SJWB+EZLN

An Investigative Proposal on the Systemic Changes Created by  The Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN) for the Improvement of ACTIVOS and CYIC By Yvonne Zuñiga Armando Briceno Jonathan Ruiz March 12, 2009 Rudy Lozano Leadership Academy Social Justice 101

**Introduction: Opening Our Ears, Eyes, and Minds** “The aim is to listen and learn about the struggles, the resistance and rebel movements support them and bind them together to build a national anti-capitalist, leftish program.”-Subcomandante Marcos. The Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN) are firm believers in that the government should not run the people, but rather the people run their government. It is very apparent that we live in a society where those with power are usually the ones in control. We are so internally oppressed and used to it that we have become oblivious and apathetic to our surroundings. We need to understand that our goals and expectations of living have to be higher, that together we can achieve far more than what the system wants to give us. The EZLN have opened their ears, eyes, and minds to fight oppression and all injustices that they are faced with. In this report we will explain all about the group’s beginnings, their ideology, and their organizing strategies and just how powerful an organization of people willing to question and act upon injustices truly is. Then we will determine whether the organization created systemic change or basic reform and how we can learn from them. The EZLN was founded by the people of Chiapas City, Mexico. They were tired of being put down, ignored, and left for poverty so they stood up to the government that would not let them have a part in it. The EZLN was created by two groups; one of the two groups that formed the EZLN was Bishop Samuel Ruiz from the Dioceses of the San Christian Delacauses, along with Subcomandante Marcos; he is the high-profile, pipe-smoking masked leader of Mexico's Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN). Much more than a leader he was a supporter; he created all the acts that the EZLN did and he was the spokesperson for the organization. The organization was officially set up in 1983, when the two groups agreed on what should be changed. The members of the EZLN were all poor peasants, who for years had been pushed off lands and not given the access to anything like water, food, education, and they did not have a voice in their Mexican government. The EZLN was an oppressed grassroots organization, because they started in their community and spread all over Mexico. The members of the EZLN organized because they wanted to stop oppression in Chiapas (Mexico). The event that led them to form the organization was the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in 1994, when the agreement was put into effect. This agreement would let the USA get products at lower prices and stated that Mexico would not be able to raise the price of their products sold to the USA; this eventually led to the people gaining no profit and made things far more difficult for them. On December 22, 1997, in Chiapas, Mexico, in a little town, armed forces of the Mexican army surrounded a Catholic Church, while proceeding to shoot those inside. A number of residents survived the massacre, while those murdered on that day included 15 children, 21 women and 9 men; that event stood in the hearts of the people of Chiapas, Mexico. The Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional does not approve of Neo-Liberalism or Economic Liberalism; they are fighting for the autonomy of the indigenous population and they believe that humanity should be far more respected than money or power. The EZLN feel that the people should be able to make decisions and be a part of their government. They believe that all people should have free education, free healthcare, and free social services. The EZLN would like to create their own form of government dependant from that of their government. They are determined to create a systemic change and they do all that they can to make their demands heard and met. Their slogan is “everything for everyone and nothing for ourselves”. Realizing that they had nothing to lose and so much more to gain, the EZLN seen the obvious exploitation occurring amongst their people and made it their mission to fight for social justice. They want power to be based on service and participation, rather than on domination. The EZLN is a group that seeks real systemic change; they believe that the main principal of leadership is “mandar obedeciendo”, or “governing by the will of the community”. Fed up with the injustices they were faced with, the EZLN declared war on their own government and began their fight for peace and justice for all. The EZLN believes in peaceful and non-violent means of change. They use peaceful tactics to attain their goals, all while wearing ski masks to conceal their identities. The EZLN achieved popular power by marching and protesting, as well as holding meetings to get their message(s) across. The most common strategy used by the EZLN is the action of silence; they stay silent to protest against their government. The EZLN uses tactical media to be seen and heard. The Zapatista’s believe that “the important thing is the spectacle that you make out of an event in the media, as opposed to the event itself”. They use technology such as radios, cellular phones, satellite phones, and the Internet to communicate and publicize their actions, as well as to build solidarity and support with other people and organizations all over the world. Another strategy used by the EZLN to fight for change is through the power of knowledge; compilations of writings such as fables, letters and books were created so that people can read and learn from. The EZLN has produced simple reform in the sense that they have not yet changed or got rid of the current government completely, but they have managed to create many municipals where they are independent from the government; there is free health care, free education and other social services in these communities. Systemic change can be attained only when a new political culture is established in which there is more respect for humanity than there is for money. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The EZLN is an organization that is united and committed to making social change. They represent all of the oppressed and stand for the rights of the people. The EZLN rose from the poorest conditions and unfair living circumstances to rebel against their own government. Their slogans are “Everything for everyone, and nothing for ourselves!”, along with, “Ya Basta!” ACTIVOS and CYIC can learn a few things from an organization like the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional; some recommendations that could help ACTIVOS and CYIC in their fight for social justice are: <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">will be able to actually make changes.
 * <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Behind the Mask: The Beginnings of the EZLN **
 * <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Think like A Zapatista: What Do They Believe? **
 * <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Nothing to Lose, But So Much to Gain: EZLN Actions and Strategies **
 * <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Room for Change and Improvement: Recommendations For Us Today **
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Determination; being determined is key when trying to achieve or attain something. ACTIVOS and CYIC should set goals for the group and build support so that they can achieve their goals.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Unity. Unity has a lot to do with a strong organization, if there is no unity the chances of there being permanence of the group is slim to none. They should become more united as a group so that they can work better and become stronger organizations.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Commitment and Organization; without commitment and organization ACTIVOS and CYIC will not be able to initialize any type of positive change. They need to be more committed to the cause and more organized so that they
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Better Communication. If the group is able to communicate with one another on a regular basis and are comfortable in doing so, the group will be able to come up with great ideas and be able to take action. ACTIVOS and CYIC should build their communication skills amongst each other by building a positive relationship outside of the organization meetings and activities.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Leadership. They should make sure there are people willing to step up and take the lead so that things can actually get done; they can attend leadership workshops and teach the members what it takes to be a leader.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">**The Ongoing Fight for Justice** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional is a fighting, grassroots organization that has made many changes. They are still in the struggle for systemic change, and so far have managed to create many municipals independent from government support. We believe that they are a great example of a grassroots organization that is out to fight for social justice and demonstrate that there is hope for real change. The EZLN has impacted many lives in Chiapas, Mexico by giving the people a sense of hope and strength. The fight for social justice is not an easy struggle, but yet the EZLN continue to fight for the rights of their people. We can learn from the EZLN that unity is key, and that we should not settle for unfair, oppressed living standards created by those who feel they have the right to empower us. In order for there to be change there has to be action initiated amongst those who need or want it, and of course there has to be people willing to risk and give it their all in order to accomplish these things. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">**Bibliography** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">__http://www.geocities.com/alt_politics/EZLN.html__ (Alternative Politics Third Parties and More, Unknown) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">__http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_Army_of_National_Liberation__ (Zapatista Army of National Liberation, Wikipedia) [|Our Word is Our Weapon]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> by [|Subcomandante Marcos]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> (Copyright 2001) [|Ya Basta! Ten Years of the Zapatista Uprising]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> by [|Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos]<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> (Copyright 2003)