Convocation to the Constitutive Assembly of the Indigenous Governing Council for Mexico

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS CONGRESS

CONVOCATION

Given the decision made in the second phase of the Fifth National Indigenous Congress December 29, 30, and 31, 2016 and January 1, 2017, during which it was agreed:

FIRST: “…to name an Indigenous Governing Council with men and women representatives from each one of the peoples, tribes, and nations that make up the CNI. This council proposes to govern the country. It will have an indigenous woman from the CNI as its spokesperson, which is to say, a woman of indigenous blood who knows her culture. This indigenous woman spokesperson from the CNI will be an independent candidate for the presidency of Mexico in the 2018 elections.”

SECOND: “…[to call] on the originary peoples of this country, the collectives of the Sixth, workers, coalitions and committees who struggle in the countryside and the city, students, intellectuals, artists, scientists, the elements of civil society that are not organized, as well as all good-hearted people to close ranks and go on the offensive. We call on you to dismantle the power of above and to reconstitute ourselves now from below and to the left, not only as peoples but as a country, to come together in a single organization where dignity will be our final word and our first action. We call on all of you to organize with us to stop this war, and to not be afraid to sow our seeds and build ourselves upon the ruins left by capitalism.”

THIRD: “…[to convoke] a constituent assembly of the Indigenous Governing Council for Mexico in the month of May 2017…to make the earth tremble at its core, to overcome fear and recuperate what belongs to humanity, what belongs to the earth, and what belongs to the peoples, to recuperate the territories that have been invaded or destroyed, for the disappeared of this country, for the freedom of all political prisoners, for truth and justice for all of those who have been murdered, for the dignity of the countryside and the city…making dignity the epicenter of a new world.”
We have agreed to convoke the authorities, representatives, delegates, and councilpersons named by the indigenous peoples, nations, tribes, barrios, communities, and organizations that participate in the CNI to celebrate the:

CONSTITUTIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE INDIGENOUS GOVERNING COUNCIL FOR MEXICO

To be held May 26, 27, and 28 of 2017 at the facilities of the Indigenous Center for Integral Learning (CIDECI-UNITIERRA) in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Zapatista territory, in accordance with the following schedule:

PROGRAM

May 26:
1. Arrival and in-person registration of indigenous councilpersons, authorities, representatives, and delegates, as well as of press and guests invited by the Coordinating Commission of the CNI.
2. Traditional Ceremony

May 27:
1. Inauguration and installation of the Constitutive Assembly of the Indigenous Governing Council for Mexico.
2. Working groups on the following topics:
1. Proposals and strategies for the Indigenous Governing Council
2. Functioning and Organization of the Indigenous Governing Council
3. Links between the Indigenous Governing Council and other sectors of civil society
4. Naming of the Spokeswoman for the Indigenous Governing Council

May 28:
1. Constitutive Plenary of the Indigenous Governing Council for Mexico and swearing-in ceremony of its members.
2. Discussion and approval of agreements, resolutions, and declarations.
3. Assembly closing ceremony.
The naming of council members to the Indigenous Governing Council should be carried out according to the guidelines indicated in Appendix I of this Convocation and in the regions documented in Appendix II. Any concerns with regard to the proposed regions or necessary revisions should be communicated to the CNI coordinating committee.
Advance registration of indigenous delegates can be made through the CNI email: catedrajuanchavez@congresonacionalindigena.org.
Those who are explicitly invited by the CNI coordination or the EZLN may participate as INVITED OBSERVERS.
Members of the national and international Sixth who would like to attend as observers can register beforehand at the email: cni20aniversario@ezln.org.mx.

Attentively,
March 2017
For the Full Reconstitution of Our Peoples
Never Again a Mexico Without Us
National Indigenous Congress
Zapatista Army for National Liberation

Appendix I:
GROUNDS FOR NAMING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO THE INDIGENOUS GOVERNING COUNCIL FOR MEXICO ACCORDING TO THE AGREEMENTS ADOPTED BY THE FIFTH NATIONAL INDIGENOUS CONGRESS IN ITS PLENARY ASSEMBLY JANUARY 1, 2017.

1. The Indigenous Governing Council (CIG by its Spanish acronym) will be made up of two council members, preferably one man and one woman, from each of the participating indigenous regions in the National Indigenous Congress (CNI by its Spanish acronym) as indicated in the following appendix, with the exception of those peoples residing in the metropolitan zones of Mexico City and Guadalajara, who will name one council member from each people.

2. The council members will be named through the assembly consensus of their people or in agreement with the traditions and customs of each people, and should be documented in writing.

3. Those who are proposed as council members should obey the mandate of the people that named them and that of the CNI assembly, and work collectively under the seven principles of the CNI.

4. Those who are proposed as council members should meet the following requirements:

Have permanent membership in the CNI

Practice the seven principles of the CNI

Belong to an originary people

Know the history and culture of their people and hold recognition and moral authority in their community

Be nominated, named, and confirmed in Assembly or in the decision-making body of their people according to its traditions and customs.

Have accompanied their people in struggle and have a congruent trajectory of struggle; they should be people who know how to work the land, who are humble, who listen to and serve their people, and who know the path of the CNI.

Be anticapitalist, from below and to the left.

5. The council members’ position will rotate over the time period decided by each people and is immediately revocable by the assembly or the body by which it was named.

6. Council members should preferably be named before the CNI assembly programmed for May 27 and 28 in San Cristóbal de las Casas. The organization and functioning of the council members and the CIG will be agreed upon by that assembly.

FOR THE FULL RECONSTITUTION OF OUR PEOPLES
NEVER AGAIN A MEXICO WITHOUT US
FROM THE PROVISIONAL COORDINATION

Appendix II: List of Regions for the Indigenous Governing Council