Essay - Chiapas & the Zapatistas Chiapas, a Rural Region of Southern...

Chiapas & the Zapatistas

Chiapas, a rur*****l region of Southern Mexico, is the site of the modern Zapatista movement. Borne out of the anti-globalization efforts in the mid-1990s, the modern ***** movement revives the underly*****g grassroots *****ories ***** Emiliano Zapata, who rallied for peasant rights during the Mexican Revolution in 1910. The *****-day Zapatista ***** and the ***** Army of National Liberation (EZCN) has garnered widespread and worldwide support by anti-globalization efforts. Zapatistas use modern media such as the Internet as well as traditional arts and literature to spread the word about ***** movement. ***** Zapatista ***** is also aided by a substantial body ***** supporters around the world who support ***** rights of workers, farmers, and indigenous peoples against the encroachment ***** transnational capitalism. However, the ********** in Chiapas have also declared themselves independent from Mexico, given their lack of representation in the Mexican congress. Most of ***** is populated by an indigenous Mayan population.

The EZCN does not shy away ***** ***** of force, but accomplishes *****ir goals more through grassroots political activism than warfare and the movement has been peaceful but firm in its approach. For the most part, the Zapatistas have been successful ***** drawing attention to the needs of the people of Chiapas as ***** as to the needs of other poor ***** ***** people around the world. Protests against ***** World Trade Organization, such as the one in Seattle ***** ***** 1990s, also helped draw ***** ***** the *****. The ***** is one of the key means that the Zapat*****tas spread the word of *****ir philosophy and ideology.

The Zapatistas have ***** successful in combining grassroots politics with media awareness. The ***** was also successful in having influenced the Mexican government to create the Chiapas-friendly San Andres Accords. The Zapatistas can easily be considered one ***** the world's most successful grassroots agrarian groups and they offer hope for similar movements around the world as well as ***** the general struggle to curb globalization.

References

Zapatista Army of National *****." Wikipedia. Retrieved Feb 16, 2006 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapatista_*****_of_*****_Liberation

Zapatista Net of Autonomy ***** Liberation." Retrieved ***** 16, ***** at http://www.actlab.utex*****.edu/~zapatistas/

Zapatistas in Cyberspace." Retrieved Feb 16, 2006 at