Oaxaca film night on Thursday 12th April


Thursday 12th April at 7.30pm

at the rampART Social Centre

15 Rampart St London E1 (off Commercial Road, nearest tube Whitechapel)
directions:  http://rampart.xploiting.org/wiki/doku.php/how_to_find_us



This event is about a screening of two documentaries to be followed by a discussion.

The aim of the discussion is to invigorate London-based solidarity with the struggle in Oaxaca and establish links among current struggles in different fields, such as climate change, multi-national control over land, water, forest, oil, gas……to the natural resources, with the help of governments and the protection of police and military forces.

This event will be held with the participation of the members of Bolivia Solidarity Campaign, Africa Socialist Party as well as activists working with Oaxacans.



1) Oaxaca Vive (Oaxaca does not Surrender) (2007)

‘Oaxaca Vive’ is a new compilation of independent media film
footage put together with interviews that looks back at the height of the
struggle and puts it into political context. The movement that succeeded for
about 5 months was oppressed by the government with massive violence and
persecution, but people's spirit continues to be high. People continue to
have big marches and the teachers recently did another strike.



The APPO, Popular assembly of the people of Oaxaca started in June 2006 when
the teachers took the main square of Oaxaca City demanding the government
not only better salaries but also better conditions of living for the
poorest communities of the state of Oaxaca.

 http://www.asambleapopulardeoaxaca.com/ (Spanish)
 http://www.narconews.com/ (English)
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asamblea_Popular_de_los_Pueblos_de_Oaxaca)


2) ‘The Plan Puebla Panama’

"We don´t want to be -- and we don´t have to be -- a North American colony."


On March 12, 2001 Mexican President Vicente Fox officially announced the launch of the Plan Puebla Panama (PPP), with the goal of bringing development to theso-called "backward south" of Mexico and to promote Mesoamerican regional integration. In the five years since then, public resources have been used to create, extend and modernize infrastructure for transportation and energy. These projects´ primary beneficiaries are enormous transational corporations governed by the logic of free plunder - otherwise known as free trade.

The Mexican and Central American governments, concerned about the growing mobilzation and community organizing against the Plan Puebla Panama, decided to make the project less visible. Since the beginning of 2003, governmental representatives were instructed to not make any public declarations nor share with the media the advances of the Plan Puebla Panama.

One of the principal objectives of the PPP is to consolidate the neoliberal vision of development in Mesoamerica. This includes:

* Privatization of land, water, and public resources and services
* Attracting foreign investement by creating, moderinizing and privatizing transportation infrastructure, industrial zones and energy markets.
* Promoting regional control of Mesoamerica by North American interests
* A shift from locally owned agriculture, industry and forestry to corporate-ownership.

Mesoamerica is a region with a great history of struggle and resistance. Our communities retain features of ancient cultures, which have permitted them to live in extremely difficult conditions. This historical connection also makes it possible for them to renew themselves, and to construct their own community-based proposals. More than anything else, Mesoamerica is a region with its own identity. For this reason, as the Mesoamerican peoples say at their demonstrations, "No queremos y no nos da la gana, ser una colonia norteamericana" -- "We don´t want to be -- and we don´t have to be -- a North American colony."


full article at:

 http://www.moviments.net/otherworkshop/drupal/?q=node/83