Mexico elected Claudia Sheinbaum, the country’s first female president, in a landslide victory in June amid growing violence against women and journalists in the country. Sheinbaum won as a pragmatic problem-solver but comes out of leftist traditions. What role did the Zapatistas, who marked the 30th anniversary of the movement and appearance of ‘Subcommandante Marco’ on the world stage this year, play in her rise to power and ability to govern? ‘They have infused left politics’, Margaret Cerullo writes, ‘with an imaginative, literary, or poetic dimension—organizing horizontally, outside and against the state, and with a profound respect for difference as a source of political insight, not division.’ And they persist. This new year they will be celebrating their decades’ long phase in 500 years of indigenous resistance in the Americas.
Join the Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC) on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 6:30 pm to explore these connections with Professor Margaret Cerullo, a Professor Emerita of Sociology and Feminist Studies at Hampshire College and a member of the Lightning Collective, which produced the 2022 book “Zapatista Stories for Dreaming An-Other World by Subcomandante Marcos.” Cerullo, a keen observer of Mexican politics, will discuss how this Jewish former Mayor of Mexico City won the presidency, the state of the Zapatista movement at 30, and how stories and storytelling have nurtured the movement.
“Professor Margaret Cerullo brings luminous insights into the recent Mexican election and the Zapatista movement. She’ll be bringing to Brattleboro a first hand account of her participation in the 30th anniversary of the Zapatista operation in January 2024,” said Chuck Collins, Institute for Policy Studies and member/advisor, WWAC. He will introduce Cerullo.
The discussion will take place on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 6:30 pm at 118 Elliot, 118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301. Reserve your seat at https://Zapatista.eventbrite.com. A remote participation option is available on the reservation link. The event is free with a $10 suggested donation. For more information contact windhamworldaffairscouncil@gmail.com.
The event is being held in conjunction with the Kopkind Colony (https://kopkind.org/) where Cerullo is a visiting professor at their annual youth summer activism and journalism programs. Copies of Cerullo’s book will be available for sale at the event thanks to Everyone’s Books of Brattleboro.
For 64 years, Windham World Affairs Council has brought the world to Windham County. We build community engagement, dialogue, and resilience by helping people understand complicated issues that manifest globally and locally. Through ongoing programs such as salons, youth and teacher support, and a monthly speaker series led by global experts, we build intergenerational and cross-cultural social connections to create a more inclusive and engaged community. As an independent, nonpartisan organization with an all-volunteer board and a growing dues-paying membership, we present all events free to the public and participate as a chapter of the national World Affairs Councils of America.
People are encouraged to join WWAC on the website https://windhamworldaffairscouncil.org/ in order to support monthly lectures and participate in our ‘Members & Friends Salon’ for networking and off the record guest speakers. Salons typically start at 6pm after the WWAC board meeting on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 4:45 to 5:45 PM. All are welcome.
