Aim

Accompany organisational processes in defence of human rights and be physically and visibly present in the moments and places of highest tension so as to try to prevent repression and violence, such that threatened persons and organisations can continue their work to promote peace and human rights; expose the causes and consequences of, as well as responses to, socio-political conflict in Chiapas as well as in Oaxaca and Guerrero, with the intent of raising awareness and mobilising actors at local, national, and international levels to seek out non-violent solutions; work to strengthen the capacities of local groups, social agents—female and male—who work in defence of human rights and towards transformation of their conflicts in order to achieve a positive peace, and to promote and strengthen spaces for coming together and movement building.

History

In 1994, after the armed uprising by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), social and civil organisations, as well as Mexican religious leaders, recognised the need for a permanent international presence in Chiapas to help to avoid or lessen the risks of violent ends to conflict. In this context, in 1995, a group of international organisations with a long history of work in the areas of peace building, human rights, and nonviolent activism responded by creating a coalition consisting of members from the United States, Europe, and Latin America. They shared not only concerns about the situation in Chiapas, but also the hope that they could help to build a just, long-lasting peace in the state. From this came the project of SIPAZ, the International Service for Peace.