Javier Sicilia is a Mexican poet that I’ve posted about before. He’s the guy that instigated an activist movement to work towards obtaining and spreading the message of peace (the Movement of Peace with Justice and Dignity) in Mexico ever since the Pacifico Sur cartel shooting and murdering of his son back in March.
Sicilia attended an international book fair this past weekend in Guadalajara and asked that the cartels and the Mexican government pause and have “a cease-fire” moment on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the 24th and 25th. He requests that these two entities have this break not only for the sake of Christmas and the meaning behind it, but also so they may “reflect on what they are doing, what they are doing to the country.”
He went on to say, “I ask for this truce as a momentary pause, not just in honor of Christmas, but to think about the harm we’re doing to ourselves and what those guilty of murder and corruption are doing to themselves, and the damage done by authorities who do not fulfill their obligations,” Sicilia said. In the event, he called for all the people there take a minute of silence to commemorate all of those whom have died in the drug war and those who continue to die. Right after that is when he asked for the days of cease-fire.
Sicilia and the many other authors and writers that were with him were crying out about the irresponsibility of the government. Writer Alejandro Rosas said something that Mexico must be very worried about is “a very incipient, very weak democracy,” and targeted the issue of the 2012 presidential elections in Mexico. Rosas believes that the end of the world would come if the PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party) came back into power. This comment brought a large applause from the audience. Along with the applause coming from this political attack, came the cheers from the attacks and criticisms targeted at President Calderon who initiated the entire all out war against the cartels and who as a result, in many people’s opinions, advanced/widened the violence in Mexico.
Writer Paco Ignacio Taibo II demanded that those at fault for the situation and contributing to Mexico’s “falling to pieces” should be identified. He also requested that the population attempt to unify “the national discontent into a movement that will remove from power those who now hold it.”
I like that this event happened because it’s inspiring. It’s a group of authors and writers proclaiming peace and declaring something be done and have some ideas about what could be done. It’s not a group of politicians making things up or saying what the people want to hear and then do nothing about it, or add to the violence. What these writers want to do is take away from the violence and promote peace. They are fully aware that an all-out war is not going to contribute to the peace they are trying to spread. There are good people out there trying to do good things, if only people would listen. I’m curious to see if Sicilia’s request will be fulfilled…if the violence will stop for those two Christmas days. At this point all one can do about the situation is continue to spread peace, and hope that things will somehow get better. As well as Mexicans taking a good look at the politicians’ issues and figuring out who may have the best plan to end this headstrong battle.
drugswithoutborders 