SUPPORT THE RESTORATION OF COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION IN MEXICO:
Actions for the recovery and re-establishment of affected communities in Oaxaca and Morelos.

 Dear Friends,
As you may know, central and southern Mexico is living a disastrous situation and devastation of entire communities due to the telluric movements that have occurred since September 7. As REDES AC, along with other organizations that have accompanied us in community and indigenous communication processes, we have decided to articulate specific actions that respond to the recovery and reestablishment of affected communities in the states of Oaxaca and Morelos. These communities, forgotten by the government and the mass media, have been close to community communication processes we work with.

Our intention is, in the first instance, to restore the conditions of local communication projects that naturally constitute a meeting point for the articulation of community processes. We also aim to contribute to the communities rebuilding in accordance to their development priorities defined through traditional constructive schemes in order to strengthen their economy and resilience.

ISTMO DE TEHUANTEPEC, OAXACA

•In San Francisco Ixhuatán we will support the reconstruction of the José Martí Community High School. Its building was seriously damaged during the earthquake. We will also focus on the reinstatement of Ixhuateca Radio’s cabin. This radio is fundamental for the high school project.

• In Juchitán we will support the immediate reinstallation of Radio Totopo, community radio whose property is now uninhabitable. Broadcasting is currently taking place in the patio, constantly interrupted by the rain.

•  In San Mateo del Mar, an Ikoot indigenous community (Huave, in Spanish), we will support the obtainment of broadcasting equipment along with workshops for the organization of a new radio station, requested by the community in order to have a better organization in their reconstruction process.

• Continuous accompaniment with physically affected radios and other ones in the region, in order to increase their capacity to support affected communities through protocols, providing tools to give truthful information, reducing tension and concern in the population, identifying anomalies and communicate actions for risk management, etc.

•  As a request from the radios, we also see the need to fundraise materials, as well as actions for the reconstruction of communities. Among them, the construction of domestic “totopo” and bread ovens, the provision of communal kitchens with food, offering tarps, roofing sheets and other materials to shelter from the weather and for the reconstruction of their own homes.

•  It is important to provide psychological support, to reduce the stress generated by the constant concern of more aftershocks.

MORELOS

• In Xoxocotla we will support the reconstruction of the Tsilinkalli Radio building because of the damage caused by the earthquake.

•  We will support, in collaboration with other organizations as well as the radio itself, the training for self-management processes in order to enable families who lost their homes to rebuild them through traditional schemes.

We will also add any other process that we identify with urgent needs.

In addition to the above, we are concluding a Guide for Community Media in Emergency Care to strengthen community radio’s performance in these events.

We invite you to be part of this process of restoration in these communities where the communication itself has been a mean for the strengthening and expression of the language, identity and memory, but also a space for community organization both in daily life and in the adversity in which they are living now.

Any support is meaningful to us in this collective work, so we will thank you infinitely for your financial collaboration, today and tomorrow for the realization of these actions.

Account details:

Bank's Name: BANCO MERCANTIL DEL NORTE, S.A. INSTITUCIÓN DE BANCA MULTIPLE, GRUPO FINANCIERO BANORTE
Account Name: Redes por la Diversidad, Equidad y Sustentabilidad, A.C.
Account number: 0013430947
Swift code or IBAN: MENOMXMT

Paypal: www.paypal.me/redesac   

In case of requesting a donation receipt, we can give you another account that we have at your disposal. Please contact us if that is the situation at comunicacion@redesac.org.mx

The information of all the contributions and the progress in the objectives and application of the resources will be informed through our website www.redesac.org.mx

Thank you very much,
Daniela, Erick, Karla, Rodrigo, Blanca, Carlos, María, Cynthia, Patricia
Staff of Redes por la Diversidad, Equidad y Sustentabilidad A.C.