Photo: Enrique Osorrio, el Presidente de Enero Zapatista (President of Zapatista January)
50-30-20 All The Walls Fall
On January 5, 2024, the freedom-fighting Enero Zapatista group celebrated its social accomplishments. The evening began with an honorable land acknowledgement by Enrique, who covered the event with blessings from the 19 Kumeyaay Nations, addressing in justice and declaring support for our community.
We look to heal “hurt people” before they “hurt others.” This is the healing preference of our society. Fernanda Rios shared some of the important causes facing the Zapatistas, like human rights, which started in areas such as Sherman Heights.
I was able to participate on the panel that included members of the Zapatista organization, members of the Palestinian youth organization and landlord tenant advocates. The panel was asked about the founding principles of the Zapatista community, including “Construir y no Destruir” meaning “to construct, not destroy” which aims to reduce exploitation and build community and spirituality.
I wanted to share about building our community with cultural sensitivity to address the current social climate with knowledge, care and construction, to build and not destroy. Cultural sensitivity prevents hate crimes through social interaction and positive feedback. The evening also included spoken word artistry and plenty of cultural foods and drinks. There are a total of seven principles that were noted by the Zapatistas.
Please feel free to stop by the Central Cultural De La Raza for a complete list.
