First Meeting of the Zapatistas with the People of the World. Dec 30th - Jan 2nd. Oventic, Chiapas, Mexico..Planet Earth
From December 30th through January 2nd, the first meeting between the Zapatistas and the people of the world took place in Caracol II, Oventic, marking the end of the first stage of the 'Other Campaign'. More than 2,000 people were registered at the encuentro in addition to hundreds of authorities from the autonomous municipalities and a total of 2,000 more compass from Zapatista bases of support. The 4-day meeting involved 6 working tables which were led by authorities from the Good Government Councils of all 5 Caracoles – La Realidad, Oventic, La Garrucha, Morelia and Roberto Barrios – covering education, health, women, communication, economy and the struggle for land and territory. Members from each of the five Good Government Councils began each table, presenting on how each caracol and autonomous municipality has been organizing around these issues, which was followed by contributions from international Sexta adherents speaking to their own local struggles on all of these issues. See below for summaries of each working table:
For more complete coverage of the encuentro, including, text, video and audio, visit:
 TABLE 1
The 'Other' Education
Today, the second day of the first meeting of the Zapatistas with the people of the world and with the grounds of Oventik still covered in mist, began the first work session on autonomous education - the ‘other education’. The table began with a discussion of the autonomous education system that has been established in Zapatista communities since government teachers were run out of the communities in 2000. Members of the Good Government Councils representing the 5 caracoles – La Realidad, Oventik, La Garrucha, Morelia and Roberto Barrios – along with representatives from the education commissions of many of the autonomous municipalities spoke of both the gains and obstacles of the past 6 years constructing autonomous education. Following this period, which allowed each Council 20 minutes to speak to education in their region, was a short question and answer period and the table was closed with the commentaries and participation of delegates from throughout Mexico and the world.
It made clear the differences in the pace with which the schools and educational promoters are advancing, but also clear was the shared desire for the creation of an educational system of liberation rather than domination. All members addressed the history of education in their communities and the reasons for the rejection of government teachers. In addition to the facts that the teachers often came from the cities and therefore had little real commitment to the communities, couldn’t communicate with the students in their native tongue and were often abusive towards the children, after the uprising in 1994 there were fears that teachers came to the communities as spies and the military was often involved in bringing supplies to the communities. Beyond these problems was the recognition that the material being taught, created by a government that is not only abusive but also ignorant of life in the communities, was not serving either the children or the community to address their own problems.
In 1999, after communities had been meeting to discuss this situation, it was decided in assembly that they would begin to name people from their own communities as educational promoters that would take the place of government teachers. The testimonies shed light on the difficulty of this process, which involves training educational promoters and constructing schools in a situation where resources are scarce, but nevertheless all Councilors demonstrated their commitment to the process as the only way to return dignity and respect to their schools. Although the process continues slowly, the hundreds of educational promoters that are currently providing thousands of Zapatista children with a bilingual education in the basic subjects of mathematics, history, language and natural sciences, as well as special focuses on the Zapatista demands, agroecology, and the integration of the theory of the classroom with the practice of community work and life.
Following this presentation and a brief question and answer period, Otra Campaña adherents from throughout Mexico and the world took the microphone to speak of their own struggles for autonomy in education. Representatives from the autonomous schools of Xinaxcalmecac in Los Angeles, La Platforma Mexicana in Madrid joined members of Ya Basta! from Italy, Acción Zapatista and RadioZapatista from California, U.S.-based Mexicanos Sin Fronteras, the Normal Mactumatza in Chiapas and representatives of Section XXII of the Teachers Union in Oaxaca to speak to the various struggles that organized communities throughout the world are encountering in education.
Whether with the discourse of autonomy or popular power, there was general agreement that institutions of education only serve to educate within a certain, in this case capitalist, framework. As much in the city as in the countryside, there is a realization that it is only working against or outside of these systems that a truly libratory and critical education can be achieved. Merely changing the content does not affect the relations of power exercised within the classroom and with that in mind, not only the Zapatistas in Chiapas, but people throughout the world are struggling to teach by learning, speak by listening, and govern by obeying.
 TABLE 2
The 'Other' Health
En la mesa de salud, representantes de los cinco caracoles hablaron sobre como han organizado la salud en su caracol.
La Realidad
Karina, Joel y Claudio, representantes de la Junta de Buen Gobierno, hablaron sobre la organización de salud en caracol I, La Realidad.
Karina explicó, que antes de la sistema de salud zapatista, cuando alguien se enfermaba, tenían que caminar días cargando los enfermos. Muchas veces los enfermos no pudieran recibir atención medica, y se murieron. Por el problema de distancia tenían que organizar los pueblos. Empezaron la capacitación de promotores de salud, y ahora tienen 90 promotores. Hicieron capacitación sobre el uso de medicamento de farmacia, pero lo mas importante fue sobre el uso de plantas medicantes que hay en su zona. Con plantas medicantes no tienen que depender de medicamento de
farmacia, que es muy caro.
En La Realidad han construido 5 clínicas municipales que actualmente están funcionando. También tienen 2 más, pero estos no funcionan por la falta de recursos. En la hospital de escuela han hecho tratamiento mas avanzado, como cirugía de tumores, con el apoyo de doctores en solidaridad.
Joel habló sobre la importancia de pasar la sabiduría de los antepasados, quienes no usaban medicamento de farmacia, sino plantas medicinales.
Claudio explicó la importancia de prevención de enfermedades. Las tres medidas más importantes son el hervir el agua antes de tomarla, limpiar el solar y construir una letrina y usarlo.
Roberto Barrios
Dominga habló sobre la vacunación en la zona norte. Es especialmente importante vacunar los niños contra epidemias.
Oventik
Celia habló sobre el problema de indígenas, que no reciben ayuda medica del mal gobierno. En la comunidad de Oventik construyeron una clínica. Terminó la construcción en 1991, y empezó a funcionar la clínica en 1992 con ocho promotores de salud, que tenían experiencia de una clínica del gobierno. Empezaron a atender los pacientes con poca experiencia y pocos materiales. Después del levantamiento armado en 1994 empezaron a llegar personas de sociedad civil para saber cuales son las demandas. Una de las demandas de comunidades zapatistas es la salud, por que los pueblos indígenas no cuentan con la salud de gobierno.
Necesitan recursos economicos para capacitar los promotores y para contruir clínicas y casas de salud. Agua potable, medio ambiente, alimentación, capacitación, educación son igual de importantes para fortalecer la autonomía de los pueblos. Mucha gente nacional e internacional entendió la necesidad y empezaron a apoyar económicamente.
La clínica ha desarrollado mucho hasta que ahora clínica cuenta con: consultorio general, dental, ginecología, girofano, laboratorio, farmacia y cinco cuartos de hospitalización y un cuarto de enfermería y una sala de partos, una sala de urgencia, oftalmología, óptica, bodega de materiales y un laboratorio de medicina herbolaria y una sala de capacitación.
Cuando el mal gobierno vio que hay un poco de apoyo para los zapatistas, no dejó que llegue el apoyo para ellos. Ellos decidieron formar una organización legal desde 1996 que se llama Organización de la Salud Comunitario de los Pueblos Indígenas Maya de Chiapas. La función es contra parte legal. Con apoyo de organizaciones han avanzado. Han construido 12 micro clínicas, 3 centros de atención para mujeres, 6 centros de capacitación para promotores.
Cuando no se puede curar pacientes, los trasladan a hospitales de
gobierno, pero siempre con un promotor. Cuentan con algunos vehículos y dos ambulancias.
Todavía hay mucho trabajo, faltan herramientas y recursos. Los municipios y junta de buen gobierno han tratado de buscar formas para que los servicios de salud sean gratis para la población, pero no se ha logrado, por la falta de recursos. Algunos municipios han formado farmacias autónomas, donde los medicamentos se pueden comprar con precio más bajo que en las farmacias particulares. Cuando el sistema de salud reciba donaciones de medicamento, lo dan gratis al pueblo.
 TABLE 3
Women
The women of zapatismo are dreaming. They dream that their struggle will continue forward. They dream that someday they will achieve their demands as Zapatista women.
The fourth table at the Encounter of the Zapatista Communities with the Communities of the World was a presentation by the women of zapatismo about their experiences, struggles and resistances. Thepresentation began with a great amount of zeal. The women began by speaking about the advances they have achieved within zapatismo. Particularly important to the women was their ability to participate in community decision making processes within zapatismo and also their ability to work as community authorities. In these ways, the women detailed, they felt their voices were being heard and that they wereactive within organizing. Also important to the women was the emergence of the women's collectives which have offered them a space of work outside of the home as well as a way to earn income by selling the beautiful artisanry (weavings, clothes, and jewelry, among other things) that they produce.
The speakers, however, also made it clear that their struggle as women was far from over. One speaker, Adaluz from the caracol of Roberto Barrios, detailed the work that a woman is responsible for on an average day. Rising at 3am to prepare the coffee for the men before they head out to the fields, the women continue to work incessantly until long after sunset. There are animals to be fed, children to be cared for, corn to be ground and tortillas to be pressed, three daily meals to be prepared, washing of both dishes and clothes in the early afternoon and food and firewood to be collected in the evening. Another speaker, Rosa who is also from the caracol of Roberto Barrios, reminded the audience that many indigenous women still do not know how to read or write (or speak spanish)and that they continue to be exploited and marginalized both as indigenous persons and as women. A third speaker said, "Machismo continues to exist. We're not saying that it doesn't" and that she felt that zapatista women are "mistreated [as women] by a neoliberal and capitalist system."
On the whole, the women expressed that while they felt they had made important advances, they also felt they had only come a little way on the path to gender equality. The women were clear that they felt themselves to be in a process of constructing their own autonomy and that they must continue in their struggle and in their organizing in order to receive the respect they deserve as women.
In order for the dreams of the zapatista women to come true they say, "we need more dedication on both sides [of the gender divide]."
 TABLE 4
The 'Other' Communication, Art and Culture
Only a handful of hours after the Cumbia rhythms stopped dancing through the air from
the New Year’s celebration, the 4th working table of the Zapatista meeting with the people of the world got underway, talking about alternative forms of communication and preservation of art and culture. As has been the case for all of the working tables, representatives from the 5 Caracoles – La Realidad, Oventik, La Garrucha, Morelia and Roberto Barrios – began the day speaking of the forms of communication that have been and continue to be established in the Caracoles. Members of the Good Government and Autonomous Municipal Councils explained that the massive and mainstream media are little more than mouthpieces for those who seek to dominate, and that in the capitalist system this domination is as much social, cultural and artistic as it is economic. Since the poor and dispossessed are excluded from these conventional media, it is necessary that alternatives be sought so that they too can have access to forms of communication within and between their communities.
Good Government and Autonomous Municipal Councilors addressed subjects as wide as transportation, radio, internet, murals, traditional music and dress, video editing and production, childbirth and many others. Most important among these has been the installation of internet in the Caracoles and community radios, Radio Insurgente, in communities in many regions. Radio Insurgente, although it transmits via internet as well, is most important in the internal communication, relaying news and cultural events to the communities in Spanish as well as the local dialect – Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Ch’ol, Zoque y Mam. Radios still need to be installed in many more communities, but they are currently in the process of training community members to set up, maintain and transmit via community radios in communities in all 5 regions. The process is slow and often difficult and one Counciler from Caracol V, Robert Barrios, told of the difficulties they had encountered as one of the transmitters failed and burst into flames, discouraging those who were being trained from continuing with the effort.
Training and formation in technical skills to run and maintain computers, navigate the internet and audio and video production have also been vital both internally and externally in the 13 years since the uprising. Within the communities, to augment radio transmissions, news can be taken from the internet in order to create newspaper murals to inform communities of local, national and international news. In the past year, since the launch of the Other Campaign, this has been a vital medium for informing community members of the Campaign’s progress, especially during its halt following the May 3 and 4th repression in San Salvador Atenco. Audio and video production have been just as important for this kind of internal communication as for informing the national and international communities of developing events in the Zapatista communities.
Groups such as Promedios, who have been working with the compañer@s since the uprising developing necessary technical skills produce video documentaries, were also credited for helping a great deal in this aspect of the struggle. Documentaries produced have been showed nationally and internationally, contributing a great deal to the widespread support for the Zapatista struggle on these levels.
Compañer@s from a number of collectives and organizations throughout the world then participated, sharing experiences and struggles from their own communities. A Los Angeles Radio Station, working with the ‘Otra del Otro Lado’, shared its struggle to increase progressive Spanish-language programming in the greater L.A. area, especiall given the ever increasing number of Spanish speakers in the country. Another man from TV Kurdistan, representing the Kurdish territories in Syria, Iraq and Turkey, even invited the compas for training in TV production in their studios. Various member from the Otra Cultura collective in Mexico City shared their experiences, one of the most powerful describing a theatrical event they recently realized in the jail Santiaguito, which ended in family members embracing for the first time in 8 months, and all of the prisoners shouting ‘ATENCO VIVE’, ‘LA LUCHA SIGUE’. Additionally, representatives from the APPO, CIPO-RFM, East Side Café, Soul Rebel Radio, Pintar Obedeciendo, Pulpo Mecanico, Subversion Sonora among others participated sharing their achievements and struggles.
The struggle for retaking communication media is a slow one, and filled with obstacles, but one that needs to continue, and as one comandante said on first day of the meeting, ‘even if we can’t ultimately change the world, we must at least make sure that it doesn’t change us.’
 TABLE 5
The 'Other' Economy
When the Zapatista’s rose up on January 1, 1994, a call began for an alternative to the Neo liberalism espoused by the North American Free Trade Agreement. It has been thirteen years since their uprising and in that time the Zapatistas’ have been pushing forward different economic projects within their communities. This topic of economic development within the Zapatista Autonomous Zone was discussed at The Intergalactic Encounter on January 1, 2007, in a forum titled “The Other Commerce”.
This forum comprised of a panel of three representatives from all the Zapatista Councils of Good Governments. The topics addressed in the forum were the cooperatives established in the Zapatista Autonomous Zone, the reasons for their creation, and the problems they faced.
One issue raised by all of the Councils of Good Government was getting a fair price for crops grown by Zapatista farmers. The farmers in the Zapatista zone would often sell their goods to a coyote or middle man who would give them a price way below the price they were being sold in the market. These farmers, often being located very away from the market, would have to accept these unfair prices for their crops. Often, when they went to the market to sell their products directly, they were still subject to unfair tariffs by the market managers.
Cooperatives were created in several of the Zapatista communities so the farmers could get a better rate by selling their goods in bulk as opposed to selling their goods as individual producers. This gives them a better price and also decreased transportation costs. Another solution was developed in one Carcol with the creation of a cooperative that would sell their crops inside the zone. The idea of this initiative was to circumvent dealing with outside markets, who might try to shortchange the farmers.
Zapatista Coffee cooperatives were addressed in this forum as well; these coops were created in order to ensure a fair price for the coffee being grown in the Zapatista zone. The coffee cooperatives would oversee how much coffee would be sold and when it would be sold, to insure fair and stable prices. These cooperatives faced the same problem that many of the agricultural cooperatives faced, finding a market that would give them a fair price for their product. The directors’ boards of these cooperatives have been seeking to rid themselves of middlemen and intermediaries so they can sell their products directly to consumers in both the national and international market.
Within the Zapatista zones there was also the problem with fertility of the land within the different villages. A representative from one Council told the crowd within her region the land was not fertile enough to raise large amounts of crops or coffee. In order to circumvent the limitations of the land, the women supplemented their incomes by making handicrafts. The problems faced by these artisans were the same struggles experienced by both the coffee growers and the farmers with their products often being sold for way less than their true value. With this reoccurring problem, various artisans formed artisans cooperative. These cooperatives again would again pool the individual producer’s product to create volume and coordinate production. Being able to coordinate production and sales allowed the artisans to get a better price than as individual sellers.
The economic initiatives addressed by the speaker’s panel at the Encounter reflect many of the initiatives undertaken by American farmers during the Grange movement. During this period of American history, small farmers banded together to form various cooperative ventures to ensure they would not be shortchanged by unscrupulous middle men. American farmers during this period in the later 19th century also sought to get their products to their intended buyers.
The Grange movement eventually petered out with the subsequent regulation and deregulation of the railroads, but the with the Zapatista economic initiatives still in their infancy it will be interesting to see where these projects will lead. Where American farmers solely sought to carve out a niche in the existing economic structure, the Zapatistas are seeking the change the existing economic structure. The creation of these cooperatives is making a fist step in the change they seek.
 TABLE 6
The Struggle for Land and Territory
(English / Español)
The Struggle for Land and Territory
On January 1rst, the Zapatistas continued the dialogue about alternatives to Neoliberalism. The Encounter with the Villages with a workshop entitled The Struggle for the Land and Territory. A panel from the different municipalities was assembled who discussed the struggles over land acquisition and usage.
A speaker from Caracol V, Roberto Barrios, addressed the assembly on the history of land struggle in Chiapas. He stated that the problem of land stemmed all the way from La Conquista, when Spanish agents after subduing the native populations divided the land into larger tracks each track being owned by a landlord. This set the precedence for the indigenous either being forced to farm poorer lands or having no land at all.
The panel discussed how right before the Zapatista uprising, the lands within Chiapas were still concentrated into the hands of large landholders. This concentration of the land into the hands of a few have been documented as helping to radicalize the indigenous population providing the base of support that would form the EZLN.
In the time since Zapatista uprising in 1994, Zapatista institutions have undertaken agricultural reforms the areas. One member stated that lands of large holders were divided and distributed to families who didn’t have any lands to work. Even with the redistribution there are still problems with the land, with many of lands being less fertile with every year of use.
Many of the occupied lands are worked collectively in the Zapatista zones. It is not uncommon for women to work together and share the rewards equally; this being one could argue the start of a cooperative economy. The representative from Morelia stated that within communities in his area there were women who started a hen cooperative.
A problem facing the Zapatistas is upon occupied lands there is the threat of the paramilitaries coming into their communities and forcing them off the land. This makes it hazardous for Zapatista’s families that had settled upon these grounds. But even with this threat, many of the settlers refuse to be intimated because this land they are working is the only land available.
With land being such a precious resource in the Zapatista communities, being their means towards sustenance and survival, they are conserving what they have by thinking ecologically. Within Zapatista communities, regulations have been enacted such as replanting two saplings for every adult tree felled. There also measures being enacted to preventing the planting of genetically modified seeds and using toxic herbicides. The Zapatista have also enacted proactive measures such as seeking to conserve the natural stands of corn they grow within their communities.
Academics have stated that by not acting ecologically towards the land has been one of the main reasons for the exhaustion of the land. Some of the first settlers of Lacandon jungle, where many Zapatista communities are located, chose to clear cut the lands to make way for coffee and cattle. The methods used by these first settler depleted the land of its fertility and contributed to the deforestation of this area. The Zapatistas learning from the errors of their predecessors have attempted to preserve the land, which they have fought so hard to gain, so they can leave something for their children and future generations.
La Lucha por Tierra y Territorio
La mesa de trabajo sobre la tierra y el territorio fue la última mesa del Encuentro. El primero de enero de 2007, en el aniversario de trece años de la lucha zapatista, miembros de las cinco Juntas de buen gobierno (JBG) se reunieron con la sociedad civil y las bases de apoyo en el auditorio de Oventik durante un aguacero tremendo. El auditorio estaba completamente lleno, con gente parada por todos lados. El Comandante Abraham, del Caracol 1 de La Realidad, madre de los caracoles, fue el moderador de esta mesa y en su introducción al evento explicó que le dicen “Madre tierra” porque “realmente la necesitamos,” como necesitamos a nuestra madre. También afirmó la necesidad de luchar a todo costo, incluso hasta la muerte para defenderla.
Los miembros de la JBG del Caracol “Hacia la esperanza” comenzaron con su presentación, hablando de la situación en la zona fronteriza. El tema de la reforma agraria surgió y Saúl dijo que solo produció “toneladas de papél” sin ningún impacto real. Otro miembro de la JBG, Elisa, habló de la situación de las mujeres y la necesidad de ejercer el derecho que tienen a hacer todo lo que hacen los hombres, si es que quieran hacerlo. Un tema que enfatizó extensamente fue el trabajo colectivo en torno a la tierra: en la milpa, con la hortaliza, y con los animales. Jesús habló de los retos de compartir territorio con muchas culturas y organizaciones, entre Zapatistas y no Zapatistas.
Enfatizó que a veces trabajan todos juntos, en común, en varios proyectos incluyendo la construcción y mantenimiento de caminos. Dijo: “No tenemos porqué provocar a los demás, sino que queremos ser ejemplo para los demás de cómo crear un mundo mejor.” Para evitar idealizar la relación entre los Zapatistas y las otras organizaciónes, señaló que a veces hay pleitos, pero afirmó que “nosotros no los queremos agrandar, sino que queremos buscar una solución y ver quien tiene la razón.” El trabajo de buscar formas de colaborar entre culturas, lenguas, y organizaciones es complejo y Jesús explicó que “respetamos a todos para dar a entender con el ejemplo contra quién es que tenemos que luchar”: los finqueros y grandes terratenientes, apoyados por el mal gobierno.
La segunda participación fue por los miembros de la JBG del Caracol 2 en Oventik, “Corazón céntrico de los Zapatistas frente al mundo.” Marcelo, Abraham, y Zenaira presentaron la experiencia de las comunidades de la zona de los altos. Los temas dominantes fueron la falta de tierra, las dificultades de sembrar maíz en tierras frías y cansadas, la lucha contra el PROCEDE, y la resistencia al uso de agroquímicos. Marcelo dijo que “muchos campesinos siguen como en la época de Porfirio Díaz.” El levantamiento de 1994 representó el deseo de un pedazo de tierra, y en el caso de los altos, donde no hay tierras recuperadas, hay much@s compañer@s que aún no tienen tierra. Por eso, explicó, hay mucha gente que migran, dejando sus pueblos de orígen, y muchas de ell@s no regresan vivos, pierden su cultura, o “caen en los vicios.” Por todas estas razones, Abraham declaró que “nosotros los Zapatistas seguiremos luchando para la tierra que fue invadida, porque la tierra es el patrimonio dejado por nuestros antepasados,” y el Artículo 27, el patrimonio dejado por Emiliano Zapata. Una forma de defender a la tierra es la práctica de la agroecología, con el liderazgo de promotores elegidos por las comunidades.
Los representantes del Caracol 3 de La Garrucha, Samuel, Esther, Alex y Lidia, relataron “la historia muy triste de nuestros antepasados,” que fue lo que inspiró el levantamiento de 1994. Repitieron muchos de los temas mencionados por los otros compañeros: el respeto de las tierras ejidales, los problemas con los agroquímicos, la defensa de las tierras recuperadas, y el respeto de los no Zapatistas. Este grupo también habló de la región de Montes Azules y las cuestiones particulares que surgen en torno a esta zona. Esther habló muy brevemente, mencionando su dificultad con hablar español, pero si uso su palabra para mencionar la Comandanta Ramona, “un ejemplo para todas la mujeres.”
Lorenzo y Minerma hablaron por parte del Caracol 4 de Morelia “Corazón arcoiris de nuestra esperanza.” Repitieron que lo más importante es el trabajo en colectivo, que se opone a la forma del mal gobierno que busca dividirlos con programas como el PROCEDE. Un tema que no se había mencionado previamente es el de la reforestación, y el hecho de que plantan dos árboles para cada uno que cortan. Lorenzo afirmó que lo que es fundamental a las ideas de los Zapatistas es “trabajando con conciencia y corazón” para crear un mejor futuro.
La última participación fue por parte de Pascual y Anabel del Caracol 5 de Roberto Barrios “nueva semilla que va a producir.” Pascual comenzó su charla diciendo que “como Zapatistas, traemos en práctica, no en teoría.” La situación de la Zona Norte es particular porque hay mucha actividad de paramilitares. Otra vez, surgió el tema de la resistencia al PROCEDE, que identificó como “nuestro enemigo.” Anabel empezó leyendo de un texto que ella había preparado, pero después de un rato, dejó de leer y empezó a hablar libremente, de una forma muy elocuente, con muchísima pasión.
Después de la participación de los representantes de los cinco Caracoles, dos miembros del Consejo Nacional Indígena presentaron un documento con lo cual afirmaron la necesidad de seguir con la lucha anticapitalista para la protección de la Madre Tierra, la Madre Ceiba (que para ellos es el árbol de la vida). En una muestra de apoyo y solidaridad entre el CNI y el EZLN, Juanito Dionisio dijo que “nuestro árbol se volvió más fuerte cuando nos hallamos con la palabra zapatista,” porque “nuestra flor más grande y fuerte es la palabra.” Una mujere Kumiai de Baja California, Yolanda, leyó la segunda parte del texto, haciendo un llamado a formar un frente amplio anticapitalista para crear una nueva constitución, con lo cual se reafirmaron muchas de las metas de la Otra Campaña y la Sexta declaración de la selva lacandona.
Siguiendo el proceso de las otra mesas, este evento concluyó con una ronda de preguntas del público y la participación de compañer@s de otros lugares de México y del mundo, compartiendo sus experiencias de luchar en defensa de la tierra. Algunos temas sobresalientes incluyeron: la autonomía económica en la lucha zapatista, la recuperación de tierra, la defensa de granjas urbanas en otros países, la lucha contra los transgénicos y los agroquímicos, y los derechos a territorio de los pueblos indígenas. Como fue el caso en las noches anteriores, la luz se cortó durante unos 20-30 minutos, pero la gente continuó hablando y compartiendo sus experiencias. Los temas de la autonomía y de la tierra se podrían considerar los ejes centrales de la lucha zapatista y de muchas de la luchas que se están desarollando en todo el mundo. Por eso fue muy simbólico que abrieron y cerraron el Encuentro con las mesas de trabajo que trataban estos temas.
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