PROJECT SUMMARY

SUMMARY

WHO WE ARE:

The “Commission of Assistance towards Community Unity and Reconciliation” (COmisión de apoyo a la unidad y REconciliación COmunitaria) known as CORECO, is a non-governmental organization of the civil society without any party or religious affiliation, working in the resolution of community conflicts and impelling the peace process in Chiapas.

We were founded in August 1996 by the Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, the National Commission of Mediation (CONAI), the  National Network of civil organisms for human rights called “All Rights for All”, and the National Civil Alliance. In 2000, we were legally constituted as a Civil Association, establishing ourselves as an organization of the civil society.

We mainly work in indigenous communities in the State of Chiapas, having our main focus on the regions of “los Altos”, “la Selva” and the border region with Guatemala.

CORECO consists of 10 men and women who make up the Associates’ Assembly and the Advisory Board. The operative team consists of 7 people specialized in positive transformation of conflicts and popular education.
We try to achieve our goals following three main lines:

1. Relating to and communicating with civil and social organizations at local, national and international levels in order to strengthen civil alternatives which favor peace and the prevention of conflicts, a life with dignity for indigenous people and democracy. We pursue this through our participation in the organization of encounters, forums, consultations and network meetings.
2. Intervention in conflicts between different groups, organizations and/or communities through mediation or advising local mediators or negotiators.
3. Training in the methodology of positive transformation of conflicts through the preparation of local commissions of reconciliation and peace as well as preparing civil, social and religious organizations in the same methodology.

The impact of our work

Since the founding of CORECO, we have attended at least 60 cases of conflict resulting from political, land- related or religious problems. We also train local commissions of peace and reconciliation in five different regions (including 11 counties) of Chiapas.
Participation in other networks/ meetings/ forums:

1. We are a founding member of “Network for Peace” (“La Red por la Paz”) in Chiapas which consists of 12 participating civil organizations. This network, has organized the “Forum for Autonomy”, in August of 2003, which for the first time united indigenous people who have been involved in different autonomous processes in the States of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero and the State of Mexico.
2. Together with the “Network for Peace”, four different encounters were based on the experiences of peace and reconciliation. More than 40 civil and community organizations have participated in each of these encounters.
3. CORECO was a convoking member and coordinator of the “National Encounter for Peace with Justice and Dignity”, realized in San Cristóbal de Las Casas in 2002, which brought together more than 1200 people from different states of the country.
4. We are a liaison for other Mexican organizations in the International Consultation regarding the role of the civil society and non-governmental organizations in the prevention of armed conflicts. The results of this consultation will serve as a basis for the conference convoked by the Secretary General of the UN to be held in 2005 in order to discuss these issues.

Capacitate social actors:

Each month we realize workshops on positive transformation of conflicts in different counties in the State of Chiapas which are mainly directed to different social and civil organizations, religious groups, indigenous communities and occasionally governmental institutions.  Together with the University of the Land/CIDECI, we give a certified program on Positive Conflict Transformation in 4 sessions.

Publications:

We have published four popular pamphlets which form a series called “How to construct peace in Chiapas”. Furthermore, we edited or co-edited different publications about workshops, encounters and forums in which we participated. Another media we consider important in order to make our work accessible to the communities has been the production of cassettes which reflect the content of the forum or encounter.

Recently we published in the book «Towards Another World, voices from both sides of the Atlantic» an article entitled «Fortification of the Heart: Emotional and individual experience of the personal changes that affect collective and political processes». In this article we share with the network Action for Conflicts Transformation, in Latin America and Africa, our work to Fortification of the heart: a methodological proposal to facilitate the Positive Transformation of Conflict and support social actors in conflict areas.

Our Project

In an organized and well-planned way our project presents the activities mentioned above as well as others that can be foreseen for the following years.

The activities are grouped in three strategies, each of which has its corresponding objectives and aims.

Our mission is:

The strengthening of the peace process and the transformation of conflicts promoting respectful and equal relationships with dignity and in this way contribute to the construction of a just and inclusive society.

The three strategies that contribute to this mission are:

• FIRST: the linking of our work with the process that contributes to the strengthening of alternative actions dealing with the conflict in Chiapas;
  In this strategy we include all activities referring to the promotion of and participation in encounters, forums and networks.
• SECOND: the strengthening of the processes and resources of the civil society in order to confront and resolve its conflicts and contradictions in a constructive way;
  In this strategy we include the training of local commissions as well as assistance in situations of conflict.
• THIRD: the strengthening of CORECO as an actor of the civil society impelling the process of dialogue and reconciliation in Chiapas.
  In this strategy we include the activities of investigation, training of our staff and everything that is related to administration and inter-institutional relations.

Our method in the positive transformation of conflicts (TPC):

After almost eight years we have managed to establish an appropriate methodology which permits us to establish adequate strategies for the cases in which our intervention is solicited. We start from two basic principles: the parts involved in the conflict have an interest in resolving the conflict and they accept CORECO as a participant in the search for a solution.

Our methodology for establishing a strategy for resolving a conflict has the following moments:

1. Reception of the case.
2. Information and investigation.
3. Analysis of the case.
4. Decide the type of intervention and establish a strategy: Follow-up and information of the case or CORECO acts as mediator or CORECO assists the persons or organizations which have the best possibilities of a positive influence or mediation.
5. Formalize with the parts involved the role of  CORECO based on the type of intervention and the strategy established.
6. Work with the problem: Establish a process of dialogue, the steps to follow and the indicators (minimum rules, number of meetings, number of persons (delegates), process for making decisions, place or places of meetings).
7. Follow-up.

The methodology used to capacitate social actors

The methodology used to capacitate and form social actors has as its objective the favoring of comprehension, knowledge, analysis and the bettering of the practice of each person in mediation., as well as progressing in the integration of the promoters of peace and reconciliation in their communities, perfecting their practice and offering instruments which assist other communities in the formation of mediators and in the creative resolution of conflicts.

• First module
  Objective: From our personal experience, situate ourselves in the conflict in order to have a common vision which permits us an introduction to the positive resolution of conflicts.
• Second module
  Objective: Analyze the conflicts that we live through instruments which permit a reflection from different perspectives.
• Third module
  Objective: Reflect on the theme of mediation, practicing techniques and abilities with permit us to intervene in the resolution of conflicts.
• Fourth module
• Objective: Based on the reflection of our reality and the conflicts which we live, construct a plan of action which promotes peace.

For more information about our methodology in positive transformation of conflicts and training of promoters please see our web-site:

www.laneta.apc.org/coreco

Legal Representative of CORECO A.C.
Felipe de Jesús Toussaint Loera
Contact and more information
If you are interested in knowing more about our project and if you consider the possibility of offering support or establishing an agreement to take part in this civil initiative, we invite you to contact us at:
Venezuela 30
Barrio de Mexicanos
29240 San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, México
Tel. (967)6782478
E-mail: coreco@coreco.org.mx
Please send a copy to: felipe@coreco.org.mx
Our web-site: coreco.org.mx