the fire and the word
I've been up and down since getting back here from Bismarck. At the moment, I feel like it's all been down, or at least a foggy nothing. I know that's not really the case but it's there all the same.
Last night I was reading and ended up staying up to finish the book. It was Tender is the Night. Maybe it has been part of the reason I'm feeling this way. But probably it's just complimentary.
Just two nights ago I went to a presentation by a journalist who has spent seven years in Chiapas with the Zapatista movement. Her name is Gloria Munoz Ramirez and she's from Mexico City and is traveling with her friend and interpreter, giving talks. It's in conjunction with a book she's written about the history of the Zapatistas; all the money from the books goes to support autonomous communities in Chiapas.
I was going to leave part way to go to an activist meeting but it seemed much better to listen. It was the right choice. And it was an exceptional talk and it was so good to listen. There is a lot for all of us to learn from struggles like the Zapatista movement. I think we need to listen. This world that many of us want (and I don't mean it looks the same to everyone who wants transformation but I think these different visions have a lot in common)is already happening in some small places and with varying success (and I mean happening in the face of the very systems that are the source of oppression and exploitation--not just communities that have existed in the past within much different social structures). It was a very good thing to realize this and to think what that means.
Last night I was reading and ended up staying up to finish the book. It was Tender is the Night. Maybe it has been part of the reason I'm feeling this way. But probably it's just complimentary.
Just two nights ago I went to a presentation by a journalist who has spent seven years in Chiapas with the Zapatista movement. Her name is Gloria Munoz Ramirez and she's from Mexico City and is traveling with her friend and interpreter, giving talks. It's in conjunction with a book she's written about the history of the Zapatistas; all the money from the books goes to support autonomous communities in Chiapas.
I was going to leave part way to go to an activist meeting but it seemed much better to listen. It was the right choice. And it was an exceptional talk and it was so good to listen. There is a lot for all of us to learn from struggles like the Zapatista movement. I think we need to listen. This world that many of us want (and I don't mean it looks the same to everyone who wants transformation but I think these different visions have a lot in common)is already happening in some small places and with varying success (and I mean happening in the face of the very systems that are the source of oppression and exploitation--not just communities that have existed in the past within much different social structures). It was a very good thing to realize this and to think what that means.
posted by matt iv at 9:14 AM
3 Comments:
I like the title of your post. Where did it come from? It sounds like it would be the name of a good book.
It does sound like a good name for a book--and it is a book! It's the title of the book I mentioned in the post and is written by Gloria Munoz Ramirez.
I would be interested in reading that, I think. From the way you talked about it, it sounds very informative and a real eye-opener.
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