Written by Sebastiana López Hernández, Indigenous communicator and head of the Community Learning Center
In the heart of the tropical jungle, near the ancient Mayan city of Calakmul, is the town of Unión 20 de Junio-La Mancolona, in the state of Campeche, Mexico. This indigenous community, made up of 600 men and women belonging to the Mayan people, has dedicated itself for more than three decades to the conservation of its language, territory and natural resources. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to include the use of communication technologies (ICTs) in this process was undeniable; For this reason, since 2021 the Resource Hub for the Strengthening of Indigenous Rights (CEFO Indigena) in collaboration with the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council of Ixpujil SC (CRIPX) and the community of La Mancolona, have promoted the #MancolonaConectada initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to reduce the existing digital gap and encourage the use of ICTs in community organization and conservation processes.
An integral part of this initiative is the development of technological skills , digital literacy and the training of Indigenous communicators; in addition to conducting courses and workshops to strengthen Indigenous Rights. To this end, the Mancolona Community Learning Center (CACM) was set up as a community meeting space where children, young people and adults can access ICTs to acquire and develop new skills, stay in touch with their loved ones, keep informed with what is happening in the world and generate relevant, truthful and up-to-date content about what is happening in the territory.
The CACM opened its doors on May 7, 2022. The event was attended by Joaquin Wray, director of the Indigenous CEFO, who points out that «The inauguration of the CACM is a milestone of the utmost importance for the Mancolona community since it is not only about providing access to the internet, but also about jointly building a self-sustaining model to cover the costs of the service and bringing the community closer to tools that help them defend their territory and promote their comprehensive development.” Notable attendees include Bartolo Lopez Garcia, president of CRIPX; Rommel Gonzalez, member of CRIPX; Metztli Hernández, coordinator of the CEFO program in Mexico; Nicolas Arcos, CRIPX Partner, and Sebastiana Lopez Hernández, Indigenous CEFO communicator. The event was also attended by Gloria Moreno Jimenez representing the community council, members of the municipal police, and multiple members of CRIPX such as: Juana López Hernández and Jeronima López Hernández.
Among the activities that were carried out, the following stand out: the rehabilitation of the building, inventory of the library and sound library of the CACM; participation in the community assembly for the presentation of the project; a sustainability workshop, with the participation of CRIPX members and the community; a visit to the archaeological site and natural reserve of Calakmul; the delivery of sound equipment and a digital camera donated by the Equitable Origin, and a celebration party, where food was prepared by members of the community and all those present were invited to join future CACM activities, among them the celebration of a film series for children and digital literacy workshops.
According to CRIPX’s Democracy Coordinator, Romel Gonzalez, with the inauguration of the center “a new life cycle begins, to shape that connectivity at a general level of communities and globalization. A system like this allows the compañeras and compañeros to have access to information in a different way”. In the words of Sebastiana Lopéz Hernández, “young people can come to search for information and the community can get together to learn about their rights, obligations and what is happening in the world. Here people can come to consult the library, books, music, videos, etc. Also learn to use the computer, learn about office programs and functions such as sending an email and sharing information, taking photos and videos, downloading official documents and doing online procedures”.
The inauguration of the CACM is the first of many steps to come! Stay tuned!