The fire and the word: a history of the Zapatista movement

An illustrated history of the Zapatistas based on interviews with the movement’s original organizers. Originally published in Mexico to mark the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Zapatistas, this new edition has been expanded with an epilogue that outlines developments from 2003 to the present. According to Subcomandante Marcos, The Fire and the Word is “the most complete version of the public history of the Zapatistas.” In 1983, a small group of Mexicans traveled to the Lacandn jungle in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas, with the dream of organizing a national revolution. For the next ten years they lived with the indigenous Mayan communities there, listening, learning and blending with them. This was the beginning of the Zapatista movement, which made its dramatic public debut on January 1, 1994, when thousands of armed indigenous people occupied seven Chiapas towns and declared war on the Mexican government. Their demandsnot just for the oppressed and poverty-stricken indigenous communities, but for all Mexicanswere equality, democracy, liberty, justice, independence, employment, land, food, housing, health, education and peace. The Fire and the Word tells the story of the Zapatista movement, from its clandestine birth in the jungle of Chiapas, to its impact on Mexico and its ongoing influence around the world. Gloria Muoz lived for years in remote Mayan villages and interviewed some of the group's organizers. Their first-person accounts are woven throughout the text, along with reportage and contextual history. The result is a story composed of "the little pieces of mirrors and crystals that make up the various moments" (Subcomandante Marcos) of the Zapatistas years of open struggle, the reflections of a history that is still being made, one which continues to inform and inspire activists and intellectuals around the globe. Beautifully illustrated with a collection of the most emblematic photographs from Zapatista history, The Fire and the Word is an inspiring testimony of resistance and hope. In 1983, a small group of Mexicans traveled to the Lacandón Jungle in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas, with the dream of organizing a national revolution. For the next ten years they lived with the indigenous Mayan communities there, listening, learning and blending with them. This was the beginning of the Zapatista movement, which made its dramatic public debut on January 1, 1994, when thousands of armed indigenous people occupied seven Chiapas towns and declared war on the Mexican government. Their demands -- not just for the oppressed and poverty-stricken indigenous communities, but for all Mexicans -- were clear: equality, democracy, liberty, justice, independence, employment, land, food, housing, health, education and peace. The Fire and the Word tells the story of the Zapatista movement, from its clandestine birth in the jungle of Chiapas, to its impact on Mexico and its ongoing influence around the world. Gloria Muñoz lived for years in remote Mayan villages and interviewed some of the group's organizers. Their first-person accounts are woven throughout the text, along with reportage and contextual history. The result is a story composed of "the little pieces of mirrors and crystals that make up the various moments" (Subcomandante Marcos) of the Zapatistas' years of open struggle, the reflections of a history that is still being made, one which continues to inform and inspire activists and intellectuals around the globe. -- Back cover In 1983, a small group of Mexicans traveled to the Lacandon jungle in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas, with the dream of organizing a national revolution. For the next ten years they lived with the indigenous Mayan communities there, listening, learning and blending with them. This was the beginning of the Zapatista movement, which made its dramatic public debut on January 1, 1994, when thousands of armed indigenous people occupied seven Chiapas towns and declared war on the Mexican government. Their demands -- not just for the oppressed and poverty-stricken indigenous communities, but for all Mexicans -- were clear: equality, democracy, liberty, justice, independence, employment, land, food, housing, health, education and peace. The Fire and the Word tells the story of the Zapatista movement, from its clandestine birth in the jungle of Chiapas, to its impact on Mexico and its ongoing influence around the world. Gloria Munoz lived for years in remote Mayan villages and interviewed some of the group's organizers. Their first-person accounts are woven throughout the text, along with reportage and contextual history. The result is a story composed of "the little pieces of mirrors and crystals that make up the various moments" (Subcomandante Marcos) of the Zapatistas' years of open struggle, the reflections of a history that is still being made, one which continues to inform and inspire activists and intellectuals around the globe. -- Back cover

An illustrated history of the Zapatistas based on interviews with the movement's original organizers.

Sarat Colling - Political Media Review

Covering the movement from its conception, when a few urban guerrillas joined with indigenous leaders to plant the seeds of revolution, Muñoz provides an intimate and well detailed [account of] Zapatista history through the first 10 years . . . The book is described by [Zapatista spokesperson Subcomandante] Marcos as a giant tapestry filled with 'those little pieces of mirrors and crystals that make up the history of the EZLN.' In these mirrors, the reader may see parts of themselves reflected. But the Zapatistas believe every person, and every movement, must grow through their own experience. Therefore, they offer 'a mirror that isn't you, it just helps you see how you are.'

Audio message by Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos Introduction or presentation (or both) by Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos Prologue by Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos 1983-1994 : pieces of the puzzle Years of Zapatista struggle and resistance A time to ask, a time to demand and a time to act The next step : The sixth declaration of the Lacandon Jungle by Hermann Bellinghausen and Gloria Muñoz Ramírez. Beautifully illustrated with drawings and the most emblematic photo collection of Zapatista history, The Fire and the Word is an inspiring testimony of resistance and hope. Description de l'éditeur disponible à l'adresse