Copy of report-back to CIS-DCZ of trip to Syracuse
Introspection: My work with sister communities, whether it originates as an invitation to do a presentation or a workshop, often "transmutates" and turns truly productive when it inevitably become a networking, interactive solidarity and movement building experience beyond the forum. The "transmutation" is based on the simple fact that openly and unconditionally offering what I can to the socio-political processes already in place in the host community, and providing whatever else the community additionally feels they could benefit from and draw from my experience, naturally produces a higher social and political substantive result than a mere presentation or workshop ever could. Arriving to the host community early enough, a day or two in advance, to get a feel for what the community is going through and will need from me, has really made a difference in the level of intimacy and constructive interactions that follow. I see how others doing similar work, even those who are more eloquent and much better informed, but that parachute in and out of the place instead of becoming "imbedded " in the community even for a brief period of time, leave a much weaker imprint of themselves and their mission in the visited community. Without a doubt, the personal contact and social interaction between the political guest and the host community is key to the positive result in this type of socio-political engagement.
In the first hours/days of my visit, I attempt to absorb as much as I can of what I am being told and seeing so as to factor it into my formulation of the best possible path to follow for a constructive engagement between my experience and the place and space where I politically encounter the community. If I have something to offer based on my experience and possible understanding of what is happening in the community around me, I share it respectfully as if this was my own community, because in so many ways it always unavoidably feels like it is indeed my own community! I share what I can, when asked, from deep in the gut, mostly improvising, but never without thought or foundation. Comfortably guided by god knows what pinche instinct that triggers one's natural Zapatista informed responses to the political and social needs of a sister community. I don't mean this pretentiously, but I honestly feel like a bona fide Zapatista ambassador at times, interacting with the sister community and offering, upon request, my limited and humble resources to help tackle whatever the community's issues at hand are and that my acquired experience can best inform and serve. Viva la Sexta!!!
In this case, as in previous ones, this approach worked and worked quite well. Relationships were built, issues were clarified, and revolutionary and solidarity consciousness and sense of collective interconnectedness and accountability were raised. That accomplished, I went home happy. Tired, cold and hungry, but happy! Is this what Ferrer would've wanted me to do? Is this what the "aha" moment of popular education is? I have no fucking idea, but people seemed, and said so, that they were motivated, encouraged, and empowered by the visit. So I feel Zapatismo has been served.
The trip was facilitated by the Syracuse Student Environmental Action Coalition.
I arrived in Syracuse Thursday, October 20th after a greatly delayed train ride and set up residence in a three story, three kitchen group house with 12 permanent residents and various guests, which brought up the population to around 17 people.
There was no heat in the house due to various reasons. This made it quite an interesting and challenging experience and I learned that indeed a hot shower helps you keep your body heat raised for at least an hour thereafter. It was funny that I still had access to electronic remote communications with the whole world, but could see my breath while typing and had to warm my hands on a kettle to keep my fingers functioning! Amerika!! So I just simply had to tough it out with temperatures that dropped to the mid 30's until someone took pity on my old bones and lent me a little space heater for the room of the house where I "lived", which thereafter became quite the favorite gathering spot for runny nosed and sneezing comrades. I ate what I could, when I could, just like everyone else. The Food not Bombs folks on the first floor were very generous with their invitations to their collective vegan meals.
On Friday the 21st we departed to the woods where the retreat that I was primarily invited to present at was to be held. To my happy surprise, the cabin where the 30 of us where to be housed had wood burning stoves! My first organizing gig was to mobilize the troops to collect wood before nightfall. Sharing quite clearly that without those stoves burning tons of wood all night we were likely going to freeze to death, my organizing gig was a success.
We made two inside fires and one outside one on a cold northern night. Ate, talked for hours, made some music, and all was quite well. Saturday afternoon instead of my original programmed discussion about connecting the radical environmental movement with revolutionary forces in the hemisphere resisting empire and confronting neoliberalism, I facilitated a discussion about a pressing issue that was going on at the university regarding a racist, sexist, homophobic TV university program to which the group was trying to respond collectively as a primarily all-white organization. This generated the introduction of various models of solidarity as well as a lengthy discussion on class, gender and race issues, white supremacy and privilege, movement building, and about possible courses of action. After the days hard and difficult work, we told stories, played music, and drank some beers. Sunday we returned to town.
Monday I froze my butt and worked and studied under my sleeping bag all day and all night. My pants were wet and moldy and I got some others from the "free stuff box" on the second floor along with some sponge bob flip flops for using after taking a shower since the mold too liked the warmer and periodically sub tropical room in the house.
On Tuesday night I attended a dinner held for John Henry Gonzales Duque, a Colombian organizer whose life has been repeatedly threatened by right wing paramilitaries as a member of a peace farming community. The Syracuse Peace Council folks have a sister city relationship with Cajibio, John Henry's community. This was a great event where we ate soup and salsa and sang Latin American songs of resistance. I also met some old mates of LASC and sanctuary movement folks. This house too was without heat. I began to think the whole city of Syracuse was perhaps without heat! Damn oil companies!
My next presentation was on Wednesday at PLACA which is the Caribbean and Latin American program at Syracuse University. 100% Zapatismo background and information here. There were around 25 people in attendance and the presentation lasted around 3 hours with tons of interaction and discussion focusing on the Sexta and the "otra". People met and made bonds afterwards. The University has heat. Why just the University?
Thursday I was invited to speak about alternative media and resistance movements at the Spanish language Journalism class. Around 20 students there. It went extremely well. I discussed the need to scratch way beyond the corrupt surface of corporate media in search for the truth about Latin America resistance movements. We discussed relationship building between independent media and community, American complacency in media work in the age of electronic communication, the opportunities of electronic communications, etc. I became immediate friends with the professor who invited me to an awesome dinner in her warm (?) house and to meet her wonderful family and a great Puerto Rican geographer with Marxist leanings with whom I discussed a wide range of issues. A possible video project exploring poverty, food, neoliberalism and resistance in various Syracuse communities was also discussed.
In between all these events I sat in many kitchens and talked to many people about their struggle for self sufficiency and their thoughts about the Zapatista movement, Chavez, etc. .I also worked the bar at a Halloween SEAC fundraising party Friday night, carved a pumpkin at another party the next night, and danced and talked revolution with a most settling warm and peaceful person at yet another party. A block away from where we were walking to the car to go home, and during the same time of the night, several people were robbed at knifepoint. It might explain what the cops where doing driving around like maniacs and asking us weird questions at 4 am. Or does it?
Sunday was my last night and I hosted a double feature of Zapatista films followed by group discussion. There were around 15 people in attendance and we talked for about two hours after the films ended.
Monday I traveled by train all day. Left at 7 am arrived home at 10.30 pm.
Great thanks to Nick, Candace, and the 560 house crew without whom this trip and all the wonderful experiences and work that resulted from it would not have been possible.
Next stop Shepherd College, West Virginia, Nov 12th thru the 14th
Solidaridad,
Adrian
