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6/30/2003 - Final Report by Wendy L. Call

WLC THE AMERICAS Wendy Call former donor supported Healthy So cieties Fellow living writing southern Mexico Final Report By Wendy Call Transcript speech delivered Members Trustees meeting Institute Current World Affairs Monmouth NJ June I thinking Who dressed I truth friends Isthmus Tehuantepec place where I chose years Institute Fellowship The isthmus sliver connects Yucatan peninsula Mexico This embroidered called huipil It traditional dress isthmus women Many huipiles fiestas women every Both designs women striking This huipiles design comes Juchit Elena Poniatowska Mexico famous authors writes Juchit other It desti Indian wisdom Everything different women embracing other marches overpowering their calves They participate demonstrations policemen You should arrive walking towers their windows This huipil going present isthmus My friends thought strange I formal fiestas Instead I parties terribly underdressed The truth I thought these outfits hideous Even tonight I doing quite right I should wearing bright purple floral print skirt Still during years isthmus I appreciate beauty these huipiles They usually fully embroidered usually powerful women The known sought after embroiderers indigenous Zapotec communities They known The accepted celebrated important Zapotec culture This acceptance difference reasons I chose Isthmus Tehuantepec region potential healthy society The Isthmus Tehuantepec famous fiestas On given there least important fiesta happening somewhere region The their fiesta November It times huipiles famous making The fiesta called Vela Intr pidas Buscadoras Peligro Festival Intrepid Women Search Danger Like I search something The ICWA fellowship spend years writing about Isthmus Tehuantepec healthy society As description appeared newsletters I indeed spent years immersed contradictory trends The isthmus place intense color passion Sometimes place intense conflict I learned these contradictions I those lessons later tonight People traveled isthmus world Often looking money either natural cultural resources accident geography makes unusual place Since Europeans first visits Mexican isthmus nearly years region subject sorts development dreams Before Panama Canal built primary trans continental route In spite interest women isthmus maintained control their To example largest diverse rainforest North America isthmus It called Chimalapas The Chimalapas means gourd Zoque language The Zoque indigenous people forest In 1600s bought their forest Spanish invaders exactly coins They maintained control forest since That probably reason still standing I visited Isthmus Tehuantepec first This contrast rainforests railroads nature industry fascinated An Institute Fellowship things And something different fellow For working obsessions By obsessions I those things occupy thoughts drive decisions cannot explained One obsessions diversity This preoccupied I understood We planet loses species plants animals every Very often I wonder myself Which creatures extinct today Now I think particularly healthy question myself every thing about obsessions We really chose They chose Meanwhile about languages currently spoken planet robably extinct century What connection I asked myself during fellowship Loss language means culture genocide sorts During fellowship people I wrote about talked Spanish usually speak another language These languages which people identities included Huave Mixe Zapotec Chinantec Often while talking would throw those other languages When I asked meant I rarely received single translation Sometimes I received confusing explanation Occasionally I received helpless stare I stare I means Take example This Ikoots which means San Mateo Mar About people there If means probably means house But probe learn means place where general sense unity among people natural world When children San Mateo learning Ikoots their parents grandpar older siblings something likely happen lifetime concept Will people San Mateo thinking about cosmic connec trinity among human beings natural world supreme being What impact people San Mateo And WLC impact place where Loss cultural diversity often happens tandem biological diversity Very often biologically diverse places Chimalapas rainforest located regions where there cultural diversity Today eleven languages other Spanish spoken Isthmus Tehuantepec Before Spaniards arrived seven those languages spoken region The speake other arrived century They refugees development decisions The Mixtecs given isthmus century after hundreds years sheep herding Spaniards Mixtecs lands exhausted soils The Chinantecs Mazatecs years after their lands flooded projects More recently Chiapas state govern Tzotzil people isthmus rainforest inside state Oaxaca attempt solve conflicts tenure So I begun report Healthy Societies fellowship talking about unhealthy development decisions Because I learned anything during fellowship economic social policies unfortunately magically replaced Changes through painful process unlearning faulty assumptions learning On personal level I spent years unlearning learning I would lessons years Although these ideas really little boxes I things simple Or least simple possible To start first lesson What looks democracy often looks corruption might really different democracy I arrived Mexico months before longest ruling elected party world elections The Institutional Revolutionary Party PRI handed federal power National Action Party called PAN July Perhaps stunning thing about PRI simplicity For years PRI almost anything power Between electoral candidates activists opposition party Cuauht C rdenas suspicious accidents murdered In 1990s situation shifted It rightwing opposition PRI fatigue When happened dinosaurs PRI acknowledged defeat relatively quickly quietly Coming United States course I ideas about meaning phrase elections For thing person should secret The Isthmus Tehuantepec includes parts Mexican states Oaxaca Veracruz I lived Oaxaca which percent indigenous highest percentage country Only about quarter municipalities Oaxaca party based local elections The community assem blies choose local government leaders Oaxaca state Mexico legally recog nizes indigenous system communal decision making The system varies usually functions New England meeting consensus reached through sometimes discussions If group reach consensus votes taken simply people raising their hands No ballot boxes ballots secrecy In towns adults involved In others women participate The process essentially whether topic where build market which presidential candidate support Because always consensus result electoral fraud Often exchange goods entire community agrees PRI This exchange goods votes undeniably corruption However communal decision making results percent community voting candi INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS further example electoral fraud I thought When I realized around second month fellowship another cherished right window I thought secret votes human right For friends colleagues isthmus important right their communities freedom decisions collectively I experiment I imagine municipalities Oaxaca party based elections significant roads state there would strong correlation This leads Lesson Number Two Nothing bigger effect diversity cultural biological construction Why roads Here example This April I visited Pet Guatemala where Maya Biosphere Reserve located While I there I computer simulation showed construction forest Pet years Watching watching The roads stretched branches patches appeared around Each virtual leaves represented another forest A World Bank study years showed built forested results acres deforestation During years isthmus I visited dozens indigenous towns lages Before I could almost predict percentage children would speak their indigenous language The equation simple harder reach higher percentage would Now might argue shows indigenous languages inaccessibility represent while roads Spanish future Perhaps If means Forests might become thing deforestation might future And serious trouble Right before I computer simulation Pet I visited community families located region The village called Uaxact It located forest biosphere reserve north famous Tikal ruins At moment pockmarked connects Uaxact Tikal regional capital During rainy season nearly impassible The government would The community leaders If government really wanted would As people Uaxact concerned paved means pollution deforestation trouble As Their future depends degree turning their backs things usually think development As I traveled Mexico after visiting Uaxact something crystallized Lesson number shortly after plane touched world largest Mexicans mancha urbana which literally means urban stain Here Lesson Number The people farthest behind Mexico development actually Mexico itself I began Fellowship after decade working profit organizations Though I worked three different organizations during those years always organize people together improve their lives their health health ronment around An underlying assumption always people personal backgrounds particularly important success organizing effort Well I believe Indigenous communities least southern Mexico doing better getting themselves organized In stacked against Poverty isolation racism challenges Nonetheless advantage shared worldview This shared worldview comes shared history shared values sense community survival important individual rights I differences among different indigenous WLC groups Going huipil moment This Zapotec outfit become formal choice indigenous groups southern isthmus This something about cultural political history region The Mixe Huave Zoque about three invasions their The Spaniards third Six hundred years Zapotecs About hundred years later Aztecs Thirty years after Spanish conquistador Hern Cort showed In isthmus about Zapotec imperialism Still among these different communities there still shared assumptions The cohesion indigenous communities recognized those particularly A couple years CIA report pointed indigenous movement significant threats market worldview precisely because unity those communities I think CIA something The Mixes Zapotecs Zoques along Mexico other indigenous peoples might Mexico saving dazzling biological diversity In world ranking nations biodiversity Mexico sixth richest nation planet As I mentioned earlier biodiverse areas generally populated indigenous people Let Chimalapas rainforest which I mentioned earlier About people there Only about third indigenous Zoque people legally In years since bought their forest Spaniards third About million acres burned graze cattle plant plantations build airstrips trafficking Mexican government officials remaining thirds forest support communities there healthy This Most those indigenous peasants started buying cattle But still believe fundamentally importance forest Some indigenous immigrants forest share belief Given econom social cultural forces working against rural indigenous people survive That brings fourth final lesson I learned I saved counterintuitive Urban migration including United States might rural Mexico survival How I realization Well about I attended workshop about intensive aquaculture Someone there described heard representative aquaculture industry describe shrimp farming nomad industry He called because deforested farms built clean water close elsewhere leaving polluted This comment thinking industry nomad industry Let briefly primary sources foreign currency Mexico I leave narcotics industry It might largest rather difficult track The largest sources ticular order petroleum tourism assembly plants maquiladoras salary workers living abroad The large majority these workers United States We petroleum nomad industry black industry In tourism Mexican beach resorts generally lifespan After their profitability plummets The combination urban pollution foreign visitors boredom eventually spell In Mexico today tourism officials speak openly about their world eighth biggest tourist destination running pristine beaches create Cancun So about trade assembly plants Well industry founded INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS nomad industry going south border search cheaper operating costs labor In Mexico assembly plant sector That accounts nearly third quiladora entire country Part downturn result US economic crisis Just important though moving farther south Labor Mexico expensive Companies leaving favor sites Guate Indonesia especially China That brings remittances money comes workers Mexico search simply available There general estimate million Mexicans about percent country population United States Many those workers rural areas indig enous Maybe those nomad workers actually involved investment their towns There villages towns isthmus where there hardly working They villages women children The fiestas Easter Yes these women permanently abandoned Their husbands intention coming And husbands sending dollars their wives cattle environmentally friendly develop But organized communities families using migration development strategy The years enough build house educate their children They keeping Mexican countryside alive About I attended patron saint fiesta village people called San Antonio Tutla There there because party As villages village elects family organize fiesta This responsibility hosts elected years advance prepare The I attended husband elected family spent previous years United States saving money party guest about people Now fiestas development strategy During years isthmus I understanding emphasis placed these celebrations I never understand I really articulate I faith these tradi tional fiestas fundamental community identity identity fundamental vival And sense their survival essential In Mexico other countries these people caretakers forests rivers The their clean water oxygen I never expected about isthmus fiestas speech tonight But things change during Institute Fellowships For example I write single newsletter about I originally proposed write about almost exclusively Did trustees notice No The San Juan Guichicovi indigenous Mixe village people It about minute drive northwest Mat Romero where I ended living during years Mexico I would close short example Guichicovi I visited August almost years before I started ICWA fellowship San Juan Guichicovi unlike Oaxaca municipalities local elections That residents celebrating electoral victory local Raynel Ram become state legislator It first PRI there Three years later I visited Guichicovi another celebration That Raynel Ram campaign municipal president He election At celebration Raynel stood stage giving victory speech He large above congratulated people Guichicovi being bought WLC cement Free cement PRI favorite buying tools Raynel community moved beyond resisting petty He joined presidents other municipalities isthmus Together developing alternative future their communities They looking different elements produced plants animals waters soils replaced The methods simple The people still harvest mahogany tropical cedar trees their forests greenhouses replace trees They still pressure government electricity their homes But building saving stoves reduce firewood pollution Many families still someday cattle But raising native animal species require If I learned anything during years Institute Fellow healthy societies built stumbled And built slowly In spite forces working against people Isthmus Tehuantepec engaged construction project They making sometimes glacial progress intense southern Mexico lowlands As people during years there We think about different kinds richness A final One essential richness fellowship experience support avuncles Pat Holt Sally Wriggins Randi Movich Chenoa Egawa I forever grateful their feedback It enormously important And Peter thank incisive feedback excellent advice I always appreciate ability right whatever wrong writing Ellen Brent support matters great small utterly indispensable And ICWA trustees selected ICWA members fellowship I thank ortunity tonight opportunity there years I would especially thank parents Marilyn Doug brother Alan sister Kate Mexico acompa accompanying logistical support packages And first editor partner Aram thank everything INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Fellows their Activities Alexander Brenner June EAST ASIA A Yale graduate History Master China Studies Johns Hopkins School Advanced International Studies Alex worked French language instructor Rassias Foundation Dartmouth College studied Universidad Complutense Madrid served Yale China teaching fellow Zhongshan University Guangzhou Against backdrops China recent accession World Trade Organization anointing leadership Beijing Alex examine Chinese adapting economic cultural globalization inside capital Martha Farmelo August ARGENTINA A Georgetown graduate major psychology minor Spanish Master Public Affairs Woodrow Wilson School Princeton Martha Institute Suzanne Ecke McColl Fellow studying gender public policy issues Argentina Married Argentine economist mother small Martha involved Latin America professional having worked Catholic Relief Services Inter American Development Bank Costa Rica Human Rights Watch Ecuador Inter American Foundation El Salvador Uruguay UN World Conference Women Beijing Andrew Rice May UGANDA A former staff writer New York Observer reporter Philadelphia Inquirer Washington Bureau Newsday Andrew spending years entral Africa watching waiting reporting possibility anticipated African Renaissance might begin administration President Yoweri Museveni Andrew B A Government Georgetown minor Theology after having spent semester Charles University Prague where served intern Velvet magazine later traveled experienced wrote about conflict Balkans Matthew Rudolph January INDIA When toward Cornell Ph D International Relations finished Matthew begin years Phillips Talbot South Asia Fellow looking securitization development Indian economy Matthew Z Wheeler October SOUTHEAST ASIA A former research assistant Rand Corporation Matt spending years looking proposals plans realities regional integration disintegration along Mekong River China Vietnam With B A liberal Sarah Law rence M A Harvard East Asian studies Blakemore Fellowship Thai language studies Matt examining short conflicts Burma Thailand Laos Cambodia James G Workman January SOUTHERN AFRICA A policy strategist national restoration initiatives Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt Jamie ICWA Donors Fellow looking southern African nations South Africa Botswana Mozambique Zambia maybe Zimbabwe through their utilization conservation fresh water supplies A Yale graduate History spent junior Oxford Jamie journalism fellowship Poynter Institute Media Studies wrote New Republic Washington Business Journal before years Babbitt Since served Senior Advisor World Commission Dams Cape Town South Africa Author Call Wendy Title ICWA Letters The Americas ISSN Imprint Insti Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly Other Regions East Asia South Asia Europe Russia Mideast North Africa Sub Saharan Africa Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assess international events issues ICWA Letters ISSN lished Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operat foundation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA avail libraries professional researchers subscription Phone E Mail ICWA valley Fax Web Site Executive Director Peter Bird Martin Program Assistant Brent Jacobson Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The information contained publi cation reproduced without writer permission