Extraordinary and urgent meeting in Mexico. All indigenous brothers and sisters, all interested people are invited to attend

San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, 4-8 January 1996

SPONSORED BY National Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy,ANIPA, in conjunction with the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN)

The future of indigenous communities in Mexico is to be outlined in the next several days. The EZLN is presently involved in negotiating the rights of the indigenous communities of our country through panel discussions with the Mexican government. The fundamental program of ANIPA has been to establish the right of indigenous communities for Self Determination. ANIPA itself was established on April 10, 1995 with the goal of elaborating on a proposoal to change the Mexican Constitution to incorporate the rights of indigenous peoples for autonomy. The issue of autonomy is a point in which ANIPA and the EZLN agree. The EZLN has considers the issue of self-determination and autonomy peremptory within its panel of discussions. As a result, the EZLN is co-coordinating the Fifth National Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy to be held January 4-8 1995 in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas at the National Indigenous Forum. More than two hundred organizations and indigenous communities will participate in this meeting.

Our fourth assembly which took place the 7 & 8 of December 1995, also in San Cristobal de las Casas, included more than 500 delegates and numerous invites.

Presently, the Fifth National Indigenous Assembly for Autonomy this January 4-8, 1996 includes the following agenda:

1. Indigenous Peoples Rights for Autonomy
2. Guarantees of Justice towards Indigenous Peoples
3. The Political Participation and Representation of Indigenous Peoples
4. The Present Situation and Rights of Indigenous Women
5. Access to the Different Mediums of Communication
6. The Promotion and Development of Indigenous Cultures and Tradition.

Interested parties in this extraordinary forum, contact:
FIP/ANIPA (5) 783-8002, telfax: FIPI/Regiones Autonomas Plurietnicas de Chiapas (967) 869-98, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas.

For interested parties in the Mexico City vicinity, contact:
Adriana Lopez at (5) 655-0463; Teresa Rendon (5) 606-9750;
Paz Carmona (5) 563-7313; Javier Nunez (5) 674-0803;
Rodrigo Medellin (5) 208-2118, (5) 533-2491

Airline Mexicana de Aviacion flies to Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas from Mexico City. Colective Taxis outside of the Tuxtla airport charge US$7 to San Cristobal de las Casas. Once in San Cristobal the office's headquarters (Regiones Autonomas, formerly the offices of the Instituto Nacional Indigenista) are located proximate to the Santo Domingo Cathedral. Please be aware that San Cristobal's climate is cool with frequent rains.

Summarized with ANIPA's permission by SAIIC. Information about the above assembly is also available from SAIIC tel: (510) 834-4263, fax: (510) 834-4264.