May 14, 1997
San Diego, USA
Dear colleague,
Congratulations on all the activities you have created for the "Day of the
Teacher." Here in San Diego we are also working to improve the lives of
students and to protect the rights of teachers working in our public
schools. On this important day we also want to inform teachers and
students from Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe about a simple,
but profound project in Mexico.
We invite you to participate in the effort to build a school for Indian
children in the southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas. Since beginning a
seemingly impossible rebellion three years ago, the indigenous people of
Chiapas have survived and are moving forward with an ambitious educational
project. Their struggle for human dignity has inspired international
attention and welcomes your support.
This summer teams of Mexicans and internationalists will work with the
Indians of Chiapas to build a popular, bilingual education center in the
Zapatista civilian community of Oventic. This Junior High School will
provide a new style of education for Indian youth and will be directly
administered by civilian indigenous Zapatistas. You can live and work
directly in a Mayan village for ten days or you can help from home.
We are excited to facilitate the involvement of others in the inspiring
process of social change sweeping Chiapas and all of Mexico. We know from
personal experience that every participant on a construction team, like
those who support us from home, will gain far more from our indigenous
Mayan hosts they could ever give back.
Join us in the highland of Chiapas!
Yours for children,
Peter Brown, Director
ps. If you know of a teacher who cares deeply for her students and has a
heart big enough to send a pencil or a poem, a book or a buck to the
indigenous children of Chiapas, please make a copy of this greeting and
send it along to that very special teacher!
Chanobvun ta Oventic Aguas Calientes II Jkoltavanejetik ta Smeltzanel
Los Equipos de Construcci?n para las Escuelas en Chiapas
Chiapas School Construction Teams
Equipes de constructions pour des ecoles au Chiapas
Konjtruktionsteams fuer eine indigene Schule in Chiapas
A Project of San Diegans for Dignity, Democracy, and Peace in Mexico
3909 Centre Street #210
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 232-2841 FAX (619) 232-0500
mexicopeace@igc.apc.org
http://www.igc.apc.org/mexicopeace/