There is no reason to “like” this post.  Instead of “liking” it, re-post it, pass it on, let others know what’s going on:  Women are being killed in Mexico, and other places in our world, for all kinds of so-called ”reasons,” many of which are grounded in the fact that they are being killed simply because they are women.

Power.  Disrespect.  Machismo.  Misogyny.  Domination.  Sexism.  Patriarchy.  Inhumanity.  Hate Crime.  Violation of Human Rights.  Wrong.

International organizations, governments, non-governmental organizations, community groups and neighbors are working on this issue.  Mexico might have the spotlight, but it’s also on the rise in Guatemala and Honduras.

To learn more, go to:  http://feminicidio.net/  (Spanish)

For English-only readers, Google around…there’s a lot out there. Try searching “femicide.”  Or, get started by going to: http://www.stopfemicide.com/ (English)  The focus is currently on Guatemala for this organization.

Outside of the Department of Foreign Relations, Mexico City

 

Mexico City’s zocalo, called Plaza de la Constitucion, has seen many a coming together of activists and protesters, peasants and professionals, revolutionaries and those with no ideology other than wanting to be able to live with dignity.  I happened upon a peaceful march consisting of all the above, a workers’ rights demonstration that massed at the zocalo.   Union members representing miners and airline employees, small-scale farmers inspired by Zapata and Che, skilled men and women making ends meet in factories, carried banners and sang songs as they walked.

On the same day, workers were marching at the Super Bowl festivities going on in downtown Indianapolis in protest of the Right to Work legislation that was later passed in the state.

I walked out onto the zocalo and snapped some photos, all the while thinking:  the similarity and direct correlation of this march and the one in Indy is striking.  American and Mexican workers taking a stand for their livelihoods, yet often portrayed at odds with each other…

…jobs being exported, jobs being taken away from Americans by Mexicans on U.S. soil, trade, farmers in Mexico migrating to Indiana to pick tomatoes and de-tassle corn, economic decisions by governments…people marching for the same reasons.

At Mexico City’s National Autonomous University of Mexico, a student can walk up to any of the campus bike stations, show their student ID card, pick a bike, have their card and a bar code on the bike scanned, and then be on their way.  When done, they can return the bike to any of the bike stations on campus.

It’s free for students.

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