roman | 30.08.2005 12:07

Some comments about the (no) encuentro

I wanted to share some feelings about the no border encuentro's Sunday panels/presentations.

The Indigenous panelist were so giving and willing to share their experiences and points of view with those of us who made contact with them. They gave me important advice, both on a personal level and about the issues in our communities. I came out a richer and broader person. The important thing in my life is to move forward towards a traditional way of life, a conscious space for a new way of being. I think I'm gonna put on hold my reading list and get into some heavy duty Indigenous philosophy and religion. Getting to know them, at a point in my life where self doubt and disillusion get the better of me sometimes, their soundness, their lightness of heart amidst their deepness of knowledge gave me a boost and made me feel , the necessary responsability and courage to continue surviving and struggling in the belly of this kingdom. Sometimes their message struck a prophetic nerve, which is to know that we already won, and that we are winning, that there is hope, and hope is our money, that is how we pay our bills. Another issue, ofcourse is to get as many people into the victory sphere and share and learn. But we are alright.

The other panels I was fortunate enought to have been present at, the Frente Zapatista panel and the Compañero Ashante's presentation.

The Compas from Tijuana, from the Zapatista Front, like gospel, brought us the good news from Chiapas and from the compañeros of the Clandestine Committee of the Zapatista Army. The compañera Ruth, from the FIST collective and the International Action Center, did a wonderful job of making the translation a fun and interactive process. It was important to note that the Tijuana compas are setting up a Sub group here in san diego, for Mexican nationals and friends to work in collaboration with the official Tijuana chapter. The panel started in the usual manner, explaining from point zero a little about the struggle and things like that. I was impressed by the compas when they said that the Zapatista Front, which is the civil arm of the insurrection will merge with the insurrectin guerrillas. And on top of this wonderful news, that the Comandancia General (General Clandesitne committee) will be sending our way a contingent of Zapatistas to work in the local level. Exclamation marks are besides the point. This is the most incredible news. I can't wait to see what we can do, and how. but that gave me chills, and lots of hope and energy to look forward to associating at a deeper and stronger level with the Maya and other people's who are simply taking the world over by their emphasis on work, hope, humanitiy and evolution. I know all the good people of San Diego will be at those events and take strong part in the decision making and the strategizing of how we, in san diego can work with Tijuana.

The Declaration, the sexta, (sixth), like the compas refer to it as, is
another source of inspiration. It is much more specific to the pressing issues of narrowing down to setting up the plans of a revolutinary tomorrow, therefore it does include terminology that had, in my opinion, previously been ommitted. So its a stronger and deeper message, it will wake up the revolutionary senses of many a folk that had, like me, wondered off into a burnt out state or a disillusined state, etc. People in San Diego, will feel encouraged and engaged at knowing that we have the opportunity to work close and hand by hand with the indigenous guerrilla movement that, to some degree is at the forefront of world indigenous rights, revolutionary planning, and you name it type of crazy better world type of stuff. This declaration, on a personal basis, could not have come out at a better time. Some people have been resisting for 500 years, and others for their life time. The declaration is another way to broaden and enrich our resistance. and its here in san diego, or tijuana.

Finally, the panelist that deposited a real seed in my head, and fired me up, to the point where my eyes were watery and knots on my throat. El compañero Ashante, in describing his struggles, he described those of my friends, those of my self, and those of my community. In describing his shift from a materialistic/marxist/power seeking black organization that was male oriented and armed towards a more dynamic and humanizing set up, he described the last 40 years of my people's struggle for self determination, for humanity and against imperialism. Because he was not talking the Black Panthers down, on the other hand, he talked them up and said that he was, in my view, part of the natural evolution of real black revolutinaries, the black panther party is not dissolved, it is, like the Zapatistas, prior to the Sixth Declaration, in their silence. the Black Panther party is a heroic organization for all people of color who struggle for themselves through themselves and with themselves. It was an honor to be in the room with one of the organizers and guerrillas of the people. At the same time, it was a new juncture in my life to get an interpretation, from a Black compañero about what he thought of as Zapatismo and the Indigenous background.

When Ashante talked about the emotional cycles of depression and oppression, and the ones of uprise and enthusiasm, I connected to his ideas and felt some relation. There is so much to heal in our communities, and so much to understand from each other. Our different groups have much distance and resentment, and it takes the courage of experience of suffering and pain, sometimes to understand, like the comrade said, that it is not about me, or you, but about us, and how much we can win and how close can we get as many people towards the path of victory. At some point, Erendira, from the Sherman Heights Community center, and a great Youth organizer, asked Ashante about the relationaships of Adults towards the youth, and what we as adults can do to imporve it. Ashante had just a great and human way to answer this. He started off with a disclaimer, that he 'loved his peers, but....', he was the first to recognize that to some degree the disillusinment of the 60's generation is a huge obstacle to revolutionary advancement of my generation and younger generations. I almost applauded that. If we look at non profits and what we can call the 'establisment left', you know, the people that give us grants, and rent the buildings where we have meetings, and hook us up with fliers and shit like that, they are sometimes so burnt out, so frustrated with whatever depression or other stuff going on, that as a generation, they really thought they were years away from a world wide revolutionary movement that could actually take power. Seeing that the 'system' continues to be somewhat similar, they now feel like all of us have nothing new to say, share with them little and are like short sighted self pleasing copy cats. So to hear, Ashante, say that his peers sometimes lack respect for youth, or anyone younger, meant a lot to me. And ofcourse, he said that what he does is to respect the youth, and to listen. Wow. My hat off. He kept on saying this is all-of-us, we all need to do this and that. And I know that my peers feel that we would benefit so much if our elders, could work with us on a more leveld basis. Sure, you were the first Brown Berets, or you did the first Organic Food dine in, or what have you, but this world is moving away from you and into us, and it is in your revolutionary interest to teach us in a good way, and create generationally dynamic revolutionary institutions based on the community for self determination and against inhumanity. Finally, Ashante reminded us of the people in prision as political prisioners, all of those present have now the duty to write to at least one prisioner. I will hit up the Groundworks people, or if you want there's also California coalition for Women's Prisioners and other orgs like it in the neighborhood. The recent injustice to the compañeros that were taken to jail, David and others, is a reminder of what happens all the time. Please share your life with a political prisioner, send her your revolutionary views, and help yourself in the process.

Thank to the organizers of the event, and I hope to be again on a future one.

Roman
San Ysidro Soccer Club