PRESS RELEASE * PRESS RELEASE * PRESS RELEASE
Chiapas School Construction Group Prepares to Leave for Mexico
Monday, Dec. 22, 1997 San Diego, CA
On Dec. 26, 1997, amidst the most serious violence since the beginning of Mexico's Indian revolt on New Years 1994, the San Diego based "Chiapas School Construction Teams" begins another school building trip to the highlands of Chiapas.
"We'll travel from the Zocalo in the center of Mexico City with 80 international and Mexican construction volunteers in two buses,' explained San Diego teacher Peter Brown. "We hope our presence at this time will help promote peace while raising funds for the education of indigenous Mayan children. The food and medicines we plan to carry will relieve some of these children's suffering."
Chiapas is experiencing a new wave of conflict between government supporters and the indigenous rebels in the highlands (see San Diego Union, Dec. 21, Section A, Page 18). This fighting is only a few miles from the location of the first autonomous, indigenous Junior High School which the "Chiapas School Construction Teams" began building last summer (see San Diego Union, Sept. 22, Section A, Page 2). The San Diego based volunteer group anticipates completing at least one new classroom during their week long visit over New Years and will continue collecting humanitarian aid for the thousands of displaced people upon their return.
"A video we recently received shows entire families living under banana leaves," says Leticia Jimenez who worked in Chiapas last summer. "It's really cold in the mountains of Chiapas and in many places the displaced are living on one or two tortillas a day! The kids who will eventually attend the school at Oventic are suffering terribly. They have had to run from their homes with nothing; that's why we decided distribute humanitarian aid!"
San Diego's "Chiapas School Construction Teams" is accepting donations of yard sale items, tools, medicines, school supplies, and cash for the indigenous communities of Chiapas, MEXICO. Donations welcome from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday at Craftsmen's Hall, 3909 Centre Street , Rm. 210 (off University Avenue, one block west of Park Avenue in Hillcrest). In addition, school construction bonds for donating to the secondary school at Oventic are available at many community locations. To make alternate arrangements for donations call (619)232-2841 FAX(619) 232-0500 <mexicopeace@igc.apc.org> http//www.igc.org/mexicopeace/
For additional information:
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