At the caracol Roberto Barrios

[stormdog]

This is a picture from the caracol Roberto Barrios in Chiapas. The caracoles are the governmental units of the indigenous separatist movement known as Zapatistas. My group spent a night and day here with our Schools for Chiapas trip organizers before traveling onward toward Jol Ja, a rural collective where we spent most of our time abroad.

This particular image is the women's artisanal collective building, where women congregate to sell the crafts and products they produce. My understanding is that the target market is almost entirely outside people and groups who happen to be travelling through the caracol.





Thanks to a *little* bit of help from Google Translate, the sign here reads "To those who want to rule (govern) the world, the world responds Resistance!"

The little girl in this picture reminds me of a thought I frequently had during my time here. Can you imagine what it's like to grow up as a child in this kind of community and space? How strange and different to most of us, for a life in a rebel separatist group to be the air you breath and the water you swim in.

I'll post more from Roberto Barrios once I have a bit more time.