[ACE] Events this weekend

[Mike]

NEWS FROM THE AUTONOMOUS CENTRE OF EDINBURGH

Our premises at 17 West Montgomery Place continue to be open every
tuesday 1-4pm and every saturday 10am – 6pm. Both days Leith Wholefoods
Co-op sells healthy organic food at reasonable prices, ACE info shop
makes available radical books, mags, pamphlets and free leaflets, and
our free internet, library and cheap photocopying facilities are
available. In addition on tuesdays Edinburgh Claimants give advice and
solidarity on benefits and debt problems.


To survive and thrive ACE needs more folk involved. Our next open
organising meeting is 7.30pm this wednesday 4th July at the premises.
All interested are welcome at these monthly meetings, the first
wednesday of each month. If you can't make it then, but are interested
in finding out more, please phone or visit during opening hours if
possible (0131 557 6242). Or e mail us at ace at autonomous.org.uk - but if
you don't get a reply, ring as we sometimes miss messages due to spam
overload! And do check out our revamped website at www.autonomous.org.uk


Indigenous solidarity in Edinburgh

This weekend Edinburgh hosts two special indigenous solidarity events.
On the evening of Saturday 30th, two women from the Haudenosaunee
confederacy indigenous people will speak at the Quaker Meeting House
about their inspiring land occupation in Canada. 

The following afternoon sees the premiere of the short film “Health and
Solidarity : Scotland and the Zapatistas” at the CWU club. This film
shows the struggle of the indigenous Mayans of Zapatista Autonomous
Municipality 16th February in Mexico, and portrays their twinning with
the solidarity groups in Scotland. 


The details of the events and more information follow :

HAUDENOSAUNEE SPEAKING TOUR, EDINBURGH.

SAT 30th JUNE 7PM
The Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace. (Access from Lawnmarket at
top of Royal Mile near Castle, or up steps from Victoria St.) The venue
is fully accessible for people with mobility disabilities (ramp and lift
to meeting room)

The speakers will be Mary Sandy (an Oneida Nation Clan mother- a
representative from the traditional government)and Kathy Garlow,
spokesperson from an ongoing (since February 2006) land reclamation. 

(Please see recent ACE e mail for more information.)
Questions and discussion

Admission free/ voluntary donation

HEALTH AND SOLIDARITY : SCOTLAND AND THE ZAPATISTAS
(2007) 21 minutes. 

Film premiere plus short talks and discussion
Sunday 1st July
3.30pm Communication Workers Union (Posties Club), 15 Brunswick Street
(near Elm Row and London Rd), Edinburgh (meeting room on first floor up
shallow wide flight of stairs)

The film-makers from Camcorder Guerillas and the zapatista solidarity
groups in Edinburgh and Glasgow will be present, and copies of the DVD
will be available for sale, along with amber jewellery and textiles from
zapatista autonomous municipality 16th February in Chiapas, Mexico.

Admission free/ voluntary donation

Below more detailed info 

---------------------

Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group and the Camcorder Guerillas present

A film premiere

Salud y Solidaridad – Health and Solidarity
Scotland and the Zapatistas

A documentary film by the Camcorder Guerillas - 2007

3.30pm Sunday 1st July 
Communication Workers Union, 15 Brunswick St, Edinburgh
(note : event originally advertised as taking place at ACE, but been
moved to bigger venue due to demand)

Free/ donation

This new 20 minute film documents the struggle of the people of
zapatista autonomous municipality “16th February” to construct their own
health clinic, run by and for the community. In their own words the
local indigenous people describe the need for an autonomous health care
system, detailing the serious health problems they face in the Highlands
of Chiapas, Mexico.

The film features original footage from “16th February”. We see the
successful construction of the health clinic, achieved by the voluntary
work of hundreds of people from the forty different villages of the
municipality. Other aspects of the local peoples’ self-organisation are
explored too, such as the craft workers’ collectives. 

The film portrays the twinning between “16th February” and the zapatista
groups in Scotland. This is a direct relationship of solidarity whereby
funds raised in Scotland have made it possible for the local zapatistas
to take this major step forward in their struggle for autonomy from the
“bad government”. The municipality are continuing this path, now
focusing not only on further improvements to the clinic but also on
developing their autonomous primary schools, and their craft workers
collectives.

With film shot during the 1994 uprising, Health and Solidarity puts the
local situation in the context of the whole zapatista struggle, which
has been an inspiration to the global anti capitalist movement, and has
now initiated the Other Campaign, seeking to unite different exploited
groups “from below and the left”.

Following the film there will be questions and discussion - plus first
hand accounts of the situation in “16th February” from members of the
group who have recently returned from Chiapas. Copies of the film will
be on sale, available on a dvd which also contains much other material
on 16th February and the zapatista struggle, including 3 other films.
There will be stalls with amber jewellery and textiles made in 16th
February, all proceeds going to the clinic and the autonomous schools
there.

Entry is free, although donations are appreciated.

www.edinchiapas.org.uk
www.camcorderguerillas.net