Mexico: The Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity begins worktables with federal government

Javier Sicilia and Francisco Blake @ La Jornada

In observation of the dialogue between the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity and the federal government, on 22 July there were initiated five worktables between both parties, in accordance with the agreements resolved on 23 June in the Chapultepec Castle.  While the first worktable will address coordination of work, the other four will be thematic: coverage of justice cases; system of attention to victims; wholesome revision of the national security strategy with emphasis on the strengthening of the social fabric; and impulse of mechanisms of participatory democracy and the democratization of the media.

As permanent guests in the worktables will be President Felipe Calderón and Javier Sicilia; in the Joint Commission on Ties will be Juan Marcos Gutiérrez González, sub-secretary of Governance in the Ministry for Governance, and Emilio Álvarez Icaza as representative of the Movement.  To the ceremony for the formal installation of said worktables in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City attended Javier Sicilia, Julián Lebarón, Araceli Rodríguez, Emilio Álvarez Icaza, and representatives from each of the tables on the part of the Movement.  On the government side, Francisco Blake Mora, Secretary of Governance; Alfonso Lujambio Irazával, Secretary of Public Education, and Marisela Morales Ibañez, head of the Federal Attorney General’s Office.  According to journalistic sources, the worktables are to begin on Thursday 28 July.

In his comments at the formal inauguration of the worktables, Javier Sicilia had the following to say regarding the violence gripping the country: “We understand that the question is a complex one, regarding social and political order–even human or spiritual.  We do not believe that to point fingers or demand heads would be a serious solution.  We prefer to unite our energies in favor of fraternity and not for confrontation.  We will not renounce dialogue with anyone and we will seek it with all, because the cause of peace is born from the recognition of the humanity of the other, and to recognize her humanity implies listening to her words and being disposed to exchange ideas and agreements in the interests of all Mexicans.”

For more information (in Spanish):

• Cencos: Movimiento por la paz asiste a instalación de mesas de trabajo para avanzar en exigencias a gobierno federal
• Cencos: Palabras de Javier Sicilia en la ceremonia de instalación de las mesas de trabajo con el Poder Ejecutivo
• Cencos: Palabras del secretario de Gobernación
• Cencos: Audios de la instalación de mesas de trabajo entre el Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad y el Poder Ejecutivo
• Cencos: Sobre instalación de mesas de trabajo entre el Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad y el Poder Ejecutivo
• La Jornada: Discrepa el gobierno de lo expuesto por Sicilia; pide la SG reconocer los aciertos (23 July 2011)
• La Jornada: Juristas de la UNAM asesorarán a Sicilia sobre estrategias contra la inseguridad (25 July 2011)
• La Jornada: Niega Gobernación que el país necesite comisión de la verdad (27 July 2011)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

• Chiapas: Las Abejas of Acteal welcome Javier Sicilia’s Pact for Peace (1 July 2011)Mexico: The Citizens’ Pact is signed in Juarez (21 June 2011)Mexico: Beginning of the caravan for peace from Cuernavaca to Ciudad Juárez (9 June 2011)

  Mexico: Marches for Peace and Justice with Dignity (12 May 2011)