Teotihuacan, the enigmatic city of the gods, protects the material remains of one of the most impressive cities of antiquity. A site of reverence, heritage, and symbol of the cultural, artistic, political, and religious wealth of the Mesoamerican cultures. It is also home to a vibrant community, which has fought through the centuries to keep alive its traditions, identity, and territory.
For the last twenty years, the Red Indígena de Turismo de México A.C (RITA) has promoted tourism as a trigger for community development throughout the area. For this reason, on May 3, 2022, the Equitable Origin (EO) team, led by the director of CEFO, Joaquín Wray, and the CEFO coordinator in Mexico, Metztli Hernández; had the opportunity to meet in this iconic place with the leadership of RITA, its president Ricardo Campos Quezada, and two founding members: Roberto Campos Hernandez and José Antonio Medina Oviedo.
Ricardo Campos, president of RITA, Joaquín Wray, director CEFO Indígena, Doña Emma, José Antonio Medina, members of RITA. Teotihuacan, Mexico .
La noción de conectividad fue el hilo conductor de la reunión, tomando como punto de partida, las líneas de acción establecidas en 2020: Promover la labor del CEFO en México; Mejorar el acceso a internet y conectividad en zonas rurales; Generar materiales de divulgación y consulta vinculados al fortalecimiento de los derechos indígenas, la defensa del territorio, el desarrollo sustentable y la cultura de los pueblos originarios. Tras discutir la relevancia de contar con canales de comunicación adecuados, que atiendan tanto a las necesidades de los usuarios como a las vicisitudes del medio, se mencionó la importancia de generar nuevos cuadros de liderazgo y abonar al fortalecimiento de la Red, ello a través del desarrollo de capacidades tecnológicas. Entre las cuales destaca, la alfabetización mediática, para fomentar el flujo de información y dotar de mayor visibilidad los diversos emprendimientos que la conforman.
Ricardo Campos Quezada and Joaquín Wray stated before the Ibero-American Foundation for Development (FIDE) that it is in everyone's best interest to establish an alliance. The notion of connectivity was the common thread of the meeting. It leads from the lines of action set in 2020: promoting the CEFO Indígena in Mexico and improving internet access and connectivity in rural areas. In addition, we discussed the importance of generating new leads and contributing to the strengthening of the Network through the development of technological capabilities.
Later, we had the opportunity to visit the site museum and the archaeological zone of Teotihuacán, obtaining a glimpse of its enormous artistic, cultural, and environmental importance. We also visited the CCT to learn about the state of the property and the requirements for its inauguration. Finally, we returned to the "Techinanco" restaurant, one of the most successful ventures promoted by RITA in San Martín de las Pirámides.
The Equitable Origin team in Teotihuacan
Among the agreements developed at this meeting, the following stand out: holding a new edition of the Seminar on Strengthening Indigenous Rights; the renewal of the alliance between EO and RITA (to be held in June 2022); the presentation of the CEFO initiative during the Rita General Assembly, and to generate within the framework of the 20th anniversary of the Red Indígena de Turismo de México A.C (RITA), audiovisual content for the CEFO library, which accounts for the trajectory of the organization.
A big thank you to all of those who made this meeting possible!
There, Doña Emma, one of the organization's longest-standing members, delighted us with tales about her experiences as a member of the Network and guardian of the Teotihuacan fire.
Escrito por: Metztli S. Hernández García
(Coordinación del CEFO México- Equitable Origin).