Zapatistas Rrebellion from the Grassroots to the Global - Alex Khasnabish (2010).pdf

"In the early hours of January 1, 1994 a guerrilla army of indigenous Mayan peasants emerged from the highlands and jungle in the far southeast of Mexico and declared "ВЎYa basta!" -- "Enough!" -- to 500 years of colonialism, racism, exploitation, oppression, and genocide. As elites in Canada, the United States, and Mexico celebrated the coming into force of the North American Free Trade Agreement the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion Nacional, EZLN) declared war against this 500 year old trajectory toward oblivion, one that they said was most recently reincarnated in the form of neoliberal capitalist globalization that NAFTA represented. While the Zapatista uprising would have a profound impact upon the socio-political fabric of Chiapas its effects would be felt far beyond the borders of Mexico. At a moment when state-sponsored socialism had all but vanished from the global political landscape and other familiar elements of the left appeared utterly demoralized and defeated in the face of neoliberal capitalism's global ascendance, the Zapatista uprising would spark an unexpected and powerful new wave of radical socio-political action transnationally. Through an exploration of the Zapatista movement's origins, history, structure, aims, political philosophy and practice, and future directions this book provides a critical, comprehensive, and accessible overview of one of the most important rebel groups in recent history." -- Publisher description. Read more... 'Enough!' : introduction -- 'We are the product of five hundred years of resistance' : the origins of Zapatismo -- 'Everything for everyone, nothing for ourselves' : Zapatismo as political philosophy and political practice -- 'Never again a Mexico without us' : the national impact of Zapatismo -- 'A world made of many worlds' : the transnational impact of Zapatismo -- 'To open a crack in history' : conclusion

Review
'Since their appearance fifteen years ago, Mexico's modern day Zapatistas have been a powerful, compelling, inspiring enigma - and a Rorschach test of sorts for scholars, activists, and policy makers alike. After millions of words - more than a few of their own - exploring and explaining the Zapatistas, Alex Khasnabish's smart and accessible book perceptively explicates their origins, deftly outlines their philosophy and practice - not least the move beyond bullets to words and actions, and astutely analyzes their national and transnational impact. Khasnabish's text provides our best lens yet on the twenty-first century's most intriguing revolutionaries.' - Eric Selbin, Professor of Political Science & University Scholar, Southwestern University 'A remarkable achievement! Alex Khasnabish has written the clearest, most comprehensive account to-date of the origins, innovations, and significance of the Zapatista movement, on local, national, and global scales. This is a must-read for students, scholars, activists, and anyone who believes another world is truly possible.' - Jeffrey S. Juris, Arizona State University 'This book is a unique testament to the political creativity of the Zapatista movement that has inspired activists and scholars since the 1990s. Khasnabish convincingly demonstrates how this creativity is reflected, above all, in the Zapatistas' ability to combine and engage various levels of political activity from the local to the transnational.' - Thomas Olesen, University of Aarhus, Denmark (author of International Zapatismo: The Construction of Solidarity in the Age of GlobalizationA")


About the Author
Alex Khasnabish is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Series: Rebels
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Zed Books (March 15, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1848132085
ISBN-13: 978-1848132085