforts, especially in places where they have little to no government resources like water and electricity. Instead, they have learned to work with what they have and have relied on more localized solar panels for electricity as needed. This does not mean they do not face challenges or poverty, but they stand behind their beliefs and self-sustaining practices.
Group decisions are another key practice of the EZLN since the beginning of their movement. They especially value and include women in the decision-making process. In 1994, about half of their general command and one-third of the armed forces were women. In the film, we see women as part of the leadership of the EZLN. Comandanta Ramona was one of the most important public figures during the first stages of the uprising of the movement. In her role, she consulted with the women in the community and created the "Revolutionary Law on Women," which would advocate for women's rights within the EZLN movement and through direct peace talks with the Mexican government. She was instrumental for gathering many indigenous women from all over the country and helping bring to light their demands.
Their Demands
Through the film we hear directly from Zapatista members that their biggest demands include justice, dignity, and recognition. They demand justice for their members who are constantly being threatened, displaced, and even killed by the Mexican military. Each member of the Zapatista force carries a gun and a face covering because they need to protect themselves from outside threats, but they do not want to engage in violence. They also demand that they be treated with dignity and respect as indigenous people who have the right to the land and to organize. They should not be marginalized or exploited by the Mexican government. Lastly, they want recognition of the Zapatistas as a group that is part of Mexico's history and community. By gaining recognition, they can bring to light issues such as poverty, systemic exploitation, and land loss as a result of NAFTA and other government agreements abroad.
Duration: 54 minutes 39 seconds
Video Description from YouTube: Zapatista is the definitive look at the uprising in Chiapas. It is the story of a Mayan peasant rebellion armed with sticks and their word against a first-world military. It is the story of a global movement that has fought 175,000 federal troops to a standstill and transformed Mexican and international political culture forever.
As you watch the film, think about what some of the other demands are by the Zapatistas and what they are trying to create.
Watch directly on the Youtube site.
This film was releasen in 1991, but there the Zapatista movement continues today, many of their demands still hold today and their movement continues to grow as more poeple learn about their movement and want to support their efforts.
Critical Thinking
Think about the following questions and answer them for yourself.
- What are the key takeaways of the Zapatista movement and efforts? What can we learn from the Zapatistas?
- How does the Mexican military justufy their actions?
- What are some examples of Mutula Aid work in your area?