Communiqué by the EZLN on the preparations for the Digna Rabia Festival

COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE INDIGENOUS REVOLUTIONARY CLANDESTINE COMMITTEE—GENERAL COMMAND OF THE ZAPATISTA ARMY FOR NATIONAL LIBERATION
MEXICO.
Sixth Commission and Intergalactic Commission of the EZLN
26th of November 2008.

To the adherents to the Sixth Declaration from the Lacandona Jungle in Mexico and in the world:
To the guests of the First World Festival of the “Digna Rabia”:
To the people of Mexico:
To the peoples of the world:

COMPAÑERAS AND COMPAÑEROS:
BROTHERS AND SISTERS:

ON THIS OCATION WE TELL YOU OUR WORD ON THE ADVANCES FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE FIRST WORLD FESTIVAL OF THE DIGNA RABIA.

FIRST. - UP UNTIL TODAY, WE HAVE THE CONFIRMATION OF ATTENDANCE FROM PEOPLE, GROUPS, COLLECTIVES AND ORGANIZATIONS, ASIDE FROM MEXICO, FROM THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES:

IRAN.
ARGENTINA.
ITALY.
FRANCE.
UNITED STATES.
BRAZIL.
SWEDEN.
COSTA RICA.
SPANISH STATE.
SWITZERLAND.
BASQUE COUNTRY.
CUBA.
CHILE.
ENGLAND.
AUSTRIA.
VENEZUELA.
BELGIUM.
GERMANY.
NORWAY.
GREECE.

SECOND. - FROM OUR COUNTRY, MEXICO, COMPAÑERAS AND COMPAÑEROS FROM THE OTHER CAMPAIGN, FROM WITHIN THE DIFFERENT STATES OF THE REPUBLIC WHICH WORK ON ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION MEDIA, HUMAN RIGHTS DEFFENCE, IN SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES, AGAINST REPRESSION, FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE DISSPAPPEARED, FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE POLITICAL PRISONERS, IN SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS, IN ART AND CULTURE, IN UNIONS, IN WOMEN’S STRUGGLE, WITH THE MAQUILA WORKERS, IN THE CORNERS OF THE NORTHERN MEXICO, IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL STRUGGLE, IN SEXUAL DIVERSITY, IN THE TEACHER’S MOVEMENT, IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, WITH THE SEXUAL WORKERS, AND THE OUTSTANDING STRUGGLE OF THE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MOVEMENT WILL BE ATTENDING.

THIRD. - DURING THE DAYS IN WHICH THE FESTIVAL WILL BE HELD IN MEXICO CITY (26th, 27th, 28th AND 29th OF DECEMBER) SOME OF THE PROGRAMMED ACTIVITIES ARE:

26th of December 2008.

1000 hrs. INAUGURATION.

1100 hrs. The Four Wheels of Capitalism: EXPLOITATION. Open forum with the participation of maquila workers from Baja California and Tamaulipas, the National Confederation of Workers (CGT from the Spanish State), workers from Solano (Argentina) and workers from the Middle East (Iran), as well as those workers who wish to participate and who let us know in advance.
Moderator: Multidisciplinary Analysis Centre (CAM, UNAM, Mexico).

1700 hrs. The Other Paths: ANOTHER CITY. Open forum with the participation of the National Union of Popular Organizations from the Independent Left (UNOPII Mexico), the Workers and Socialist Unity (UNÍOS Mexico), young people from anarchist, punk, and libertarian collectives (Mexico). Street Brigade (Brigada Callejera Mexico), as well as those who struggle in the cities who wish to participate and who let us know in advance.
Moderator: UNOPII (Mexico).

27th of December 2008.

1100 hrs. The Four Wheels of Capitalism: PLUNDER. Open forum with the participation of the National Indigenous Congress (CNI Mexico), dwellers of Lomas de Poleo (Ciudad Juárez) (Mexico), Indigenous Cabildos Association from the North of the Cauca (Colombia), as well as those who have a say on capitalist plunder who wish to participate and who let us know in advance.
Moderator: Bárbara Zamora (Mexico).

1700 hrs. The Other Paths: OTHER SOCIAL MOVEMENTS. Open forum with the CNUC -Tlaxcala (Mexico), Indigenous Chinanteca Force (Fuerza Indígena Chinanteca Mexico), People’s Front (Frente del Pueblo Mexico), Blanca Navidad Neighbourhood, of Nuevo Laredo (Mexico), Independent Francisco Villa Popular Front (FPFVI Mexico), CACTO-Oaxaca (Mexico).
Moderator: CNI (Mexico).

28th of December 2008

1100 hrs. The Four Wheels of Capitalism: REPRESSION. Open forum with the Doñas of Sinaloa and Chihuahua (Mexico), message from the Atenco political prisoners (Mexico), recorded message from Gloria Arenas, political prisoner (Mexico), We are all prisoners collective (Tod@s somos Pres@s (Mexico), National Network against Repression and for Solidarity (Red Nacional contra la Represión y por la Solidaridad (Mexico), and Bárbara Zamora (Mexico).
Moderator: UNÍOS (Mexico).

1700 hrs. The Other Paths: ANOTHER HISTORY, OTHER POLITICS. Roundtable with the participation of John Holloway, Felipe Echenique (Mexico), Francisco Pineda (Mexico), Raúl Zibechi (Uruguay), Olivier Besacenot (France), Mónica Baltodano (Nicaragua), Sergio Rodríguez Lascano (Mexico).
Moderator: Revista Rebeldía (Mexico).

29th of December 2008.

1100 hrs. The Four Wheels of Capitalism: CONTEMPT. Open forum with the Anarcho-Punk Collective La KURVA (Mexico), National Indigenous Congress (Mexico), Braceros National Assembly (Mexico), Mercedes Oliveira (Mexico).
Moderator: CNI (Mexico).

FOURTH. - FOR THE SERIES OF MAGISTRAL CONFERENCES WHICH WILL BE CELEBRATED IN SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS, CHIAPAS, FROM THE 2nd TO THE 5th OF JANUARY 2009, THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE HAVE CONFIRMED THEIR PARTICIPATION:

Adolfo Gilly (Mexico).
Pablo Gonzalez Casanova (Mexico)
Monica Baltodano (Nicaragua).
Luis Villoro (Mexico)
Oscar Olivera (Bolivia).
Michael Hardt (USA)
Walter Mignolo (Argentina)
Pier Luigi Sullo (Italy)
Sylvia Marcos (Mexico)
Jotxe Iriarte (Basque Country).
Paulina Fernandez (Mexico)
Marcos Roitman (Chile-Spanish State)
Gustavo Esteva (Mexico)
Jean Robert (Switzerland)

Arundhati Roy (India) (who will send her participation)
Barbara Zamora (Mexico)
Carlos Aguirre Rojas (Mexico)
Raul Zibechi (Uruguay)
Carlos Gonzalez –CNI- (Mexico)
Juan Chavez –CNI- (Mexico)
John Berger (England) (who will send his participation)
Olivier Bensacenot (France)
Jaime Pastor (Spanish State)
Landless workers movement-MST (Brazil)
Sergio Rodriguez Lazcano (Mexico)
Via Campesina (International).

FIFTH. - ON BEHALF OF THE EZLN, THE FOLLOWING COMPAÑEROS HAVE CONFIRMED THEIR PARTICIPATION AS MODERATORS OR PARTICIPANTS (or just to be a pain -if you know who I mean-) AT THE CONFERENCES IN CHIAPAS:

COMANDANTA SUSANA.
COMANDANTA MIRIAM.
COMANDANTA HORTENSIA.
COMANDANTA FLORENCIA.
COMANDANTA EVERILDA.
COMANDANTE DAVID.
COMANDANTE ZEBEDEO.
COMANDANTE TACHO.
COMANDANTE GUILLERMO
TENIENTE CORONEL INSURGENTE MOISÉS.
CAPITANA INSURGENTE ELENA.
NIÑA LUPITA.
NIÑA TOÑITA.

SIXTH. - FOR THE INVITATIONS WE HAVE PROCEEDED WITH THE DATA WE HAVE FROM THE ADHERANTS TO THE SIXTH DECLARATION, THE CONTACTS MADE DURING THE OTHER CAMPAIGN TOUR AND THE DIRECTORIES OF ATTENDANCE TO THE DIFFERENT EZLN’S PUBLIC ACTIVITIES. IF ANY PERSON, GROUP, COLLECTIVE OR ORGANIZATION, FROM MEXICO OR THE WORLD, HAS NOT BEEN INVITED, IT IS SURELY BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE THEIR DATA. SO WE RESPECTUFULY ASK THAT YOU EXCUSE THIS INABILITY OF OURS AND THAT YOU MAKE CONTACT WITH THE ENLACE ZAPATISTA WEB PAGE AT THE CORRESPONDING FESTIVAL-MUNDIAL-DE-LA-DIGNA-RABIA SECTION.

SEVENTH. - WE CLARIFY THAT THE INVITATIONS ARE TO PARTICIPATE AS EXPOSITORS. THE ENTRY TO ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FESTIVAL ARE FREE AND OPEN FOR ANY PERSON WHO WISHES TO ATTEND AND GET TO KNOW THE DIGNA RABIA THAT ORGANIZES ITSELF IN MEXICO AND IN THE WORLD.

SOME TECHNICAL AND PROCEDURAL DETAILS WILL BE MADE KNOWN BY THE FESTIVAL’S ORGANIZATIVE SUPPORT TEAM, AT THE ENLACE ZAPATISTA WEB PAGE AT THE CORRESPONDING FESTIVAL-MUNDIAL-DE-LA-DIGNA-RABIA SECTION.

THAT IS ALL FOR NOW, WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED.

¡FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ATENCO!

From the Mexican South-eastern Mountains.

Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
EZLN’s Sixth Commission

Teniente Coronel Insurgente Moisés.
EZLN’s Intergalactic Commission

Mexico, November 2008.