Grass Roots Events, Inc.
Sowing resistance, building autonomies...
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Schools for Chiapas
Schools for Chiapas was formed in 1996 at the request of the autonomous Mayan communities of Chiapas. These communities requested support and collaboration in creating an autonomous, indigenous education system which respected the languages, cultures, economies, religions, and traditions of the Mayan peoples of Chiapas. Today, Schools for Chiapas still focuses broadly in the area of education and we have kept our original name. We have, however, often been reminded by the indigenous communities that education does not only take place in school. Today, Schools for Chiapas understands clearly that every autonomous women?s collective is a school; that every indigenous coffee co-op is a school; that every corn field is becoming a center for indigenous education; and that every Zapatista health center is also a center for teaching and learning. From stocking schools with needed supplies, to raising funds for training indigenous health care workers, to providing marketing support, to sponsoring nurseries, to providing training on how to keep bees, Schools for Chiapas is deeply committed to advancing the Zapatista ideal of fostering a dignified, viable, way of life for everyone on this planet.
Mayan Schools of Dignity
Over the last twenty years, a unique and alternative education system has emerged in some communities of the the Mexican southeast. These community-controlled, autonomous schools are part of the efforts of the indigenous Zapatista Movement in the state of Chiapas to build a new and better world.
Mayan children in hundreds of autonomous communities throughout Chiapas now attend schools such as this one. Prior to the Zapatista uprising, indigenous communities were provided with a substandard or no education, much less teachers materials in their own languages. Now, children attend schools which are child-centered, and administered by the independent regional governments of the Zapatistas. They are staffed by inspiring women and men volunteers who are known as “education promoters“. These promoters are valued members of the community, chosen for their commitment and participation.
Women’s Empowerment
Since its beginnings in the 1980’s, the Zapatista movement has worked to improve the lives, and to respect the rights, of indigenous women in Chiapas, Mexico.
Over the years, Zapatista women have been in the forefront of resistance to aggressions against their communities; they have taken part in all aspects of political and community organizing. They’ve connected with women around the world by organizing various international gatherings. Women have created cooperatives, where artisan products are sold for a fairer price, and the women work in better conditions for better wages.
Schools for Chiapas supports Zapatista women through The Market of the Others our online store where you can purchase artisan goods produced by women’s cooperatives.
Today Zapatista women are leaders of both traditional and non-traditional activities within their communities. Women sustain the home by preparing food and care for children. Women also teach in community-controlled schools, run Zapatista healthcare centers, hold office in the Zapatista governments, work on their farms, and women make their own videos and radio shows. Click here to donate to support women’s empowerment in Chiapas, Mexico.
Developing Food Forests with Autonomous Indigenous Schools in Chiapas
The goal is to create resilient food systems
resistant to climate change and political violence.
Local autonomous schools, under the leadership
of their Good Government Board, are working
with communities to recover knowledge and to
donate plant stock for this innovative research
and educational effort. Mayan mother-tongue
languages are used to name the plants; Spanish
is used as the bridge for students from different
ethnic groups to share plant names and food
forest design features. Four times a year, dozens of
students and education promoters are gathering at
various centers for intensive, hands-on workshops
about food forests.
Sustainable Agriculture
In Zapatista communities of Chiapas, Mexico, the traditional Mayan corn plot or milpa is a place of heritage and learning. Generations of indigenous farmers have preserved and cultivated a deep knowledge of traditional agricultural in a sustainable, organic and conscientious manner.
The very existence of today’s autonomous Mayan communities, including their culture and language, depends on the cultivation of natural, traditional, and GMO-free corn in the milpa.
Community-Based Education for Health
Over the last twenty years, the Zapatista movement has made great strides in improving health in the indigenous communities of Chiapas, Mexico. The Zapatistas have formed and trained a state-wide health network, educating rural communities in family healthcare and preventative medicine.
In many isolated, rural Zapatista villages, the community chooses a volunteer to train to become the local ‘healthcare promoter’. The volunteer learns to use both traditional knowledge and modern medicine through a series of workshops at Zapatista-organized regional health centers. The healthcare promoter is based out of a community-built casa de salud (house of health) which is located in the village. Because the health promoter is a known member of the community, they are already familiar and trusted by the community and able to provide an invaluable service. Many Zapatista municipalities have constructed health centers capable of providing comprehensive health care to the local population -Zapatista and non-Zapatista alike.
In several of the five Zapatista zones there are now fully equipped modern hospitals with operating rooms, hospital beds, blood analysis, vaccination programs, eye glass manufacturing, and dental services. A few of these advanced health centers are equipped with ambulances to respond to medical emergencies. Local, regional and zonal healthcare centers have pharmacies offering both traditional herbal medicines and commercial patent medicines, often free of charge or at minimum price.
Where we work
External reviews
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Grass Roots Events, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 11/17/2023
Concepción Martínez Váldes
No Affiliation
Paco Vazquez
Caitlin Manning
Kate Keller
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? No -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No