MidWest Whirlwind!

Gustavo visiting the MEChA Madison office

The Teaching Rebellion Tour touched down in Minneapolis on October 31st and has been running non-stop ever since.  West Coast veteran Melissa Mundt has returned to Arizona for a well-deserved rest, and I (Rachel Wallis) have taken over facilitation and coordination for the remainder of the MidWest tour dates. Check out below for a recap of the last couple of days!

Day of the Dead, remembering the fallen

This is the time of year when in Mexico (and throughout the world) we honor our loved ones who have died.  This is an especially poignant holiday in Oaxaca where over 30 people have been killed for their work demanding human rights and justice just since 2006.  For many of us from the United States the murder of solidarity activists, Brad Will and Sali Grace resonates deeply.  We remember and honor all those who have fallen struggling for justice, their work and the tragedy of their deaths will not be forgotten.

Read letters from the families of Brad Will and Sali Grace and other Day of the Dead activities…

Minneapolis, kicking off Midwest tour

We are warmly received in Minneapolis for an impactful Day of the Dead weekend to begin our midwest section of Teaching Rebellion tour.  We met with several well established groups with a distinct human rights focus.  Thank you to  Advocates for Human Rights, your work and teaching materials are an inspiration.  Our event at Resource Center of the Americas drew a great crowd of folks who have for many years worked on Latin American solidarity issues.  This amazing organization sigue luchando despite financial and organizational set backs.  Thank you.

With the amazing audience at Mayday Books we shared our hopes and frustrations for organizing in the US and Mexico in the face of economic crisis and political shifts.  With the folks at Bedlam Theater we honored the life and work of Sali Grace, an activist from the Unites States who was murdered recently in Oaxaca.

Our very international audience at the University of Minnesota Human Rights Center made for a memorable event as students, faculty and fellows from Philippines, Brazil, Russia, Iraq, Ecuador, India and Mexico shared their perspectives on social uprising and political ideology.

Please check out great new article by John Ross, about the Brad Will murder investigation posted at Friends of Brad Will

West Coast, nos estamos viendo!

We conclude our whirlwind tour up the west coast in Seattle, finding, as in all cities, old friends and new contacts that inspire us to do this all over again when we are able to print Teaching Rebellion in Spanish.  Discussion at University of Washington Law School touched upon the role of tourism in Oaxacan economy and movement strategies draw attention to deep injustices in the state through international solidarity.      

The group of professors, staff and students at Seattle University asked the important question- did US corporations play a role in the conflict, and we discussed the organizing against US-based factory that produced tear gas canisters used (often incorrectly mortally wounding some movement members) by Mexican Federal Police in Oaxaca.

The Spanish speaking and largely Oaxacan audience that we met with at Beacon Hill Public Library in Seattle reminded us again of the deep connections between the US and Mexico, and how immigrant communities in the US continue to be engaged and active in Mexican social movements.  Our friend and colleague Jill Freidberg was able to join us during several Seattle events, and her contributions to discussion were invaluable. For an excellent analysis on Oaxacan conflict check out her documentary, Un Poquito de Tanta Verdad.

Thanks everyone!

Students: Take to the Streets!

Over the last week we’ve enjoyed talking to largely student audiences at Portland’s Oregon Health and Science University (sponsered by Global Health Alliance), Lewis and Clark College, and Portland State University (sponsered by MEChA).  In all events the important question of “what can we do?” was asked in different ways- a question to which we speakers consistently answer: take to the streets!  Whatever your skills, your interests, your community, find the way to not just study, learn, analyze,  but to take action!    We got  to join some in doing just that, when on the 2nd anniversary of Brad Will’s murder, we converged on the Mexican Consulate in Portland to raise awareness about that case and human rights violations that continue in Oaxaca and Mexico in General.  Thanks everyone!

Teaching Rebellion Contributor Kidnapped and Tortured

Journalist Pedro Matías, whose testimony is included in the book “Teaching Rebellion”, was kidnapped and tortured for twelve hours yesterday before being abandoned on the side of the road outside of Oaxaca.

From Reporters Without Borders:

Oaxaca-based reporter kidnapped and tortured for 12 hours

Reporters Without Borders is appalled by the abduction and mistreatment of reporter Pedro Matías Arrazola of the local daily Noticias de Oaxaca and the national weekly Proceso, who was beaten and psychologically tortured for about 12 hours on the night of 25 October in the southern city of Oaxaca before being dumped outside the city.

Friends of Brad Will, links

Days away from the 2nd anniversary of Brad Will’s murder, actions are planned and in progress around the world.  Take a moment to check out the news and analysis of these other great bloggers, and support actions in your city: 

Friends of Brad Will, complete coverage of actions, news, investigation by organization of friends and family of Brad, fighting for justice in his case.

Members of Friends of Brad Will in New York are engaged in a hunger strike and protest in front of Sentator Clinton’s office.  More info on Friends of Brad site, also briefly covered in NY Times. 

Angrywhitekid, blog covering latin american social struggles, great recent analysis on Oaxaca.

Recent articles by Kristin Bricker on Narconews, highlight connection betwen Plan Merida and arrests of APPO movement member.

Que Corre la Voz, Portland

For some reason speaking on the radio makes me more nervous than speaking in public, but we embrace the opportunity to share on two different radio shows on community radio, KBOO in Portland:  Buscando Americas a spanish live program focusing on political issues and discussion, and Public Affairs program bringing the latest news and analysis.  If you missed the broadcasts, Friday at 2pm and 5 pm, excerpts of English interview will be re-broadcast on Tuesday 10 am, and hopefully all audio will soon be available on their website, www.kboo.org .  Thanks to all our friends at KBOO, an amazing space and exciting example of alternative community radio! 

The influence of KBOO was tangible in the enormous turn out at our Portland event that evening at Laughing Horse Books!  We ran out of chairs at this great independent bookstore- folks, infoshops and collectively-run radical bookshops are a struggling, give your local alternative some love and support! 

The Portland crowd was very informed and connected to Oaxaca issues- a lot of great questions about the role of media, mainstream and alternative and how to effectively be in solidarity with the movement members recently detained and accused of involvement in Brad Wills murder.   

Saturday, we had another live Spanish radio interview with a community station in Skagit Valley, WA, an area with a large population of Oaxacan migrants, www.ksvr.org .  Saludos Paisanos!  Que corre la voz solidaria!

Statement of Oaxaca Witnesses

(sigue en espanol)

Oaxaca, October 21, 2008

Faced with constant threats and harassment against us and our families we write this letter so that the men and women of Mexico and the world are made aware of the abuse of power exercised recently by institutions such as the Federal Attorney General.

We have a right to live in peace as do our families. From the very beginning, we five witnesses, voluntarily came forward to contribute to the resolution of this case. We gave statements before the Federal Attorney General, contributing information, we supplied testimony based on the real events and we presented counter arguments to that of the State Attorney General, given that the information and investigation led by this institution as always been full of irregularity, ambiguity and omissions.

UC Davis, impactful discussion

Will family: Hardy, Kathy and Wendy with Gustavo and Melissa

The Teaching Rebellion Tour in Davis last night was a huge success. Over 75 people attended the event, and the discussion was very dynamic. We had the incredible honor of having Brad Will’s parents and sister at our event. They have been very active in the struggle for justice for their son and the other 26 people murdered in Oaxaca during 2006, and their presence and participatihon at this timely event was very moving and informative.