We are accepting applications for CASA Chapulin in Oaxaca. Collective members will be working with local community organizations, participating in weekly workshops to learn about the socio-political context in Oaxaca, and writing for our monthly newsletters. Volunteers must speak proficient Spanish and have a minimum of four months to be in Oaxaca. Questions, comments, applications can be sent to project coordinator Diana.

For the reasons motivating us to set up a collective in Oaxaca in 2006, see Why Oaxaca.

The Oaxaca House

The "CASA" in and of itself is actually an apartment in which the coordinator lives.The "CASA" apartment adjoins two other apartments, one of which is occupied by a friendly neighbor, and the other is often available to rent to CASA volunteers. Most volunteers rent apartments or rooms close by and others choose to work in rural communities. The coordinator can assist in the search for housing.

The collective CASA space consists of a living room and kitchen as well as a rooftop with a burgeoning garden. The kitchen is shared by volunteers along with cooking and cleaning responsibilities. Food is shared, with each volunteer chipping in 100 pesos a week to buy food and cleaning supplies. Volunteers decide the extent to which they want to eat in the house and may pay accordingly. The rooftop is also used as a common space. It sports an ecological toilet, recently constructed by volunteers with the support of a local NGO, as well as a small garden and compost bin. The CASA also has a small library of resources on Oaxacan, Chiapan and general Mexican history, society and politics.

The CASA has unreliable internet access, with several house computers for use by volunteers. Reliable internet access is available in several nearby internet cafés.

Volunteer Work in Oaxaca

All CASA members are expected to contribute to the life of the collective in numerous ways. These include writing articles for our website and monthly newsletters, participating in and giving workshops, taking initiative on collective projects, cleaning and taking care of the collective space, research, fundraising, hosting events and staying connected upon returning to home communities.

The projects that CASA volunteers take part in depend on their skills and interests. Most volunteers work with a partner organization and participate in CASA-related projects. Others focus on making connections of a political nature with several organizations, collectives or communities to support their organizing work in their home countries. Some examples of recent projects volunteers have participated in include community radio programming, media analysis for human rights organizations, collaboration with midwifery training program, support for women's coffee cooperative, basic computer instruction in rural village, and design and production of book that engages the issue of domestic violence.

To apply, see How to Apply.