Ask Metta

Question:

I am a senior at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland and I have watched some of your webcasts (PACS 164A mainly) and they were really helpful to me in writing my Extended Essay (for the IB program), which is a case study of the Zapatista people in Mexico, and the importance of positive energy and objectivity in politics and society.  I wonder if you could tell me your opinion on the Zapatista movement in Chiapas? Anything would be helpful. Thank you very much.

Answer:

From Michael Nagler:

I’m very glad you found the lectures helpful.

The Zapatistas of today seem to me, from what I know of them, to be aspiring after nonviolent solutions, though they reserve the right to go back to armed struggle if their demands are not met.  This is admirable, but only what we call ‘strategic’ nonviolence, lacking the full power of the principled commitment and its ability to change not only a given situation but the paradigm behind it.  In the early days when the Zapatistas were still using arms, they sent me and group of prominent peacemakers (we were in the process of creating Nonviolent Peaceforce at that time) a message saying, “show us another way, and we’ll take it.” So Subcomandante Marcos, at least, did not like violence and did not want to use it.

The Zapatistas have other things going for them: they also use humor, their cause is certainly just, they have a certain amount of constructive program (including new social forms) and they have perseverance.  If they were to adopt principled nonviolence seriously I would predict a glorious victory for them eventually.

I hope this is helpful!  Good luck in your studies and everything else.

P.S. An answer to a question regarding nonviolence in Mexico would not be complete without a response from nuestro Pancho. Check out his letter below…

I feel very happy to know that you (from the other side of the World!) are wanting to know more about Zapatismo and its connection to ahimsa/satyagraha.

In this document (14 pages) you can see some differences and similarities between Gandhi’s movement and el Zapatismo.  As you might know, the history of Zapatismo goes back to ¡Tierra y Libertad! (Land and Freedom!) the slogan of Emiliano Zapata during the Mexican Revolution. The land is for those who work it.

And in this document you will find 3 remarkable stories from the region on the Planet we call Mexico, related to Zapatismo: the story of Bartola; a neighborhood in Mexico City; and the compassion shown to general and former governor Castellanos in Chiapas.

From my perspective, the Zapatistas, are courageous women and men, citizens of the World striving for Global Justice in the name of the Earth Community. It’s not only me, but also poet Drew Dillinger in this interview (and many others!) who think that while many of us were enjoying the privileges of the status quo, some of the indigenous peoples in Mexico stood up against the totalitarianism of corporate capitalism death machine. Here is an inspiring poem from brother Drew: The Total Thrust is Global Justice.

For the last 15 years, the Zapatistas have demonstrated that their communities dont’ need the support of the government. They are striving to be completely autonomous and self-reliant (what Gandhi called swadeshi). As I write this email, they are under an fierce “low-intensity” war from army and the paramilitaries sponsored by the Mexican government (not to mention that the U.S. has been attacking/provoking the movement since its conception, now even more under the recently disguised “Plan Merida”).

The group SiPaz! continuously report the status in Chiapas.

As Prof. Nagler says, the movement in Mexico (and all over the Planet!) would be more efficient if we all were consistent with our thoughts, words and deeds. That is, not only in movements we need to avoid to be ‘strategic’, but also in our personal lives. Movements are formed by individuals. The theory is as important as the practice of nonviolence. Then, we can move to the last stage: the embodiment of fearlessness and love, the embodiment of nonviolence.

I invite you to visit the Zapatista communities so that you can see it for yourself sister Tanya (or at least I encourage you to talk to people who have lived there, like the deprofessionalized intellectual Gustavo Esteva). One should not brand anything true or false beforehand. One should first give it a try, see what happens, and only then one would know what is true and what is false.

Please let us know how can we be of service sister. I’d be delighted to continuing this process of insurgence learning with you.

We need to adapt Gandhi’s teachings for our time. How? Be the change you wish to see in the World.

Have a ONE-derful week! 🙂
If you want to be a rebel, be kind. Human-kind, be both.
In big smiles + big hugs + service + solidarity,
Planetizing the Movement of the Ahimsa (R)evolution from some part of our round borderless country…
Pancho