Mexico

Mexico

Mexican Presbyterian Church votes to end 139-year-old relationship with PC(USA) [8-24-11]

Leslie Scanlon, of Presbyterian Outlook, reported on Friday, August 19, 2011, that “the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico (known as INPM) has voted to end its 139-year partnership in mission with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), in response to the PC(USA)’s decision earlier this year to allow the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians.”

Her report continues:

That decision to sever the relationship came on a 116 to 22 vote of the Mexican church assembly on Aug. 19. It likely will jeopardize the continuation of the work that 11 PC(USA) mission co-workers have been doing in Mexico – including significant work along the U.S.-Mexican border – as well as the future of short-term congregational mission trips to Mexico and more than two-dozen partnerships that PC(USA) presbyteries and synods have established in Mexico.
The Mexican church, with close to two million members, held a special assembly Aug. 17-19 specifically to discuss the ordination of women – voting overwhelmingly, by a margin of 158 to 14, to sustain its policy of not ordaining women. The assembly also voted 103 to 55 not to allow any sort of grace period for presbyteries that had, on their own, already begun ordaining women. That vote means that any presbytery which has already ordained women must immediately revoke those ordinations. More >>

World Mission [of the PC(USA)] responds to ending of partnership by Mexican Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian News Service reports on August 24, 2011:

As reported yesterday, the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico (INPM) has voted to end its 139-year-old relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) because of the PC(USA)’s ordination standards, which were amended this year to allow the ordination of sexually active gays and lesbians.

In response to the INPM’s decision, the PC(USA)’s World Mission ministry area has released the following statement:

On Monday evening (Aug. 22), Presbyterian World Mission leaders received a communiqué from leaders of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico (INPM) officially documenting the decision of the Mexican church to sever the historic 139 year relationship between INPM and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) ...

As a result of the INPM decision, according to Farrell, World Mission cannot continue its participation in these ministries in their current form. “Our ministries have been built on the foundation of a joint partnership between our two churches,” said Maria Arroyo, area coordinator for PC(USA) work in Latin America and the Caribbean, “and without that foundation we have immediately begun to re-assess each of our ministries.” World Mission will be working with mission co-workers individually to determine next steps and possible alternative deployments.

More >>.

World Mission is offering a webinar for more information on its Mexico response at a webinar scheduled for September 1 (10:15 am – 11:30 am Eastern Time). Visit the PC(USA)'s Mexico website for more information.

US tour to highlight struggle for indigenous rights in Mexico

[information received from Mexico Solidarity Network, posted here on 9-13-02]

The Mexico Solidarity Network is searching for community, church and university-based sponsors for a series of events focused on indigenous rights in Southern Mexico, specifically the southern states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero. The tour will take place in the US-midwest during early-mid November.

The tour features Carlos Efrain Perez an indigenous Mixe (pronounced Mee-hay) from Oaxaca state and video producer and training coordinator for the Chiapas Media Project. Carlos will discuss the current state of indigenous rights in Mexico and screen "Reclaiming Justice," a new video on the Indigenous Community Police movement of Guerrero.

The struggle for human rights for Mexico's 15 million indigenous people suffered grave setbacks in the past year. Despite concerted efforts by indigenous communities and organizations, the Fox administration has done little to improve conditions for indigenous communities. Zapatista communities in Chiapas recently suffered a new wave of paramilitary violence. The Mexican Supreme Court summarily dismissed a challenge from 330 indigenous municipalities to the Federal Indigenous Law, a law that was rejected by every major indigenous group in Mexico. The highly esteemed indigenous rights lawyer, Digna Ochoa, was assassinated in her office last Oct. 19. And the Mexican Army--trained and funded by the US military--continues to harass indigenous communities.

Amidst this backdrop, the Community Policing Movement of Guerrero is one of the most dynamic grassroots movements in Mexico today. The movement began with indigenous communities in the mountain region of Guerrero. Faced with endemic poverty, corruption and crime, they began to organize from within to address their needs for security and justice. Communities suffered from roadside robbery, animal and crop theft, police extortion, illegal incarceration, trumped up charges and exorbitant, arbitrary fines. Indigenous people responded by organizing assemblies in 50 communities that commissioned more than 500 officers, each accountable to the communities themselves. The movement is an inspiring example of how communities can respond to police-initiated violence and brutality.

To cover tour costs the Mexico Solidarity Network asks for an honorarium based on the means of host organizations. We especially welcome events sponsored by groups working on police brutality and/or prisoner justice issues.

For further information, please contact Jason at 773-583-7728 or msn@mexicosolidarity.org

~~~~~~~~~~

Carlos Efrain Perez is an indigenous video maker from Tamazul'pam, Mixe in the Sierra Mixe of Oaxaca. He has run his community's regional TV station, TV Tamix since 1998. Carlos has worked on documentary productions about his region financed through the MacArthur Foundation's Video Fellowship Program. For the CMP, Carlos coordinates advanced productions in Chiapas and introductory workshops in Guerrero. In 2000, Carlos co-directed the documentary "Defending the Forests: The Struggle of the Campesino Environmentalists of Guerrero." He is Director of recent release, "Reclaiming Justice: Guerrero's Indigenous Community Police." In 2002 Carlos was the recipient of a Rockefeller Video Fellowship.

Reclaiming Justice: Guerrero's Indigenous Community Police

(Spanish with English sub-titles, 25:00, 2002) "Reclaiming Justice" is the story of 42 Mixteco and Tlapaneco communities in the Costa-Montaña region of Guerrero who, faced with injustice and corruption of local authorities, established the Indigenous Community Police (ICP) in 1995. Based on the traditional Indigenous justice system, the ICP is a volunteer organization elected by regional assembly. With the ICP, crime dropped substantially, organized crime has nearly disappeared, and police corruption is non-existent. Instead of supporting the ICP, state and local governments attacked them publicly and claimed that they function outside the law. "Reclaiming Justice" gives voice to members of the ICP, demonstrates their success in creating community security, and shows how the ICP restored dignity and pride to Indigenous communities despite opposition by corrupt authorities.

The Mexico Solidarity Network is a US coalition of religious, university and community-based organizations struggling for dignity, democracy and social and economic justice on both sides of the US-Mexico border. The Network fosters "globalization from below" by linking individuals and organizations representing communities targeted by corporate-centered globalization with allies that struggle against oppression and for freedom and equality.

The Chiapas Media Project is a bi-national partnership that provides video equipment and training to marginalized indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico. The CMP mission is to create and nurture processes that, through video and computer technology, empower communities struggling for democracy, land reform and autonomy to develop alternative media so that their voices can be heard around the world.

Jason Wallach is an organizer and educator for Mexico Solidarity Network and Chiapas Media Project. Jason convenes workshops and organizes political support around human rights, indigenous rights, militarization and trade in Mexico. He organizes cross-border delegations into autonomous-indigenous conflict zones and US-based tours for front-line Mexican activists. Jason is editor of two books on economic literacy and popular education methodology for Highlander Research and Education Center and Atlanta-based Project South. He is a contributor to the recently published "Global Uprising: Confronting the Tyrannies of the 21st Century" and featured in the soon-to-be-published "Just Living: White Men Challenging Racism." Jason lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Provided by:
Mexico Solidarity Network

http://www.mexicosolidarity.org