Building a Sustainable Economy in Chiapas

The Ecology Center and International Development Exchange (IDEX) is proud to host the visit of Pedro Zaragoza of DESMI, a community-based organization in Chiapas that provides technical support to over 150 indigenous cooperatives. Please join us as Pedro shares stories and images of the on-the-ground successes and practical challenges faced by communities that are putting into practice the slogan, “Another World is Possible.” Background: In January 1994, the Zapatistas declared that NAFTA, by bringing a flood of U.S. agribusiness to Mexico, would be a death sentence for the country’s indigenous peoples. Over the past ten years, hundreds of civilian indigenous communities affiliated with the Zapatista movement have rejected agrochemical inputs and created their own sustainable agriculture and crafts cooperatives. In the process, they have created an alternative model of economic development that is locally controlled, culturally appropriate and ecologically sustainable. Since 1969, DESMI has supported economic and social development in indigenous communities, mainly by strengthening cooperatives. Through the provision of financial, organizational and technical assistance, DESMI helps community groups to run their own projects and to work together to resolve their communities' needs. Since its creation, DESMI has provided credit and technical assistance to over 300 grassroots groups in the state.
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Cost: No charge.