In Ireland Marcos is a Traveller. Open letter to the EZLN and Mexican Civil Society from Ireland

Tuesday August 06, 2002 21:19

by Helen Joseph

From an Irish Citizen involved in the No to Nice Referendum Campaign.

First I have to say that many of us here on this Island heard the EZLN when, at the beginning of 1994 they pointed out to the world that the third world war had ended and that the fourth world war had begun. We are celebrating today the victory of Mexican farmers and Civil Society in their recent conflict with the Mexican Government. We cried when we heard of the death of one brother at the hands of the Mexican State but take courage from what we have heard of the resistance to the state coming from people of all ages and genders. It gives all of us who struggle for Justice and Dignity everywhere a feeling that it is possible to struggle and to win small battles in this WW 4.

This war is happening everywhere including Ireland. The Irish government is at present using draconian new laws to move Indigenous Irish Travellers from anywhere that they attempt to camp. They are the Irish equivalent to the Indigenous Peoples of Mexico and they are being described openly by members of the establishment in Ireland as 'Terrorists'. They unlike the EZLN have never taken up arms to fight for Justice, Peace and Dignity. They have done nothing except live their lives as their ancestors have for generations. They are a nomadic people. Just today I read of 30 families who had moved their caravans to an unused portion of land near the city of Dublin (our capital) being driven from this land by the Irish Police.

So why am I telling this to the Zapatistas and Mexican Civil Society? To point out that in the Fourth World War things are becoming the same everywhere. And to point out that the resistance everywhere finally can realise this through channels of authentic speech and authentic tellings of the truth.

The whole of Irish society right now are being asked to vote in favour of the treaty of NICE. A year ago the Irish people in a referendum voted NO to this treaty. The Irish government are now ignoring this democratic vote and are putting exactly the same proposition to the people. They are attempting to overturn the democratically expressed will of the Irish People because it does not suit their interests. Why does it not suit their interests? Because they need the Nice Treaty ratified in order that the whole of the European Union can finalise and sign up to the General Agreement on Trades and Services, an agreement which i believe Mexican Civil Society and the EZLN understands very well. GATS spells privatisation of everything. Seeds, discourse, water, public transport etc etc. The Irish people were the only people in Europe who had a vote on this. They rejected it. The Government are now trying to undermine our Democracy by frightening Irish Civil Society into reversing the democratically expressed decision taken by Irish Civil Society a year ago.

We who are campaigning against this call on Mexican Civil Society to give us support. Just as countless Irish Citizens have supported the struggle of Mexicans since the EZLN announced their will to resist to the World on Jan 1 1994.

Peace, Freedom, Democracy,

Helen Joseph.