Surviving Capitalism (Not) : 7 Lessons for Social Justice Activists from the Zapatistas

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, February 17, 2014

7 Lessons for Social Justice Activists from the Zapatistas

Click here to access article by Justin Wedes from Before It's News.

While reports are coming in that Zapatistas are once again being attacked by agents of the Mexican capitalist state, it is a good idea to learn what Zapatistas have to offer the rest of mankind living under the boot of capitalist rule. Wedes, an activist from New York, has listed seven lessons he learned on his visit to their independent territory in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The lessons reveal an authentic version of democracy that contrasts starkly with the fake version imposed on us by capitalist ruling classes.

One corollary of the concept of consent of the governed is that good governance is not imposed by force but grown bottom-up by debate and convincing people. This idea has nearly been lost in many of our so-called “democratic” communities.