prof tormey key thinkers marcos

8/6/2019 Prof Tormey Key Thinkers Marcos

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Some context

Introduction to Zapatista! By Big Noise films
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlW9sS7CSAc&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlW9sS7CSAc&feature=related


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7am, January 1, 1994


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The uprising led to the creation of theZapatista autonomous zone


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The zone provides the base from which thezapatista movement engages Mexicos civil

society the otra compana


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The zone is also the focus for a majorinternational solidarity campaign

Ya Basta! and theautonomous movementsof the North

The generation of aninternational electronic

anti-globalisationnetwork immediatelyfollowed the rebellion(PGA, WSF)

The early summit protests(seattle, washington,prague) were motivated inpart by the desire to drawattention to the Zapatistarebellion


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What about Marcos?

Marcos is one of a number ofspokespersons for the EZLN (along withothers Fidelia, Ramona, Esther etc).

Marcos is (apparently) the alias of RafaelSebastian Guillen Vincent. He is alsocalled El Sub, Delegate Zero and Dom

Durito of the Lacandon He has authored many of the key

declarations, public letters and manifestossince the uprising + poetry, novels and

childrens books.

He was voted sexiest man in Mexico in1995.


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But then there is Marcos

Marcos is gay in San Francisco, ablack in South Africa, Asian inEurope, a Chicano in San Isidro, ananarchist in Spain, a Palestinian inIsrael, an indigenous person in thestreets of San Cristbal, a gang

member in Neza, a rocker oncampus, a Jew in Germany, anombudsman in the Department ofDefense, a feminist in a political

party, a communist in the post-ColdWar period [ ] In other words,

Marcos is a human being in thisworld. Marcos is every untolerated,oppressed, exploited minority thatis resisting and saying 'Enough!


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Zapatismo?

Zapatismo is not an ideology,

it is not bought and paid for by adoctrine.

It is an intuition.

Something so open and flexible that

it really occurs in all places.

Zapatismo poses the question:What is it that excluded me?

What is that has isolated me?

In each place the response isdifferent.

Zapatismo simply states the question

and stipulates that the response isplural,

that the response is inclusive (Marcos, 2001, p. 440)


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Zapatismo an echo

An echo that recognizes the existence of

the other and does not overpower orattempt to silence it.

An echo that takes its place and speaks itsown voice, yet speaks with the voice ofthe other.

An echo that reproduces its own sound, yetopens itself to the sound of the other.

An echo [] transforming itself andrenewing itself in other voices. An echothat turns itself into many voices, into anetwork of voices that, before Powersdeafness, opts to speak to itself,knowing itself to be one and many,acknowledging itself to be equal in its

desire to listen and be listened to, torecognizing itself as diverse in the tonesand levels of voices forming it. (Marcos,2001, p. 114)


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Marcos/Zapatismo key motifs

the upside down periscope Mandar obedeciendo-govern-obeying

Preguntando caminamos-walking asking

The chicken that thought it was a penguin identity inquestion

The pink stiletto and the politics of solidarity Behind us we are you subversive affinity


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the upside down periscope

The contemporary world is one of

surfaces - to achieve depth ofanalysis we need a more holisticapproach

the third world war was a ColdWar; the fourth is a war of theempire of money againsthumanity a war with no front.

the state as site of democracyand justice has been supplantedby the state as instrument ofneoliberal capitalism

Need for a total critique of thesystem of power and

reconnection to the bottom, thehidden and unseen elements ofsociety


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Govern-obeying

One of the most important functions Marcos plays for themovement is giving an insight into the policy of govern-obeying by the EZLN and the communes:

Zapatista zone is formally autonomous

Each commune directs its own affairs on the basis of directparticipation in decision-making (encounter, assemble, create)

The EZLN does not lead or perform a vanguard function

Power is conceived as a social resource, not something thatsome wield at the expense of others

The representative function is delegate based.


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walking asking

Marcos has always emphasized that the Zapatistaexperiment (esp Otra Compana) is conceived as somethingnew, experimental, dialogical and active learn whilstdoing; do whilst learning

There is no end or telos that can help guide us the journeyis the endpoint

The relationship between theory and practice is played out inreal time

Intellectual leadership = embrace uncertainty and thepossibility/probability that one might be wrong.

Nomadology (Deleuze)


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The chicken that thought it was a penguin


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The tale of the pink stiletto


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Behind us we are you

In the world of the powerful there isno space for anyone butthemselves and their servants. Inthe world we want everyone fits.

We want a world in which manyworlds fit. The nations that we

construct is one where allcommunities and languages fit,where all steps may walk, whereall may have laughter, where allmay live the dawn. (Marcos, 2001,p. 80)

Marcos from the intercontinentalencuentro of 1996
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxRDwA9SXbw&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxRDwA9SXbw&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxRDwA9SXbw&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxRDwA9SXbw&feature=related


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prof tormey key thinkers marcos

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