swoon
updated
from www.flickr.com/photos/visualresistance/:
"Swoon's latest pieces, in Brooklyn.
These are portraits of womyn who live in the Mixteca region of the state of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. Where they live there is little water or natural resources. What airable land does exist is owned by wealthy elites who cultivate crops to be sold in urban centers. Because of the environmental and economic situation, this region has suffered from the affects of mass migration to find work. These womyns' only source of income is money sent from their family members working in maquilas in northern Mexico or working in the United States. That money alone doesn't cut it. To help make ends meet they hand-sew soccer balls for local soccer ball manufacturer. It takes about a day to sew one ball and they make a little less than a dollar for each one. The fastest sewers can make up to twelve a week, making their weekly income no more than 12 dollars. It's extremely time consuming and exploitative work. The womyn get the materials from a guy who then goes on to sell the soccer balls for three times what he paid for them. If the womyn mess up or loose any of the materials they have to pay the full price of a completed soccer ball.
The womyn in the portraits are a part of an organization called CACTUS that works to confront poverty and isolation through popular education, solidarity economy projects and community banking. What little money they make stays in the community. This name group is working great cooperatively run alternatives to the soccer ball production.
The community they are a part of is in the region where there is a popular movement to remove Governor Ruiz, for his management of recent teacher strikes, the police brutality he's ordered, and corruption. The situation in Oaxaca is worsening and the Federal govenrnment has sent in thier police, to restore order. They are doing exactly the opposite. It isn't reported on the news, here in the USA, but there is an incredibly violent repression against this movement of self-governance which calls itself APPO-(Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca) The Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca.
If you want to read updates about whats going on in the South of Mexico check out for some english news."
There's tons of Spanish news, start here:
swoon
updated
from www.flickr.com/photos/visualresistance/:
"Swoon's latest pieces, in Brooklyn.
These are portraits of womyn who live in the Mixteca region of the state of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. Where they live there is little water or natural resources. What airable land does exist is owned by wealthy elites who cultivate crops to be sold in urban centers. Because of the environmental and economic situation, this region has suffered from the affects of mass migration to find work. These womyns' only source of income is money sent from their family members working in maquilas in northern Mexico or working in the United States. That money alone doesn't cut it. To help make ends meet they hand-sew soccer balls for local soccer ball manufacturer. It takes about a day to sew one ball and they make a little less than a dollar for each one. The fastest sewers can make up to twelve a week, making their weekly income no more than 12 dollars. It's extremely time consuming and exploitative work. The womyn get the materials from a guy who then goes on to sell the soccer balls for three times what he paid for them. If the womyn mess up or loose any of the materials they have to pay the full price of a completed soccer ball.
The womyn in the portraits are a part of an organization called CACTUS that works to confront poverty and isolation through popular education, solidarity economy projects and community banking. What little money they make stays in the community. This name group is working great cooperatively run alternatives to the soccer ball production.
The community they are a part of is in the region where there is a popular movement to remove Governor Ruiz, for his management of recent teacher strikes, the police brutality he's ordered, and corruption. The situation in Oaxaca is worsening and the Federal govenrnment has sent in thier police, to restore order. They are doing exactly the opposite. It isn't reported on the news, here in the USA, but there is an incredibly violent repression against this movement of self-governance which calls itself APPO-(Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca) The Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca.
If you want to read updates about whats going on in the South of Mexico check out for some english news."
There's tons of Spanish news, start here: