We’re working currently on Social and Political Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico Municipalities.

While this project extends coverage to the entire state of Oaxaca, we’re focusing on selected municipalities so that we may achieve a deeper understanding and project impact. We are focusing in the following municipalities: Asunción Tlacolulita, Santiago Ixtayutla, San Dionisio Ocotepec, San Juan Lachao, San Juan Lalana y Tataltepec de Valdez.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE:
“Social and Political Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca, Mexico Municipalities” aims to enter the arena of municipal governments, public politics and the Oaxacan State level Judicial system in order to increase the visibility of and participation by indigenous people in their own municipalities and at the state level.

Ethnic and gender issues form the basis of our central perspective and move us to promote activity on four broad areas: strengthen the autonomy of communal and institutional institutions, animate grassroots citizen participation to increase effectiveness of efforts to defend and expand political rights, offer training to indigenous organizations and promote structural change at the municipal and state levels.

This project will last for two years, 2005-2006 and is supported by funding from the Eurpoean Commission in Mexico as well as EDUCA's own funding an resources.

Activities and Results:

§ Strengthen negotiating and capacity for initiative in four (4) indigenous municipalities.
§ Generate a training strategy and methodology from the indigenous perspective and build this into the School for Municipal Leaders, Oaxaca.
§ Strengthen three (3) indigenous community assemblies introducing a moment of formal financial reporting.
§ Created a network for indigenous municipal leaders so that they could benefit from a forum to exchange their experiences and practices.
§ Raise awareness of inequity of relationships between men and women among municipal leaders.
§ Collaborated directly with the Oaxacan State program of the Institute for Oaxacan Women to offer training in the areas of legislative aids to promote gender equity in municipalities.
§ Research, publication and dissemination of a study of the indigenous organizational system in the Municipality of San Dionisio Ocotepec.
§ Influence in municipal legislation.
§ Program impact with 2682 people in 3 municiiops.
§ Published the book: The People of the Four Staffs, A Study of Indigenous Communal Duties and Responsibilities. Published the manual promoting gender equity: A Pathway to Equity. Published an aid to organization called Maintaining Bridges. Published posters promoting women’s rights.

2. Self-Determination of Municipalities and Indigenous Peoples of Oaxaca. June 2000-July 2002. Carried out project in 2 municipalities of Oaxaca. Supported by Community Aid Abroad. Oxfam Australia. México y Centro América Regional Offices.

Activities and Results:

§ Training offered to fifty-four (54) elected indigenous authorities in the areas of law, administration and municipal planning.
§ Development of two written plans for municipal development
§ Video production about the Mixtec people and their form of carrying out elections.
§ Production of three (3) radio programs on the theme of the indigenous municipality.
§ Promoted the automony of indigenous Oaxacan communities through the training of indigenous elected and other leaders in the area of political rights and self-determination.
§ Faciliated first ever violence free succession of elected municipal leaders in the municipality of Santiago Ixtayutla.
§ Offered training in the areas of planning, plan implementation and supervision and evaluation.
§ Presented a case before the Mexican Federal Courts to defend indigenous political rights in the Municipio of Asuncion Tlacolulita.

Activities and Results:

§ Trained municipal authorities to defend their political rights.
§ Trained social organizations based upon mutual exchange of experiences and learnings.
§ Research and study of three (3) independent cases of campaigns to defend the legal right to free elections of local municipal authorities.

Activities and Results:

§ Participation by 22 municipios and indigenous communities of Oaxaca.
§ Participation by representatives from six (6) Mexican States and three (3) countries of Latin America.
§ Development of a general strategy to strengthen municipalities, local power and indigenous autonomy.
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