April 20, 2007, Tour of Mexican worker cooperatives, By Holly Yasui, Celebrating youth, By Susan Sargeant, A festive day in the country, By Kathy Sulkes, Keeping our part of the earth clean, From El Charco del Ingenio

Lecture

With Tom Pierson and Norma Suárez

Sat, Apr 21, noon

Center for Global Justice

Calzada de la Luz 42

It’s said that the future is already here, just hidden behind an outdated present. Many claim that democratic workplaces are part of it. They point to the explosive growth of Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), where workers own pieces of the enterprise that employs them. And, 100 percent worker ownership in worker cooperatives is also a growing phenomenon.

To take the pulse of Mexico’s worker cooperative movement, co-op organizer Tom Pierson, accompanied by professional photographer Norma Suárez as interpreter, is touring a dozen model worker co-ops in central Mexico. He will report their findings, illustrated with photos and videos, at the Center for Global Justice, which is sponsoring the tour.

Pierson has organized retail, service and light industrial workforces as well as artisans into worker co-ops. He was one of the leaders of the worker cooperative movement in his native Minneapolis and helped that movement host the founding meeting of the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives in 2005. Suárez is bilingual and has exhibited her photographs of Chiapas internationally.

“We will learn about the Mexican cooperative movement and explore possibilities of north-south dialogue among groups in the US, Canada and Mexico,” said Pierson.

The pair will visit a network of 18 worker co-ops in the state of Hidalgo, then, in the Mexico City area, they will visit a print shop, a hoist manufacturer, a group that cultivates organic produce and a confederation of cooperatives, among others.

“Tom and Norma are extremely talented in complementary ways. All those who have enjoyed our previous events will enjoy this special, fresh report,” said Center co-founder Betsy Bowman.

Celebrating youth
By Susan Sargeant

International Children’s Day had its origin at the World Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1925. It was designated as a special day to honor the children of the world and to pay homage to their importance in society.

In Mexico, Día de Niño is celebrated on April 30. On this special day, it is customary for children to receive gifts. Most schools celebrate with cakes, candy, piñatas, special programs and other festivities.

San Miguel de Allende has three orphanages: Casa Don Bosco for older girls, Mexiquito for boys and Santa Julia for younger girls. Each year friends of these local orphanages organize a Christmas Shopping Spree for the children with donations coming from local citizens and the expat community. The 2006 Christmas Shopping Spree was a huge success with plenty of money left over to sponsor the first Children’s Day Spring Shopping on April 30, thanks to the San Miguel de Allende community!

Each child will be given an envelope with 500 pesos to spend as he or she wishes and will be accompanied by a community volunteer to help guide the child’s purchases. If you are interested in volunteering, please come by La Conexión and sign up for this special Children’s Day Spring Shopping Spree. You will receive all the necessary information at that time.

Donations are always welcome and can be made at Intercam on Avenida San Francico, Contract No. 4087, in the name of Suzanne Paris or at La Conexión in the name of Sue Paris, PMB #138A.

A festive day in the country
By Kathy Sulkes

Opening

Los Senderos Grand Opening

Sat, Apr 28, 3–6:30pm

Los Senderos, San Ignacio Ranch

250/300 pesos

www.los-senderos.com/openday

“Communities can be shaped by choice or….by chance. We can keep accepting the kind of communities we get, or we can insist on getting the kind of communities we want.”

Richard Moe, Changing Places

After more than seven years of research and development, finally, Los Senderos, (previously known as the Film Colony), will open its gates to the people of San Miguel for a sneak preview of the first phase of a revolutionary idea in community development.

To punctuate the developers’ philosophy, dotted around the property there will be banners displaying finalists’ photographs in competition that have best captured the essence of this very special landscape and the vision of Los Senderos: “Inspiring Habitat for Creative Souls.”

One of the international judges, New York photographer Rick Guidotti will give a brief and entertaining talk about his decision to abandon his high-profile career as a commercial photographer to pursue a very different approach to his art. After working internationally for clients such as Yves Saint Laurent, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Revlon, L’Oreal and Life magazine, Rick founded a nonprofit organization. Rick’s photo essay Redefining Beauty was published in Life magazine and led to his highly acclaimed exhibition “Positive Exposure: The Spirit of Difference” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

As part of the day’s festivities visitors are encouraged to don their most distinctive head-wear. The winner of the Hat Contest will have the chance to feel like a million dollar babe, and be photographed on the day by Rick, with art-direction by co-judge Roger Kilmartin, Senior Creative Director of Grey Advertising New York, one of the world’s leading advertising agencies.

To coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mexico’s greatest cinematographer, Gabriel Figueroa’s son and curator of perhaps the nation’s most significant collection of black and white landscape photography, will announce the winner of the photography competition. In support of Los Senderos’ focus on developing a creative community, Kodak will award their very latest professional grade digital camera to the successful contestant.

Via horse-drawn carts, visitors will be able to view the property and its various points of interest: the winery and vineyards, the equestrian center, the plans for the world-class spa and restaurant and the various lots and areas that will be the residential part of this eco-friendly creative community in the making.

And you can explore on your own, wander along the picturesque trails that give Los Senderos it’s name—bring your binoculars to look at the vegetation, birds and wildlife that are so much a part of Los Senderos.

As part of the day’s events, there will be musicians, circus entertainers playing around the property and food and beverage available. In addition, spectacular dancing Aztec horses will display their talents at one of the dressage arenas throughout the afternoon, while offering visitors the opportunity to inspect San Miguel’s newest and most luxurious equestrian boarding facilities.

The driving force behind this innovative development is film-maker and entrepreneur Francesca Fisher. A longtime resident of San Miguel, her dream has been to create a cultural Mecca for Central Mexico, using sustainable development and building upon the artistic heritage of its local population.

“I have been enormously inspired by Vernon Swaback, a brilliant communicator with regards to sensitive urban planning,” Francesca states and advises that every developer should read his book The Creative Community: Designing for Life.

“Every disgruntled resident of San Miguel who cares for the future of our town, not to mention the planet, should insist on them reading it, and that the municipality get with the program.”

Don’t miss this great chance to participate in what might well be the most fun fiesta in the campo this season. Check out www.los-senderos.com/openday for details.

Kathy Sulkes is a television producer from New York City who is in the process of making San Miguel her permanent home.

To recognize International Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, El Charco del Ingenio, San Miguel’s botanical garden, invites the community to participate in its Second Working Day for cleaning the outside area of the botanical garden and Parque Landeta.

As a result of the city’s growth and poor urban planning, the large strip of land adjacent to Parque Landeta has gradually become an unauthorized waste repository.

This affects the environment and health of nearby neighborhoods such as Palmita de Landeta and Los Balcones.

The staff of El Charco and its collaborators are hard-pressed to keep the more than 100 hectares inside the park clean, and they have insufficient staff to clean the outside area, which is part of the ecology preservation area set up by the city in January 2005.

The event is coordinated by the Botanical Garden with San Miguel’s Environmental Education Program (PEASMA) and volunteers. It aims to involve local school children, people from the communities surrounding the park and garden, residents of Los Balcones and Atascadero. The Department of Ecology and workers from the municipal departments—such as the Departments of Public Security, Municipal Public Services and Education and Culture—will also be assisting with the clean-up. Everyone, Mexicans and expats, is welcome to join in this effort to care and clean up this special part of the earth.

This community working day will not only clean an area of our city but will also help make the community cognizant about our environmental problems and our capacity to confront and resolve them in a collective way.

Volunteers should meet at 8am at the entrance to the Botanical Garden or Parque Landeta. Workers should bring water, hats, comfortable shoes and, if possible, work gloves.