CHIAPAS MEDIA PROJECT/Promedios 10 Year Anniversary Tour 2008

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Chiapas Media Project (CMP)/Promedios is proud to announce our 10 Year Anniversary tour! It’s hard to believe that we have now reached the 10-year mark, but none of this would have been possible without the tremendous support and on-going collaborations we have received by generous individuals and institutions over the past 10 years. For us as staff of CMP/Promedios it has been an honor and a privilege to work with our indigenous community partners in Chiapas and Guerrero and we will continue with our mission to present and distribute their work world-wide.

We hope this tour will be the most successful ever! The tour will feature videos produced by indigenous video makers from the states of Chiapas and Guerrero, Mexico - we have five new videos in distribution (see partial list below) and are seeking university, cultural and community-based sponsors to host the screenings. Dates are scheduled on a first come, first-served basis and fill up fast, so please contact us as soon as possible.

CMP/Promedios is an award winning, bi-national partnership that provides video equipment, computers and training enabling marginalized indigenous and campesino communities in Southern Mexico to create their own media. CMP/Promedios is currently distributing 28 indigenous produced videos worldwide.

CMP/Promedios have presented their videos at numerous universities, museums, and film and video festivals around the world. CMP/Promedios have done presentations at the Newberry Library, Yale University, MIT, Columbia University, Harvard University, La Trobe University, (Melbourne, Australia), National University (Bogotá, Colombia), Sundance Film Festival, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival and the Intl. Human Rights Film Fest in Buenos Aires among others.

Aasia Mohammad Castaneda, US Coordinator, will present the videos. Presentations last between 1 1/2 to 2 hours, include video screenings and a discussion on the role of indigenous media and self-representation in the context of the current socio-political situations in Mexico and Latin America. A Q & A session follows the video screening. Presentations can be done in either Spanish or English. Sponsors need to provide a video projector, a VCR with audio system and comfortable seating.

CMP/Promedios asks for an honorarium based on the means of the host organization to help continue the work of the CMP/Promedios. Press kits are available that include articles on CMP/Promedios, bios, photos etc. Please check our web site: www.chiapasmediaproject.org/presskit for more information.

For further information, please call us at 312-504-4144 or e-mail us at [log in to unmask]

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The Chiapas Media Project is remarkable! This project is a rare and powerful example of how indigenous people are using the weapons of technology and trans-nationalism to make their voices heard and advance their struggles. Not only are their videos wonderful teaching resources, but their presentations inspire students and faculty alike to rethink old ideas about indigenous cultures, and forge new ties of solidarity.

Maria Elena Garcia, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Sarah Lawrence College

CMP videos inform and inspire--the videos are gems. CMP presentations are lively and instructive, going beyond the background we need to understand the videos to provide hard-to-get updates on contemporary rural Mexico. We hear the wonderful stories behind the videos and learn about the process whereby video makers and communities interact to shape video story and imagery.

William H. Fisher, Associate Professor of Anthropology, William and Mary College

The CMP presentation led our students to a place where idealism and courage confront injustice. It is evident that the CMP videos and the discussions that followed have had a long-term impact; students refer to the Zapatistas repeatedly. In times when young people can be overwhelmed with feelings of insignificance, we are grateful for the opportunity to challenge the cynical world fostered by commercial media.

Janice Windborne, Ph.D. Dept. Media, Journalism & Film, Southwest Missouri State University

The films have a powerful human component that you just ca not get from secondary sources about the injustices occurring in Chiapas and Guerrero. Bringing the event to the Fresno State campus provided a setting for exposure and learning that otherwise would not be present. It’s artistic and informative.

Maria Sofia Corona-Solyluna, Fresno State M.E.Ch.A/USAS

CMP documentaries are an essential point of entry into the world of indigenous resistance. CMP videos accomplish their goal of telling the story from the perspective of the indigenous by implementing the concept of autonomy in their approach to video production. These documentaries are an irreplaceable guide for understanding the autonomous movement and why it is a workable alternative to corporate controlled globalization.

Glen David Kuecker, Assistant Professor of Latin American History, DePauw University

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NEW VIDEOS AVAILABLE FOR SCREENINGS:

**Check out all our videos at www.chiapasmediaproject.org**

A Very Big Train Called the Other Campaign 2006, 39:00, Spanish w/English subtitles

In January 2006, Subcomandante Marcos began his tour of the Mexico, known as La Otra (The Other Campaign), the Zapatista initiative launched in an effort to evolve new forms of governance in Mexico and beyond. A Very Big Train called the Other Campaign, follows preparatory meetings between indigenous communities and Mexican civil society before launching La Otra. This video was produced by indigenous video makers of 4 of the 5 Zapatista Caracoles in Chiapas, Mexico. 

Letters for Our Words: Steps Toward Autonomy 2006, 13:00 Tzeltal & Spanish w/English subtitles

The right to education was one of the basic demands of the Zapatistas since the uprising in 1994. These communities have created thru collective work an autonomous educational project that is independent from the governments educational programs and responds directly to the communities needs. One of the results of this educational project has been the production of a textbook in indigenous languages. This textbook covers themes such as collective organizing, and respect for the environment. This textbook was produced within the context of continued repression by the Federal government and is a testament to the communities continued strength and commitment in deciding their own future.

The Other Campaign: Indigenous Voices of the North “Toxic Waste in Papago Territory” 2007, 17:10 Spanish w/English subtitles (1 of 4 videos in the compilation)

When the Other Campaign delegation visited Northern Mexico they met with various indigenous communities in Sonora state. In a Papago Indigenous community located in Quitovac, near the border with Arizona people discuss their fight against the construction of a toxic waste dump that will be a repository of waste from both the US and Mexico. Elders speak about the extinction of certain trees, birds, how toxins will become air-born and the serious health consequences for all.

Eyes on What’s Inside: The Militarization of Guerrero (Tlapaneco and Spanish with English subtitles, 2004)

Inez and Valentina, two indigenous women from the montaña region of Guerrero were raped by Mexican soldiers. Eyes on What’s Inside looks at the economic, social and political factors that lead to these rapes. The Organization of Indigenous People Me phaa (OIPM) share their story but it is really the story of many indigenous communities in Guerrero.  Discussed are the destabilizing effects of the military presence on indigenous communities, and how the increasing poverty/marginalization of the population has contributed to the formation of armed guerilla groups and the presence of narco-trafficking. The Mexican Constitution lays out the internal role of the military and Guerrero presents a clear example of how the military acts outside of it’s constitutional mandate.