To the individuals, groups, collectives, organizations, and movements that have signed the Declaration for Life:
The Zapatista communities of Mayan roots, through their Local Autonomous Government (GAL), Collective of Autonomous Governments (CGAZ), Assemblies of Collectives of Autonomous Government (ACGAZ), INTERZONA, and the EZLN, address you to:
Call upon individuals, groups, collectives, movements, and organizations that, in different corners of the world, resist and rebel against one or all of the heads of the capitalist Hydra, and that have a practice to share, to tell their story in a meeting with the Zapatista communities.
The invitation is to share, according to their times, geographies, and methods, their experiences and proposals in the anti-system struggle. Several hundred Zapatistas (men, women, others, children, and the elderly), from the various roles, commissions, and responsibilities within the Zapatista autonomy and community, will attend in person to listen to you and learn from you.
For this reason, we ask you to find the words that are understood. Because if you come here and only use harsh words, it’s for nothing, because we won’t understand you. We are confident that we will be an attentive and respectful collective listener. For this reason, we hope that your words will be collective, clear, and understandable to those of us who invite you.
Likewise, the Zapatista communities will explain to you—using whatever means the communities decide—the stage we are at, the problems we face, the progress or setbacks we see.
Anyone who wants to and can from an organization, group, collective, or movement is welcome to attend, although only one person, or several, will share their experience in turn. The presence of the media will not be permitted unless authorized by those presenting their practice. Some topics are:
– As the women that we are.
– Destruction of nature.
– Attacks on diversity in all its forms.
– Destruction of identities, peoples, and communities.
– Resistance and Rebellion in Art and Culture.
– Migration, Racism, Segregation.
– Wars and the destruction of life.
– The topic that each one decides.
– The whole or the parts of these topics.
This is not a meeting of analysis or theoretical approaches, but rather a meeting of practical experiences of resistance. Those of us who will be there already know what the damned system is and what it does against everyone, as well as against nature, knowledge, the arts, information, human dignity, and the entire planet. This is not about theoretically exposing the evils of the capitalist system, but rather about what is being done to resist and rebel, that is, to fight against it. We are not inviting you to teach. We are not your students or apprentices; nor are we teachers or tutors. We are, along with you, parts of a whole that opposes a system. Giving and giving. You tell us your experiences, and we, the Zapatista people, tell ours.
The Encounter will be at the Comandanta Ramona Seedbed, in the Caracol of Morelia (where the Gatherings of Women in Struggle were held).
The dates are August 2-17, 2025.
Arrival and registration on the 2nd, opening on the 3rd, and closing on the 16th. Departure on the 17th.
Registration for participants and attendees can be found at:
participantesencuentroagosto25@gmail.com
asistentesencuentroagosto25@gmail.com
Note: The Zapatista presentations will be open to participants and attendees. Every effort will be made to broadcast these talks live and, if necessary, post the videos on the Enlace Zapatista website.
More details in upcoming posts.
We remind you that the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol and drugs are NOT permitted. Neither is verbal or physical violence based on gender, race, size, color, religion, nationality, social position, terrain of resistance, or any other reason you may have.
There will be a roof over your head to shelter you from the rain or sun, as appropriate.
We await you.
From the mountains of southeastern Mexico.
Insurgent Sub-commander Moisés.
Mexico, June 2025.
Original article at Enlace Zapatista, June 2nd, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.