Nahuatl Poetry.
To the people of the world:
Brothers and Sisters:
During the last years, the power of money has presented a
new mask over its criminal face. Above borders, no matter
race or color, the Power of money humiliates dignities,
insults honesties and assassinates hopes. Re-named as
"Neoliberalism", the historic crime in the concentration
of privileges, wealth and impunities, democratizes misery
and hopelessness.
A new world war is waged, but now against the entire
humanity. As in all world wars, what is being sought is a
new distribution of the world.
By the name of "globalization" they call this modern war
which assassinates and forgets. The new distribution of
the world consists in concentrating power in power and
misery in misery.
The new distribution of the world excludes "minorities".
The indigenous, youth, women, homosexuals, lesbians,
people of color, immigrants, workers, peasants; the
majority who make up the world basements are presented,
for power, as disposable. The new distribution of the
world excludes the majorities.
The modern army of financial capital and corrupt
governments advance conquering in the only way it is
capable of: destroying. The new distribution of the world
destroys humanity.
The new distribution of the world only has one place for
money and its servants. Men, women and machines become
equal in servitude and in being disposable. The lie
governs and it multiplies itself in means and methods.
A new lie is sold to us as history. The lie about the
defeat of hope, the lie about the defeat of dignity, the
lie about the defeat of humanity. The mirror of power
offers us an equilibrium in the balance scale: the lie
about the victory of cynicism, the lie about the victory
of servitude, the lie about the victory of neoliberalism.
Instead of humanity, it offers us stock market value
indexes, instead of dignity it offers us globalization of
misery, instead of hope it offers us an emptiness, instead
of life it offers us the international of terror.
Against the international of terror representing
neoliberalism, we must raise the international of hope.
Hope, above borders, languages, colors, cultures, sexes,
strategies, and thoughts, of all those who prefer humanity
alive.
The international of hope. Not the bureaucracy of hope,
not the opposite image and, thus, the same as that which
annihilates us. Not the power with a new sign or new
clothing. A breath like this, the breath of dignity. A
flower yes, the flower of hope. A song yes, the song of
life.
Dignity is that nation without nationality, that rainbow
that is also a bridge, that murmur of the heart no matter
what blood lives it, that rebel irreverence that mocks
borders, customs and wars.
Hope is that rejection of conformity and defeat.
Life is what they owe us: the right to govern and to
govern ourselves, to think and act with a freedom that is
not exercised over the slavery of others, the right to
give and receive what is just.
For all this, along with those who, above borders, races
and colors, share the song of life, the struggle against
death, the flower of hope and the breath of dignity . . .
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation
Speaks . . .
To all who struggle for human values of democracy, liberty
and justice.
To all who force themselves to resist the world crime
known as "Neoliberalism" and aim for humanity and hope to
be better, be synonymous of future.
To all individuals, groups, collectives, movements,
social, civic and political organizations, neighborhood
associations, cooperatives, all the lefts known and to be
known; non-governmental organizations, groups in
solidarity with struggles of the world people, bands,
tribes, intellectuals, indigenous people, students,
musicians, workers, artists, teachers, peasants, cultural
groups, youth movements, alternative communication media,
ecologists, tenants, lesbians, homosexuals, feminists,
pacifists.
To all human beings without a home, without land, without
work, without food, without health, without education,
without freedom, without justice, without independence,
without democracy, without peace, without tomorrow.
To all who, with no matter to colors, race or borders,
make of hope a weapon and a shield.
And calls together to the First Intercontinental Gathering
for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism.
To be celebrated between the months of April and August of
1996 in the five continents, according the following
program of activities:
First: Continental preparation assemblies in the month of
April of 1996 in the following sites:
1.- European Continent: Site in Berlin, Germany
2.- American Continent: Site in La Realidad, Mexico
3.- Asian Continent: Site in Tokyo, Japan
4.- African Continent: Site to be defined
5.- Oceanic Continent: Site in Sidney, Australia.
Note: The continental sites can change if the organizing
groups decide to do so.
Second: The Intercontinental Gathering for Humanity and
Against Neoliberalism, from July 27th to August 3rd of
1996, in the Zapatista "Aguascalientes", Chiapas, Mexico.
With the following Bases: Agenda: Table 1.- ECONOMIC
aspects of how one lives under neoliberalism, how one
resists, how one struggles and proposals of struggle
against it and for humanity.
Table 2.- POLITICAL aspects of how one lives under
neoliberalism, how one resists, how one struggles and
proposals of struggle against it and for humanity.
Table 3.- SOCIAL aspects of how one lives under
neoliberalism, how one resists, how one struggles and
proposals of struggle against it and for humanity.
Table 4.- CULTURAL aspects of how one lives under
neoliberalism, how one resists, how one struggles and
proposals of struggle against it and for humanity.
Organization: The preparation meetings in Europe, Asia,
Africa and Oceania will be organized by the Committees in
Solidarity with the Zapatista Rebellion, related
organisms, and citizenship groups interested in the
struggle against neoliberalism and for humanity. We call
upon groups of all countries so that they work united in
the organization and achievement of the preparation
assemblies.
The intercontinental gathering for humanity and against
neoliberalism, to be celebrated from July 27th to August
3rd of 1996 in Chiapas, Mexico, will be organized by the
EZLN and by citizens and Mexican non-governmental
organizations that will be made known in opportune time.
Accreditation: The accreditation for the preparation
assemblies in the 5 continents will be made by the
organizing committees formed in Europe, Asia, Africa,
Oceania, and America, respectively.
The accreditations for the gathering in Chiapas, Mexico,
will be done by the committees in solidarity with the
Zapatista rebellion, with the people of Chiapas, and with
the people of Mexico, in their respective countries; and
in Mexico, by the organizing commission, which will be
known in opportune time.
General and Intercontinental Note: All which has not been
completed by this convocation will be resolved by the
respective organizing committees regarding the
continental preparation assemblies, and by the
intercontinental organizing committees regarding the
gathering in Chiapas, Mexico.
Brothers and Sisters: Humanity lives in the chest of us
all and, like the heart, it prefers to be on the left
side. We must find it, we must find ourselves.
It is not necessary to conquer the world. It is
sufficient with making it new. Us. Today.
Democracy!
Liberty!
Justice!
>From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
By the Clandestine Indigenous Revolutionary Committee
General Command of the Zapatista Army of National
Liberation.
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
Mexico, January of 1996