Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

April 22, Thursday. The three members of the CPT team traveled to the displaced community of Acteal for a few days. They experienced no exceptional difficulties at the two immigration checkpoints on the road, arriving in time to attend the monthly mass in memory of the 45 people -- all members of the pacifist group Las Abejas -- who were killed here in December 1997. This service honored children who survived the massacre and brothers and sisters of the 17 children who died.

April 23, Friday. A three-member delegation from the U.S. arrived in Acteal. CPTers joined them to meet with the board of directors of Las Abejas ("The Bees"). The Abejas are a non-politically aligned group whose Christian faith calls them to non-violence. There are now has some 4000 members in this area of Chiapas. They were founded in 1992 when 400 of them marched to the capital, protesting the unjust incarceration of five men. The Abejas support the justice issues, but not the use of weapons, of the Zapatistas.

           The visiting internationals, including CPTers, attended the evening prayers of the Abejas in Acteal, which on this day were held at the chapel where the massacre took place.

April 24, Saturday. CPTers met with members of the Abejas board to share with them more about the team's work and ask for their ideas about what future directions CPT might take in the area. The Abejas expressed appreciation for CPT's presence with them and for the Holy Week vigil of prayer and fasting which CPTers undertook with Abejas in the nearby community of X'oyep. The Abejas asked that CPT's broader community pray that the Abejas in Chiapas might be faithful in their prayers and fasting for a just peace.

April 25, Sunday. The CPT team traveled in the back of a truck to the nearby autonomous (Zapatista) community of Polho. There are more than 5000 people living here who have been displaced from six different villages.

           CPTers attended the Presbyterian church, a 20-minute hike on a hilly path from the center of the community. The church was filled with perhaps 400 indigenous men, women and children. Midway through the three-hour service the team was invited to share a few words. The team sang "Marching in the Light of God" in Spanish.

Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative among Mennonite and Church of the Brethren congregations and Friends Meetings that supports violence reduction efforts around the world.

Christian Peacemaker Teams
P.O. Box 6508
Chicago, IL 60680
Telephone: 312-455-1199 - FAX: 312-666-2677
email: cpt@igc.org

CPTNET provides regular news updates from the field; To subscribe, send an e-mail message to cpt@igc.org. Please include your name, city and state/prov. and your congregation or organization. Read the news in the CPT Archives.