From Below and to the Left: The Zapatistas' "Other Campaign" & US Movement Building

From Below and to the Left: The Zapatistas' "Other Campaign" & US Movement Building
June 19-21

For the past twelve years, the Zapatistas' struggle for democracy and indigenous rights in Mexico has been a major inspiration to social justice movements throughout the world, particularly the Americas. The initial uprising in January of 1994 became a global reference point for the resistance to the policies of neo-liberalism and corporate globalization.

The Zapatistas are now in the midst of their largest grassroots mobilizing effort, La Otra Campaña (The Other Campaign), which is seeking to build a grassroots movement "from below and to the left" uniting struggles throughout Mexico's 31 states. Recently the campaign has come under serious attack from the Mexican government, including mass arrests, torture, rape, and several murders.

From June 19-21st we want to invite local activists and organizers to a conversation with a diverse group of US based activists who have all recently traveled to Mexico to cover the Other Campaign and the Zapatistas movement. We will be discussing the current state of the campaign and what this means for those of us in the US looking to expand our own movement building efforts. One thing that the Zapatistas have always asked of us is that we "be rebels where we are," which means building our own movements here in the "brain of the monster."
The event will also serve as a celebration for the five-year anniversary of Left Turn magazine, a movement publication which has featured the writings of several of the presenters.
featuring: Ashanti Alston, Kristin Bricker, Walidah Imarisha, RJ Maccani

June 19th 7pm [Washington DC]
Cafe Nema
1334 U Street NW
Upstairs Lounge
www.cafenema.com <http://www.cafenema.com>;

June 20th 7pm [Baltimore]
The Contemporary Museum
100 W Centre St, btw Cathedral St and Park Ave.
www.contemporary.org <http://www.contemporary.org>;

June 21st 7pm [Philadelphia]
LAVA Space
4134 Lancaster Ave
www.lavazone.org <http://www.lavazone.org>;