Greetings from the rainy south of Mexico! July has been full of events for the CASAs in both Chiapas and Oaxaca. In Chiapas, new collective facilitator Leila Saraiva Pantoja arrived from Brasilia, replacing outgoing facilitator Chris Thomas. Long-time activist in Brasil at the fields of independent media production, popular education and international solidarity with the Zapatista’s Movement. She’s planning to work with us for a year, and also plans to contribute with the autonomous schools at the Zapatista’s Communities. Most of the Oaxacan, Chiapas, and U.S. based collective members, were able to meet in San Cristobál for several days of meetings which included discussions on current collective projects, the current Oaxacan and Chiapan political climates, publishing a compilation of testimonies of Oaxacan activists, web-page revisions and translations and financial aid goals including outreach to activists outside of the U.S. and Europe and from traditionally marginalized communities. In Chiapas, the Zapatista Intergaláctico, a meeting of national and international civil society in solidarity with the struggle of the Zapatistas, took place in three caracoles, Oventic, Morelia and La Realidad. Among those invited were delegates from Via Campesina from Brasil, Canada, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Carolina describes the importance of the exchange of experiences in Via Campesina at the Zapatista Encuentro. Marc, who also attended the Intergalático and spent the month of July meeting with community and movement activists in southern Mexico shares his observations with respect to gender issues in the communities he visited in Reflections on Gender Constructions in Chiapas and Oaxaca. In Oaxaca, the street battles flared up again with the movement boycott of the annual government-sponsored tourist event, the Guelaguetza. The festival, which includes traditional music and dance from Oaxaca’s seven regions, has been widely criticized as an exploitation of indigenous culture, which is commodified and marketed by a state that otherwise systematically marginalizes indigenous communities. This July, when the social movement attempted to enter the Auditorium of the Guelaguetza in order to hold their own people’s festival, they were violently attacked by state and federal police, which led to 62 detentions and dozens of injuries. Read more in Rachel’s description of the Guerraguetza. Among the arrested was movement activist and friend of CASA Chapulin, Silvia Gabriela Hernandez Salinas. Silvia was finally released two days ago. Many thanks for those of you who responded to our Urgent Action! Amidst the continued repression, Oaxacan organizations continue to mobilize and continue to pursue alternatives to the dominant neoliberal economic model. EDUCA, which Riccardo describes in detail in EDUCA's programs for Autonomous, Community-Controlled Development, is among the organizations active in the statewide social movement. This month CASA is launching a fundraising campaign to support our financial aid initiative and efforts to provide opportunities for international solidarity work to activists from marginalized communities. To support the work of the CASAs, you can send your tax-deductible donation to: CASA c/o Faithful Fools 230/234 Hyde St. San Francisco, CA 94102 Many thanks for your support! In Solidarity, CASA de la paz, Chiapas CASA Chapulín, Oaxaca