It’s the birthday of the Mexican revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata and anniversary of the founding of the Zapatista civilian Good Government Boards. Revolutionary hero and icon On August 8, 1879 Emiliano Zapata was born in Anenecuilco, in the Mexican state of Morelos, just south of Mexico City. Zapata was an advocate of fundamental land reform who lead a successful peasant army to become one of the most famous heroes of the Mexican Revolution. His central demand famously states “The land belongs to those who work it.”  In 1917, Zapata’s land reform was enshrined in a new Mexican constitution legalizing communal […]

In direct response to the Zapatista request for help buying building materials, Schools for Chiapas established “The Reality Fund”. We have pledged that all funds donated to “The Reality Fund” will be given directly the Good Government Board in the Zapatista caracol of La Realidad – which translates as “Reality”. We also call liked the name “Reality” because organizing support for the school reconstruction allowed us to channel our outrage and sadness over the death of Galeano into something real.