Companer@s,

Fourteen years after the public appearance of the Zapatista Army for
National Liberation (EZLN), fourteen years after the process of
recuperating land and territory with blood and fire in favor of the
indigenous peoples, zapatista or not, fourteen years after the Fire and the Word, the zapatista peoples are faced with a new attack from the Mexican state: "legal" takeovers of land, forced displacements, threats of displacement, reactivation of paramilitary groups, attacks against the integrity of zapatista families, damages to their possessions, political prisoners and hostages, manufactured offences, are, amongst others, some of the distinct facts which the zapatista peoples are faced with once again.

The escalating level of the attacks obliged the EZLN's Sixth Commission to suspend the tour that had been prepared for last October to pass through the central and south part of the country in the framework of the Other Campaign.

This led various organizations in Mexico and in the world to react against the escalation of repression against the zapatista peoples.

Fire and Word means 12 days of fire and 14 years of honoring the word. If there is an indigenous movement that has proven in practice one and the Other, are the zapatista peoples and the EZLN. Through meetings with the national and international civil society, using dialogue, to build with everyone a country and a world that are different, where a lot of worlds can fit (respecting difference), where democracy, freedom and justice will be a reality for all.

Looking back, fourteen years after, we see a reality and an inspiration:

Dates and Initiatives proposed and realised

6th to 9th of August 1994:
National Democratic Convention
3rd to 8th of January 1996:
National Indigenous Forum
3rd to 7th of April 1996:
1st American Continental Meeting
June 1996:
1st European Continental Meeting
30th of June to 6th of July 1996:
Forum for the Reform of the State
27th of July to 3rd of August 1996:
1st Intercontinental Meeting for Humanity and against Neo-liberalism
27th of July to 3rd of August 1997:
2nd Intercontinental Meeting
for Humanity and against Neo-liberalism
12th to 17th of September 1997:
March of the 1.111 and the Founding Conference of the Zapatista Front for National Liberation
20th to 22nd of November 1998:
1st Meeting of the EZLN and civil society
21st of March 1999:
National Consultation for the Recognition of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Against the War of Extermination
7th to 10th of May 1999:
2nd Meeting of the EZLN and civil society
31st of July to 1st of August 1999:
1st Meeting with the Democrats
and the Zapatista Dream
9th of February 2001:
EZLN answers to the questions of civil society through its webpage
24th of February 2001:
Beginning of the march of the Colour of the Earth
2nd, 3rd, 4th of March 2001:
Convention of the National Indigenous Congress
28th of March 2001:
Entrance in the National Congress (Speech by Comandanta Ester)
1st of April 2001:
After 77 public events and 37 days of touring 13 states the march for Indigenus Dignity is completed
7th of December 2002:
Basque country: foot paths
10th of November 2003:
Initialization of the campaign: "EZLN: 20 and 10, the Fire and the Word"
12th of January 2004:
Completion of the campaign: "EZLN: 20 and 10, the Fire and the Word"
13th of June 2005:
Sixth Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle
The Other Campaign
5th, 6th and 7th of August 2005:
Preparatory Meetings with the
Political Organisations of the Left (The Other Campaign)
12th, 13th and 14th of August 2005:
Preparatory Meetings with Indigenous Organisations and the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico (The Other Campaing)
19th, 20th, 21th of August 2005:
Preparatory Meetings with the Social Organisations of the Left (The Other Campaign)
26th, 27th, 28th of August 2005:
Preparatory Meetings with non gornvenmental organisations, artists, cultural groups, collectives (The Other Campaign)
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 9th, 10th and 11th of September 2005:
Preparatory Meetings with women, men, elders, children, individuals, representatives of families, communities of the streets, neibourhoods, districts (The Other Campaign)
16th of September 2005:
Meeting with all those who participated in the
preparatory meetings and a common announcement
1st of January 2006:
The Other Campaign:
Beginning of the 1st phase of the tour of Deligate Zero
28th of November 2006 Completion of the 1st phase of
the tour of Deligate Zero in all the country (31 states and a Federal
Department)
30th of December 2006:
1st Meeting of the Zapatistas with the Peoples of the World
25th of March 2007:
Beginning of the second phase of the Other Campaign
25th of March 2007: Anouncement of the International Campaign for the
defense of Land and Territory
10th of June 2007:
National Forum Against Repression
20th to 28th of July 2007 2nd Meeting of the
Zapatistas with the Peoples of the World
22nd of September 2007: Due to the threats to the Zapatista peoples, the EZLN postpones the second phase of the central and south tour of the country (The Other Campaign)
11th to 14th of October 2007:
Encounter of Indigenous Peoples of America (Vicam, Sonora)
28th to 31st of December 2007:
3rd Meeting of the Zapatistas with the Peoples of the World (Womens meeting)
13th to 16th of December 2007:
Subcomndante Marcos anounces the return to times of war. 1st International meeting in the memory of Andres Aubrey (The sense of red)

These are not all the initiatives that the Zapatista peoples have made; these are just some, a sample of the actions that in practice have honored the word, dignity and ingenuity.

Due to the increase of the attacks and of their consequences, we consider that it is necessary and urgent to connect - with the wider meaning of the word - that it is time we meet, get to know each other, to meet again and to get to know each other again, that it is time.

So, in the name of the Open Assembly of Solidarity to the Zapatistas and Against Repression in Chiapas (Greece) and the Center of Political
Analysis and Social and Economic Research (CAPISE), we invite you to
participate in the:

European Meeting for the Defense and the Struggle with the Zapatistas and
the Other Campaign - Mexico

Where?

In Athens of solidarity!

When?

On the 9th, 10th and 11th of May

Aims

For this first meeting, we consider that it is very important to define basic, minimum and specific goals that will allow us to create a basis and also will prepare the grounds for a second meeting that will help in widening even more the horizons. Because of this, the goals of this first meeting with Europe of solidarity are:

1 Opposing the new attack of the Mexican state against the Zapatistas,
to present proposals and plans of action in short term, midterm and long term level, which will not only allow resistance to the attack, but also promote the overall Zapatista plan, in the framework of their self determination as indigenous peoples.

2 Opposing the attack of the Mexican state against the national movement of the Other Campaign in Mexico, to present proposals and plans of action in short term, midterm and long term level, which will not only allow resistance to the attack, but also promote the gathering and the formation of this under construction national movement.

3 To investigate the possibility of the continuation of this under
construction European network. To investigate the next steps, the
possibility of a second meeting or/and other coordinated initiatives.

Chronicle

Since, almost just over a month ago and opposing the new attack against the Zapatista peoples and during the European tour of CAPISE, comrades from European groups were already preparing the initiative for a European Campaign of Solidarity to the Zapatista Autonomy and against the War in Chiapas. The call out of the European Campaign gave fruit instantly:
various organizations, networks, groups, initiatives and members of
European civil society adhered and continue to adhere in this Campaign, presenting proposals and initiatives for action against the repression that the Zapatista peoples are living again.

Neozapatismo has fourteen years of public life. Fourteen years ago
individuals from all over the world saw in the Zapatista movement a
resemblance of their identity and of the spirit of their struggle.

Those that today find themselves connected with the Zapatista peoples through organizations, groups, networks or individually, we are from different generations, some from the decade of the 90s, starting from 1994, others after 2000, others after the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandona Jungle in 2005, some are not any more, others left and came back, others just came, others participated and participate in one or various initiatives and proposals of the Zapatista peoples for forums and meetings, others work and realize programs with the Zapatista peoples.

We consider that it is time to meet, to meet again, get to know each
other, get to know each other again, to connect, to reconnect, to
strengthen and create a basis for every effort that is realized from all the organizations, networks, initiatives, groups and in general the civil society that is connected with the struggle of the Zapatista peoples.

Explanation of the three goals

Concerning the 1st goal

1 Opposing the new attack of the Mexican state against the Zapatistas,
to present proposals and plans of action in short term, midterm and long term level, which will not only allow resistance to the attack, but also promote the overall Zapatista plan, in the framework of their self determination as indigenous peoples.

Already today there exist proposals and plans of action opposing the new repression against the Zapatista peoples. One precise and able example that will be realized shortly is: The European or international solidarity caravan that will travel to Mexico and the indigenous territories in Chiapas in the following summer. It's a very important initiative and proposal, that we consider should be forwarded widely from all networks and groups and in continuation specific goals should be determined for this.

Also there are, amongst others, proposals for boycotting tourism in
Chiapas and in all of Mexico, coordinated mobilizations in the embassies, painting exhibitions, cultural events. We consider that a way to strengthen all of the proposals, to give them time, a logical and strategic meaning, is by meeting and coordinating all proposed action plans in short term, mid term and long term level.

There are also programs that are realized by various organizations, groups and members of civil society with the Zapatista peoples. For example, those that support the commercial distribution of coffee or Zapatista handcrafts, those that were connected or still are through brotherhoods with the Autonomous Municipalities and the Zapatista comunities or also with programs of education, health, alimentation, communication, amongst others. Many or several of those organisations and/or individuals do not know each other.

The organizations that realize political work or different programs, in many cases are not known amongst themselves and also they have not been able to see that they are closely related in their work and their goals.

It is time to meet and connect amongst ourselves. It is time to get to
know what that organization, group, network or civil society is doing with the Zapatistas and to see how we can all support each one of those.

Concerning the 2nd goal

2 Opposing the attack of the Mexican state against the national movement of the Other Campaign in Mexico, to present proposals and plans of action in short term, midterm and long term level, which will not only allow resistance to the attack, but also promote the gathering and the formation of this under construction national movement.

There are also proposals that strengthen the under construction national movement of the Other Campaign. One of these examples is also connected with the European or International Caravan of this summer; another was and still is the support to the comrades of the Other Campaign of San Salvador Atenco or the support to political prisoners inside and outside Chiapas, amongst others.

We consider that it is time to look at and connect also proposals and
action plans that will allow also a strategic meaning in short term, mid term and long term plan.

Concerning the 3rd goal

3 To investigate the possibility of the continuation of this under
construction European network. To investigate the next steps, the
possibility of a second meeting or/and other coordinated initiatives.

Soon (before the meeting in May) CAPISE will present specific proposals concerning goal number 3.

Preparations for the meeting in May

We propose that the organizations, groups, initiatives and networks of
every country that are connected with the Zapatistas, gather and /or come together to create commissions for registration per country that will allow the registrations to be gathered. This will help the comrades of the Open Assembly of Solidarity to the Zapatistas and Against Repression in Chiapas (Greece) - that happily accepted to organize this first meeting - to coordinate with a more effective way and reduce their work load.

We propose that the organizations, groups, initiatives and networks of
every country that are connected with the Zapatistas, to begin, according to their potentials, meetings to discuss proposals and action plans to be presented in the meeting. We know that some will be able to attend the meeting, others the caravan and other none of the above. That's why we also propose to meet and send their representatives, who will be defined from every organization. Of course the comrades from the Open Assembly of Solidarity to the Zapatistas and Against Repression in Chiapas (Greece) expect to welcome and take care of all the visitors in Athens of solidarity.

We propose that the organizations, groups, initiatives, networks and
members of civil society that will not be able to participate in the
meeting of Athens, to send their specific proposals to be discussed in the meeting. In the proposals there will need to be a full name of the sender, organization or individual, the country, city or village, the telephone number and to be clarified if it is a short term, mid term or long term proposal.

For contact

1) Electronic address only for the registration of participants for the meeting (organizations or civil society) write to:
registroforoatenas at riseup.net

2) Electronic address only for proposals, doubts or clarifications
concerning the forum, write to: infoforoatenas at riseup.net
3) Website:  http://www.europazapatista.org

In solidarity

Open Assembly of Solidarity to the Zapatistas and Against Repression in Chiapas (Greece)

Center of Political Analysis and Social and Economic Research (CAPISE)