Committee of Indigenous Solidarity / DC Zapatistas
cis-dcz@riseup.net
cis.mahost.org

Dear Friends,

For more than ten years, The Committee of Indigenous Solidarity/DC Zapatistas (CIS-DCZ) has been active in the metropolitan Washington, DC peace and justice community. We strive to promote and practice the Zapatista principles of dignity, justice, respect, inclusiveness, equality and collective decision making in our grassroots communities, while standing in solidarity with the Zapatista-led struggle for Indigenous autonomy in southern Mexico. We dream of a society where empowered people make their own collective decisions about livelihood, communities and the environment based on mutual respect for human dignity.

CIS-DCZ today needs your financial support to better implement our work. Currently, we receive no funding outside our membership dues. We are an all-volunteer working class organization with no salaried staff providing a unique service to civil society that other foundation-funded solidarity organizations don't or can't provide. We build direct support for the Zapatista movement and the Zapatista principles at the grassroots level.

CIS-DCZ works in coalition with many other U.S.-based solidarity organizations, and our local membership is open to all. We have a number of ongoing projects including: development of a local Zapatista political base; outreach to and support of local communities in struggle; an 'hermanamiento' relationship with an autonomous community in Chiapas; dissemination of the 'Mexico Week in Review' electronic newsletter; a weekly radio program broadcast over the Pacifica Radio Network, several organizing and networking assistance projects on various regional campuses, participation in the Woodbridge Workers Committee (a grassroots immigrant group), and active membership of the Latin American Solidarity Committee (LASC) Coordinating Committee. CIS-DCZ is also a founding member of the Network Opposed to the Plan Puebla Panama (NoPPP).

Our most recent project has been to initiate a U.S./Canada Zapatista Network. There have been several successful conference calls, and two regional meetings (encuentros) have already been held by California community groups.

We feel the work of our organization is crucial to strengthening our understanding and solidarity with the Zapatista communities. We also believe we have a significant contribution to make in the development of a truly independent and united anti-neoliberal/for humanity political culture in our own local, regional, and national work.

Please, if you would like to support our important work, please make your tax-deductible contribution payable to: Committee of Indigenous Solidarity/DC Zapatistas.

Mail check to:

Janet Frieswyk, Treasurer
CIS/DCZ
3425 Mount Pleasant St. NW
Washington, DC 20010

Thank you for your solidarity,

CIS-DC-Zapatista