From: sgriswold@igc.org (Susan Griswold) Date: 08 Nov 91 04:11 PST Subject: Re: A.CENTRAL: Congreso de Org. Indias Message-ID: <1563600075@igc.org> [ This is a translation of the original Spanish version of the text, which is attached. --Gary ] In response to Howard's request for a summary: In this interview of representatives of COI (Congress of Indian Organization of Central America), the main topic of conversation is the unity and/or disunity of indigenous organizations among themselves and with other popular organizations engaged in opposition to official Quincentenary activities. I offer here a very fast -- and unpolished! -- translation for interested people. Susan Griswold (sgriswold on PeaceNet, or griswoldsc.edu on Internet). THE CONGRESS OF INDIAN ORGANIZATIONS In March 1989 the Congress of Indian Organizations of Central America, Mexico and Panama (COI) was organized as an effort to support "the formation and consolidation of grassroots (base), authentic, and independent organizations which carry forward their own projects in connection with the poor and exploited sectors of national society" and "to foment the international unity of indigenous peoples of the region with respect to the self determination of their member organizations" (ALAI No. 116, Jun 89). In order to have greater details about this organizing process, ALAI spoke with some COI representatives who were present at the II Continental Encounter in Xelaju: Maria Elena Perez (native Yaki, Coordinator of the Mexican Council of 500 Years of Resistence), Justo Gallego (leader of the Guaymi Liberation Front of Panama), and Jaime Rodriguez (leader of the Kuna Youth Movement of Panama). ALAI: (How do you evaluate COI's activities in the two and one-half years of its existence? JR: -In fact, we have really been able to do little in the coordination of grassroots organizations, since we do not have the economic resources. That has really made it difficult for us to unify or coordinate the activities in each country. But we could say that there has been more communication between Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama, but not so with other organizations. Lately communication with Costa Rica has improved. Seeing that need, at the beginning of this year, each organization made an effort to pass the travel costs for each delegate to discuss and analyze progress... we have realized that our grassroots organizations, in one way or another, have carried out various activities, but they have not had much coordination. For that reason we have decided to hold a conference, in the framework of the 500 Years, to discuss and coordinate some immediate tasks. Two central activities have emerged from that effort: a conference on the Convenio [Treaty] 169, and the organization of the II Congress in April or May, 1992, in Costa Rica. Possibly we can discuss a more operative approach, designed more for coordination, instead of an association based on one delegate per country, because the directorate - we can be self critical - did not work, because it was located in each country, and each organization had its own work dynamic, its own economic and structural problems, so that made it hard for us. In general, we can affirm that COI maintained its viability in the activities of the different organizations, the project has been worked on in their events, COI has a lot of support, the indigenous organizations see it as an organization that can gather all the indigenous organizations together on a Central American level. And COI has prospect not only on a Central American level but also on a world level. Now it is up to us to carry forward this great task that awaits us. ALAI: (COI emerges as a critical position in response to the Regional Coordination of Indian Peoples (CORPI), organization of the World Council of Indian Peoples (CMPI). Has that initial distance been maintained, or has some mechanism for dialogue been established? JR: -Let's say that until now, we at COI continue to maintain our critical stance towards CORPI. Even so, we maintain ties with some organizations that are participating within CORPI. Now, our position is that we should unify, but unify with the grassroots organizations, not with the top. The top does not represent the interests of the base, because the bases are indeed conscious of the fact that if we are divided, we cannot achieve what we want. So we believe that a friendly, respectful, dialogue must be established, which will benefit our indigeous communities, which are the ones who are really suffering all the troubles [evils] in each country. Now, some sources of funding have been closed to both CORPI and CMPI, but the Spanish government and the federal government of Canada are financing them to hold parallel events in conjunction with the Continental Encounter of the 500 Years Campaign. Before COI agreed, we in the indigenous organizations of Panama were active participants in the accusations of misuse of funds and resources which were picked up, which were projects for the bases and they were used for trips, for sleeping in the best hotels, for drinking beer, and they did not really use those resources for the projects on the agenda. The fight was hard and we in the Central American indigenous organizations were the first who began to denounce that on an international level. Our South American companions didn't understand, but today we can say that COI can be proud of having been able to achieved their goal of denouncing those opportunistic leaders, parasites on the indigenous organizations. For example, if we look at Ecuador, Colombia, all of South American, they no longer believe in CMPI. Even more in Central America, where thousands and thousands of dollars have been used to be able to buy some leaders, offering them beer, women, the best hotels... in comparison with other indigenous or popular events, which make do with modest funds. We're not saying that we cannot talk with those leaders. I repeat, the struggle is not for us to divide, but to unify first the indigenous organizations, and later with the popular organizations. (Because if we are divided, what are we going to accomplish? Our goal is not only for the sake of criticizing, but to find an adequate solution to the problem, COI is demonstrating that and every day organizations from each country keep on joining up. I think that in the II Congress, COI is going to come up quite strengthened, with a larger participation of base and community organizations. We have that hope of being able really to realize the dream of the organizations that founded our COI. ALAI: (What prospect is there that this initiative will reach a continental level? JG: -We could say really that COI could gather that force, but our objective is not to create an apparatus for its own sake, but we would say rather a coordinating structure for operating purposes, because we think that to create an apparatus sometimes corrupts the leaders. We are conscious of the fact that there are agencies that are not going to finance projects in good faith, they are trying the divide the indigeous movement or to isolate these organizations that are really trying to unify common criteria, because the problem is not only the Indian's, the Indian is not going to solve his problems single-handed. We are clear about that, we are looking for real unity, mutual respect. For that reason, we think that to create another association like CMPI is not going to lead anywhere. We do think that in the future there can be a coordinating association on a continental level. We are already taking the first steps, which thanks to three countries (Mexico, Guatemala, and Panama) these efforts are being made with the support of our brothers in Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, who have seen that we cannot create apparata, but rather a coordinating and operating structure for concrete projects, concrete actions. For that purpose, first we have to strengthen our indigenous organizations in each country, because we do not agree that we should talk about unity among our organizations only in conferences and encounters, if that does not yet happen at the grassroots level in our countries. ALAI: A few days ago COI held its first conference, (what are the most significant resolutions they passed? MEP: -Yes, we held our first conference from the 26th to the 28th of September in San Cristbal de las Casas (Mexico). Some 100 people, belonging to some 42 organizations, were there. After making several denunciations, we presented the alternative project. The alternative project tried to present our demands with regard to land, water, territory, the defense of our rights, respect for our self determination, to gather a lot of grassroots strength. In particular, this conference agreed to demand that in each country a special office for the defense of the rights of the Indians peoples be created, and that in 1992 an international office or defense service be established. JG: -In connection with the 500 Years of Resistance Campaign, COI, as an indigenous organization, proposes also to participate in the program that is being carried out on a continental level, especially in the indigenous projects. For that reason, in the first conference that was held, COI took on the indigenous problems of different countries, from different areas, in order to make concrete denunciations at the level of the international organizations for human rights, for the environment, since the approval of Convenio [Treaty] 169. So COI assumes responsibility for this part of the work on a continental level, in order to combat politcally the celebration governments are planning, all this by means of the denunciations made to all the associations which can provide concrete answers to the needs of the native peoples living in the countryside. ALAI: One of the elements that identifies COI is having defined the indigenous struggle within a popular framework. It is known that relations with campesinos, because they are marked by years of misunderstanding, are not without tensions and difficulties. (How do you evaluate this relationship? MEP: -This relationship has come about especially with respect to the 500 Years of indigenous, black, and popular resistance Campaign. I think that COI could have given a clearer response, but unfortunately we are not united in this movement of 500 years of indigenous, black, and popular resistance: we have reached a point within the context, but disunited. So, if we manage to overcome this, our presence will be strengthened, we would have more strength, but if not, the popular and black [movements] are going to gobble us up, because they don't understand us, because ours in a different path, not because we cannot fight, but they are three different situations. In other words, I think that COI would be a good answer and would strengthen the fight that is shaping up within the 500 Years of Resistance, but that was not taken into acount and we at COI did not take on that fight. It's a pity, because it would strengthen our presence. ALAI: (But how much of that rivalry would there be, considering that the Campaign has been presented as a space in which various dynamics may converge? JR: -Yes, when the Continental Campaign for 500 Years came into being as such in Colombia, in a Latin American encounter of indigenous peoples and campesinos, it is clear that a space for reflection, understanding, and unification of common criteria was created. We are clear about that. Now what is happening at the Central American level is that many organizations that are part of the COI do not participate in the national committees, with the exception of Mexico or of Panama, we could say. In Nicaragua, brothers of the MISATAN (a Miskito group formed in 1984 to pressure the government), Susus, Ramas, and also Sustiavas, we were talking and they said to us: "They have grabbed us just to go to encounters, but they haven't called us really to work." I was talking with brothers in Honduras, who said they were not participating in the National Committee, but they were invited to this Encounter. So it is a movie screen so that they can say "there's an Indian." The sisters are not full participants either. So we see that often we have to see self critical, and I think that as long as there is not a respectful, egalitarian participation within each national committee, it's going to be very difficult for the COI organizations to be able to strengthen that campaign, because we feel the discrimination in our own flesh - sometimes even from our own leaders - when they see us as incapable of leading a national or international organization. Now, COI is determined to strengthen this 500 Years campaign, our first 500 Years conference was organized precisely for that purpose, because we felt that our organizations were not represented. So I think that in the future, let's hope in the III Continental Encounter, all the organizations that belong to COI will be present, that is our goal, as the National 500 Years Committee of Panama, to try to help our members so that both sides will understand each other, both the indigenous organizations and the popular organizations, because sometimes we don't understand one another, we don't speak to each other sincerely, or when we speak sincerely, they accuse us of being divisive. So I think there should be a deep discussion, with sincerity, so that we can say we are united in practice. ALAI cdp!ecuanex!alai!info--ecuanex!alai!info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From: newsdesk@igc.org (News Desk) Date: 06 Nov 91 09:06 PST Subject: A.CENTRAL: Congreso de Org. Indias Message-ID: <1563600074@igc.org> Can someone attach a summary of this important article? Howard @ NewsDesk /* Written 10:59 am Nov 5, 1991 by info@alai.ec in cdp:alai.amlatina */ /* ---------- "A.CENTRAL: Congreso de Org. Indias" ---------- */ From: info@alai.ec (info) Subject: A.CENTRAL: Congreso de Org. Indias Conferencia alai.amlatina TITULO: A.CENTRAL: Congreso de Org. Indias Enviar respuesta a: cdp!ecuanex!alai!info EL CONGRESO DE ORGANIZACIONES INDIAS En marzo de 1989 surgi'o el Congreso de Organizaciones Indias de Centroam'erica, M'exico y Panam'a (COI), como un esfuerzo para apoyar "la formaci'on y consolidaci'on de organizaciones de base, aut'enticas e independientes que impulsen sus propios proyectos en vinculaci'on con los sectores pobres y explotados de la sociedad nacional" e "impulsar la unidad internacional de los pueblos ind'igenas de la regi'on en el respeto a la autodeterminaci'on de sus organizaciones miembros" (ALAI No. 116, junio 89). Con el prop'osito de tener mayores elementos sobre este proceso organizativo, ALAI convers'o con algunos representantes del COI que estuvieron presentes en el II Encuentro Continental de Xelaj'u: Mar'ia Elena P'erez (ind'igena yaki, Coordinadora del Consejo Mexicano 500 Anhos de Resistencia), Justo Gallego (dirigente del Frente de Liberaci'on Guaym'i de Panam'a) y Jaime Rodr'iguez (dirigente del Movimiento Juventud Kuna de Panam'a). ALAI: (C'omo eval'uan el desempenho del COI en estos dos anhos y medio de existencia? JR: -En realidad es poco lo que hemos podido hacer realmente en cuestiones de coordinaci'on con las organizaciones de base, por el hecho de que no tenemos los recursos econ'omicos. Eso nos ha dificultado realmente para unificar o coordinar las actividades en cada pa'is. Pero pudi'eramos decir que la comunicaci'on m'as se ha dado entre M'exico, Guatemala y Panam'a, no as'i con otras organizaciones. Ultimamente ha mejorado la comunicaci'on con Costa Rica. Viendo esa necesidad, a principios de este anho, cada organizaci'on hizo el esfuerzo de pagar el pasaje a cada delegado para discutir y analizar el avance... nosotros nos hemos dado cuenta que nuestras organizaciones de base, en una u otra forma, han hecho diversas actividades, pero no han tenido cierta coordinaci'on. Por esta raz'on hemos decidido realizar una conferencia, dentro del marco de los 500 Anhos, para discutir y coordinar algunas tareas inmediatas. Ah'i nacen dos actividades centrales: una conferencia sobre el Convenio 169, y la realizaci'on del II Congreso en abril o mayo de 1992, en Costa Rica. Posiblemente podamos discutir una instancia m'as operativa y m'as de coordinaci'on, en vez de una estructura de cada delegado por pa'is, porque la directiva - podemos ser autocr'iticos- no funcion'o, porque estaba en cada pa'is, mientras que cada organizaci'on ten'ia su propia din'amica de trabajo, sus propios problemas econ'omicos y de estructura, entonces eso nos dificult'o. A grandes rasgos, podemos afirmar que el COI mantiene su vigencia en las actividades de las diferentes organizaciones, en sus eventos, se ha trabajado el proyecto, el COI tiene mucha simpat'ia, lo ven las organizaciones ind'igenas como una instancia que puede aglutinar a todas las organizaciones ind'igenas a nivel centroamericano. Y no solamente a nivel centroamericano, sino a nivel mundial, el COI tiene perspectiva. Ahora est'a en nosotros llevar adelante esa gran tarea que nos espera. ALAI: El COI surge como una posici'on cr'itica frente a la Coordinadora Regional de Pueblos Indios (CORPI), instancia del Consejo Mundial de Pueblos Indios (CMPI). (Se ha mantenido esa distancia inicial o se ha establecido alg'un mecanismo de di'alogo? JR: -Digamos que hasta ahora, como COI, seguimos manteniendo nuestra posici'on cr'itica hacia CORPI. A'un as'i, mantenemos v'inculos con algunas organizaciones que participan dentro de CORPI. Ahora, nuestra posici'on es que debemos unificarnos, pero unificarnos con las organizaciones de base, no con la c'upula. La c'upula no representa los intereses de las bases, porque las bases s'i son conscientes que divididos no podemos lograr lo que queremos. Entonces nosotros creemos que hay que establecer un di'alogo amistoso, de respeto, del cual salgan beneficiadas nuestras comunidades ind'igenas, que son las que realmente sufren todos los males de cada pa'is. Ahora, tanto a CORPI como al CMPI se les ha cerrado algunos financiamientos, pero el gobierno espanhol y el gobierno federal de Canad'a les est'an financiando para hacer eventos paralelos al Encuentro Continental de la Campanha 500 Anhos. Antes de que se conforme el COI, las organizaciones ind'igenas de Panam'a tuvimos una participaci'on activa en las denuncias de mal manejo de fondos y recursos que se captaron, que eran proyectos para las bases y se los utilizaban en los viajes, en dormir en los mejores hoteles, brindar cerveza y no utilizar esos recursos realmente en los proyectos que se presentaron. Fue dura la lucha y las organizaciones centroamericanas ind'igenas fuimos las primeras que comenzamos a denunciar eso a nivel internacional. Los companheros de Sur Am'erica no entend'ian, pero hoy en d'ia podemos decir que el COI se puede sentir orgulloso de haber podido cumplir con su objetivo de denunciar a esos dirigentes oportunistas, vividores de las organizaciones ind'igenas. Por ejemplo, si miramos en Ecuador, Colombia, todo lo que es Sur Am'erica, ya no creen m'as en el CMPI. M'as a'un en Centroam'erica, en donde han utilizado miles y miles de d'olares para poder comprar algunos dirigentes, ofreciendoles cerveza, mujeres, los mejores hoteles... en comparaci'on de otros eventos ind'igenas o populares, que lo hacen modestamente. Nosotros no estamos diciendo que no podamos conversar con esos dirigentes. Repito, la lucha no es dividir, sino unificarnos primero las organizaciones ind'igenas, posterior con las organizaciones populares. (Porque si todos estamos divididos, qu'e vamos a conseguir? Nuestra meta no es solamente por criticar, sino para darle soluci'on adecuada, el COI est'a demostrando eso y cada d'ia se siguen sumando organizaciones de cada pa'is. Pienso que en el II Congreso, el COI va a salir bastante fortalecido, con mayor participaci'on de organizaciones de base y de las comunidades. Tenemos esa esperanza de poder cumplir realmente con el suenho que han tenido nuestras organizaciones fundadoras del COI. ALAI: (Qu'e perspectivas hay de que esta iniciativa se proyecte a nivel continental? JG: -Podr'iamos decir realmente que el COI pudiera aglutinar esa fuerza, pero nuestro objetivo no es crear aparatos por crear, sino m'as dir'iamos una instancia de coordinaci'on de cuestiones operativas, porque pensamos que crear aparatos a veces corrompe a los dirigentes. Somos conscientes nosotros que hay agencias que no van a financiar proyectos con buena fe, tratan de dividir al movimiento ind'igena o aislarlo de otras organizaciones que realmente tratan de unificar criterios comunes, porque el problema no es s'olo del indio, el indio no va a resolver sus problemas solo. En eso estamos claros, estamos buscando la unidad real, el respeto mutuo. A base de eso, pensamos nosotros que crear otra estructura tipo CMPI, no nos va a llevar a ning'un lado. S'i pensamos que puede haber en el futuro una instancia de coordinaci'on a nivel continental. Ya estamos dando los primeros pasos, que gracias a tres pa'ises (Mexico, Guatemala y Panam'a), se est'a llevando estos esfuerzos con el apoyo de los hermanos de Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, que han visto que no podemos crear aparatos, sino una instancia de coordinaci'on y de operatividad para trabajos concretos, acciones concretas. Para eso, primero tenemos que fortalecer nuestras organizaciones ind'igenas en cada pa'is, porque no estamos de acuerdo que solamente en conferencias, en encuentros, hablemos de unidad entre nuestras organizaciones ind'igenas, si en las bases de nuestros pa'ises no hay a'un eso. ALAI: Hace pocos d'ias el COI realiz'o su primera conferencia, (cu'ales son las resoluciones m'as significativas que acordaron? MEP: -Efectivamente, del 26 al 28 de septiembre en San Crist'obal de las Casas (M'exico) realizamos nuestra primera conferencia. Ah'i estuvieron unas 100 personas pertenecientes a unas 42 organizaciones. Luego de hacer varias denuncias, presentamos el proyecto alternativo. El proyecto alternativo trataba de presentar nuestras demandas en cuanto a la tierra, el agua, el territorio, la defensa de nuestros derechos, el respeto a nuestra autodeterminaci'on, a unir muchas fuerzas de base. En particular, esta conferencia acord'o exigir que en cada pa'is se cree una procuradur'ia especial de defensa de los derechos de los pueblos indios y que en el 92 se concretice una defensor'ia o procuradur'ia internacional. JG: -A ra'iz de la Campanha 500 Anhos de Resistencia, el COI, como organizaci'on ind'igena, se plantea tambi'en enmarcarse dentro del programa que se est'a llevando a nivel continental, sobre todo de los trabajos ind'igenas. Por esta raz'on, en la primera conferencia que se realiz'o, el COI toma como suyos los problemas ind'igenas de diferentes pa'ises, de diferentes 'areas, para hacer denuncias concretas a nivel de los organismos de car'acter internacional, de derechos humanos, de medio ambiente, a partir de la aprobaci'on del Convenio 169. Entonces el COI asume esta parte del trabajo a nivel del Continente, para contrarrestar pol'iticamente la celebraci'on que los gobiernos pretenden, todo esto por medio de las denuncias a todas las instancias que puedan dar respuestas concretas a las necesidades de los ind'igenas en el campo. ALAI: Uno de los puntos que le dan perfil propio al COI, es el de haberse planteado la lucha ind'igena en un marco de car'acter popular. Se sabe que las relaciones con el campo popular, por el hecho de estar marcadas por anhos de incomprensi'on, no est'an exentas de tensiones y dificultades. (C'omo eval'uan ustedes esta relaci'on? MEP: -Esta relaci'on se ha dado sobre todo respecto a la Campanha 500 anhos de resistencia ind'igena, negra y popular. Pienso que el COI hubiera podido dar una respuesta m'as clara, pero desgraciadamente no estamos unidos en este moviviento de 500 anhos de resistencia ind'igena, negra y popular: llegamos dentro del contexto, pero desunidos. Entonces, si logramos superar esto, se fortalecer'ia nuestra presencia, tendr'iamos m'as fuerza, porque sino lo popular y negro nos van a comer, porque no nos entienden, porque es otro nuestro caminar, no porque no podamos dar la lucha, pero son tres situaciones que se dan. O sea, pienso que el COI ser'ia una buena respuesta y fortalecer'ia la lucha que se est'a dando dentro de los 500 Anhos de Resistencia, pero eso no se tom'o en cuenta y nosotros como COI no dimos esa lucha. Es una l'astima, porque fortalecer'ia m'as nuestra presencia. ALAI: (Pero en qu'e medida habr'ia esa rivalidad, siendo que esta Campanha ha sido presentada como un espacio de confluencia de din'amicas? JR: -S'i, cuando la Campanha Continental por los 500 Anhos surge como tal en Colombia, en un encuentro latinoamericano de ind'igenas y campesinos, es claro que se crea un espacio de reflexi'on, de entendimiento, de unificar criterios comunes. En eso estamos claros. Ahora, lo que ocurre a nivel centroamericano es que muchas organizaciones que son parte del COI no participan en los comit'es nacionales, a excepci'on de M'exico o de Panam'a pudi'eramos decir. En Nicaragua, companheros del MISATAN (grupo miskito formado en 1984 para hacer presiones al gobierno), Sumus, Ramas y tambi'en de Sustiavas, estuvimos conversando y nos dec'ian: "a nosotros nos han agarrado solamente para ir a encuentros, pero no nos han llamado realmente a trabajar". Yo estuve hablando con companheros de Honduras, que dijeron no estar participando en el Comit'e Nacional, pero que se les invit'o a este Encuentro. Entonces es una pantalla decir "all'i est'a un indio". Las companheras tampoco est'an de lleno. Entonces vemos que muchas veces tenemos que ser autocr'iticos, y pienso que mientras no se de una participaci'on respetuosa, igualitaria, dentro de cada comit'e nacional, va a ser muy dif'icil que las organizaciones del COI puedan fortalecer esa campanha, porque nosotros sentimos en carne propia la discriminaci'on -a veces hasta de nuestros propios dirigentes-, cuando nos ven como incapaces de poder dirigir una organizaci'on nacional o internacional. Ahora, el COI est'a decidido a fortalecer esta campanha de los 500 Anhos, precisamente por eso se organiz'o nuestra primera conferencia de los 500 anhos, porque sent'iamos que nuestras organizaciones no estaban representadas. Entonces pienso que en el futuro, ojal'a en el III Encuentro Continental, est'en todas las organizaciones que pertenecen a la COI, ese es nuestro objetivo, como Comit'e Nacional de Panam'a, de los 500 Anhos, de tratar de ayudar a los companheros que nos comprendamos ambos lados, tanto las organizaciones ind'igenas como las organizaciones populares, porque a veces no nos entendemos, no nos hablamos con sinceridad, o cuando hablamos con sinceridad, nos tratan de que somos divisionistas. Entonces pienso que debe haber una discusi'on a fondo, con sinceridad, para poder decir en la pr'actica estamos unidos. ALAI cdp!ecuanex!alai!info