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Social Organization as a Process for Change: Cooperatives of Yucatán and Campeche

Rommel González
CAIPARU and Chac Lol Coops

This paper is based on a praxis of 30 years linked to popular movements, the past 20 years primarily with campesinos [peasants, small-scale farmers] and indigenous groups, the Cooperative of Consumers of the Chac Lol Region and the Cooperative of Agricultural and Livestock Producers S^c’ajel Ti Matye’el, social organizations composed mainly of Mayan, Cho´l, Tzetal and Chontal campesinos and indigenous rural farmers located in the states of Yucatán and Campeche.

It is not easy, the building of organizations with strategic plans and proposals for projects of production, ecology, social security, culture, sports, legal and justice issues, linked to horizontal structures and activities that might become models and contribute to social change. It is not the work of a few days nor of years, but of a whole lifetime.

Our organizational process is not a linear experience nor vertical development, it is a history of a collective effort in which we have made errors, mistakes and have had divisions, but we have also had achievements and above all, we have continued in the political scene.

A brief historical summary:

Cooperative of Consumers of the Chac Lol Region

The Cooperative arose from a problem of land-ownership and production that began in 1985 in the Ejido de Opichén in the state of Yucatán, when a group of campesinos demanded that 200 hectares of land be opened and an irrigation system installed. Ignored by the federal and state governments, they decided to organize themselves independently through an organization called “Salvador Alvarado CNPA”.

After two years of struggle, they won the land and began to cultivate it. From that point on, the organization became an attraction for many people who sought its help with various demands. Thus another stage began, the birth of an organization that belonged to no political structure but that constituted an alternative solution to multiple demands. The Cooperative of Consumers “Chac Lol”, was thus formed. It faced innumerable obstacles and limitations, which over 17 years have been overcome. Today, “Chac Lol” attempts to be a model for self-initiated and independent development within an environment that presents great difficulties for all types of organizations.

The Cooperative of Agricultural and Livestock Producers S^c’ajel Ti Mayte’el and the Indigenous and Popular Regional Counsel of Xpujil

The region of Xpujil, like all rural areas of Mexico, suffers deeply from the structural crisis that maintains marginalization and misery in the countryside. In this context full of difficulties and shortages of all types arise social organizations – among which the Cooperative of Agricultural and Livestock Producers “S^c’ajel Ti Mayte’el” (“The Countryside Awakens,” according to the translation from the Cho´l tongue to Spanish) and the Indigenous and Popular Regional Counsel of Xpujil (CRIPX) stand out.

CRIPX was created during a period of intense drought that caused an increasingly desperate and hopeless situation for the people of the area of Xpujil because of lack of water for human consumption, on top the marginalization and poverty that has always characterized this region. This problem was exacerbated by the fact that Xpujil was not legally established as a municipality and, being located quite far – about 4 hours by road – from the municipal seat, it had been totally abandoned in terms of public priorities for several decades by the municipal and state governments, which lacked vision and popular pressure from the communities located in that region.

In conjunction with the Cooperative and a group of catechists, the people of Xpujil were able to close off the highway between the cities of Villa Escárcega to Chetumal for 8 hours, thus obligating the governors of the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo to come up with temporary solutions. This enabled the birth of the regional organization, the Indigenous and Popular Regional Counsel of Xpujil.

For those interested in knowing more about our experience, we have given a copy (in diskette) to the organizers of this conference with biographical information about our organizations.

The predominant theme among the us, the organizations and individuals who come to this Conference today is, without doubt, the conditions of poverty, marginalization, and exploitation that rule in the countryside and in the city, and the need for a change. Nonetheless, one aspect of the problem is how we visualize and conceptualize it.

Therefore, it is necessary that everyone who wishes to be a part – i.e. subjects – of this change, which is so needed, and about which we have talked so much, apply ourselves to the analysis of what is the role of social organizations: universities, research centers, and the State. In this way, when we talk about alternatives and struggles that we must make to change our reality, we will be talking under the same conceptual assumptions.

[…]

Our organizations disagree with those who define Progress or Development in terms of the exploiters because this has represented different forms of oppression and subjugation for us. In various historical periods, Progress has been discussed in terms of Mexico as a country moving toward that goal, but that has meant for us passing from being a slave to being a serf; from being a peasant with a small plot of land to being a landless migrant worker, obviously without the least opportunity for education, a dignified home, to sports, to health, to better opportunities for work and for credits, for access to technology, assistance and training, and, of course, without the capacity to make decisions and without having access to a fair distribution of the wealth that our labor has generated.

Thus, the Mexican Government, the Foundations and Non-Governmental Organizations have to clearly understand that today, the indigenous people, the social and campesino organizations do not want nor are willing to abide “development” according to their logic and short-term vision. We will not support a “development” that only benefits some and excludes the great majority. We can’t talk about development and much less sustainability if the conditions don’t exist to improve the quality of life of all the inhabitants of our communities/people/ethnicities; better opportunities for all that translate into technology transfers; technical assistance; training; procurement of funds; access to organic and biodegradable pest-control products and fertilizers; opening of markets under conditions of equality; fair prices for our products; an equitable distribution of wealth; responsibility for all to consume only what they have the capacity of reproducing; of encouraging a culture of equilibrium between man and nature; and in addition, respect for the customs, traditions, which build our identity.

Likewise, the alternative is not that which the officials and some intellectuals have presented to us, in the sense that large-scale projects are better than small-scale projects; or that we must reject single-crop cultivation and support diversification; or that the intensive (commercial) production is the alternative to auto-consumption; nor is the point of discussion the craftsman or the industrial; or industrial corridors or isolated projects. What is important is the organizational capacity of the producers to take advantage of the entire productive process, in keeping with a plan and strategic direction.

The producers (indigenous people, campesinos, workers, small businesspeople, members of cooperatives) should intervene in the analysis and creation of and direction of strategy, as well as the administration and operation; giving opinions, criticizing, evaluating and above all deciding, not only within our organizations but also at all levels of decision-making, that is, we have to make public policy.

Remember that the social organizations of production, of culture and all the aspects of our life have achieved success, and we can reproduce this success and make it a model for change and public policy. Likewise, power should reside in the social organizations, in civil society, not in the State. Paraphrasing the Zapatistas: the role of the state should be “to govern obeying”.

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Vision: … we need to conceive our actions from the point of view of improving conditions of our lives in all aspects – economic, political, technical, ecological, social and cultural.

Mission: … it is necessary that organizations [not individuals] appropriate the whole productive process … we have accomplished this through productive Chains, integrated in the form of Cooperatives that complement each other, which enable advantages of scale. Each one of these should have their own formal organization and their relations should be formalized in covenants and contracts according to the services they provide. Groups of cooperatives must be integrated into a Union of Cooperatives or other formal organizations …

Organization: A necessary element, in its most basic forms – family, group, local, etc. – that has formal structures recognized by customs, traditions and laws … It is important to have a legal recognition (by the community/people) because thus norms and agreements exist that grant to us rights and obligations necessary for proper functioning, as well as the instruments to resolve problems that might arise.

We have to realize that Neoliberalism has imposed upon us an ideology based on so-called “development” of the individual, fomenting more and more egotism and individual interest. In the face of this, we are obligated to promote the organization, put the interests of the collectivity before the interests of individuals.

Culture of Values: one of today’s paradigms is the capacity of social organizations to create an ethic of everyday work.

It is necessary to develop an open and consensual code of honesty, equality, solidarity and other values that dispel individual and social egotism, in order to guarantee not only democracy but also fair action, committed to our people; within and outside of our communities, which reflect who we are and what we aspire to be.

It is important to not fall into simplistic talk. The sign of maturity of an organization is its capacity to apply a proper and fair solution to daily problems. We should permanently implement criticism and auto-criticism of our individual and collective errors. A fundamental task is to persistently valorize the responsibilities of management; review its expression, conceptualization and fair application of the mandate that has been conferred upon us …

It is essential to determine co-responsibility for failures, losses, damages etc., and when an organization does not have solidity and lacks rules or does not fulfill its agreements and codes, it is very probable than when profits or gains are obtained, these become the apple of discord which can result in divisions, ruptures, resentments and even the breaking up of the organization. Surely the State can use these types of problems to accelerate such discord, and for that reason, it is of vital importance to write up documents that establish the principles of operations in such a way that equitable distribution of gains, services, tasks and responsibilities can be made.

It is also important to recognize the individual and collective accomplishments, efforts and sacrifices that cultivate confidence, solidarity, respect and above all an identity as an organization.

Production Planning: The different sub-sectors such as Farming and Livestock, Fishing, Forest Industries, etc. have the obligation to change the dynamic that has been imposed upon us … [this change] implies the production of goods according to the real necessities of internal consumption. “A well-fed people means good human development.” By this we mean that it is important that there exist a permanent means of negotiation between producers and government authorities with the goal of scheduling stages of production (of everything that is produced in the countryside) in order to avoid saturation of the market and its well known consequences.

Administration: One of the most difficult problems that we rural/indigenous social organizations have is the lack of a business background (with all its logic). For that reason, there are not systems or controls – inventories, tabulators, flow-charts, financial analyses, etc. – which enable an appropriate management of resources and the maintenance of standards of quality. Nor is there organization of orders, nor job descriptions, and much less standards of effectiveness and efficiency. For this reason it is a priority to initiate the processes that will provide good administration, not only in those projects that could be called of great importance but also in those which are usually called small projects …

It is equally necessary to have a strategy and strategic direction, which is considered a cardinal point of business management. The social organization cannot be conceived without objectives, without a plan of action, that is, without a future project that serves as a point of reference for decision-making.

Technical Assistance: Historically, technical assistance served as a mechanism of control by the authorities (PRI party in Mexico). In recent years, with the cutting of the budget and the disappearance of agricultural subsidies, there is no longer access to this kind of assistance. Therefore we must seek the means by which we can obtain permanent technical assistance, which will enable us to improve our systems of production. We need at least two things:

1) The creation of interdisciplinary support groups that are committed to our goals and vision, in that these groups understand our traditional systems so that when proposing alternatives, they combine/accommodate both traditional and modern systems.

2) That Universities and Research Centers direct their research, projects and services (social service brigades, degree theses for Bachelors, Masters and Doctorates) in favor of campesino and indigenous organizations; and that Non-Governmental Organizations link to specific projects. This type of aid should be established with contracts and agreements that guarantee their implementation and continuity.

Training/ Formation: Agricultural producers need a change of mentality in order to change our role in the system: we must go from mere producers of raw materials to social “entrepreneurs”.

Thus, training plays a preponderant role, above all if we take into account that the social enterprise is composed of subjects who are associated with each other because of their contribution to production and distribution, and that they make decisions democratically regarding the business of the venture. It is thus that business and social education – with all the implications that go along with it – is a fundamental basic question for campesino organizations.

For this reason and for better social development, it is necessary that the organizations have their own schools – from kindergarten to University – though a Union of Social Organizations, in which the schools are organized as Cooperatives. The social enterprise requires a constant training to improve its functioning.

It is also necessary to demand of the Governmental Institutions the creation of training programs in areas indicated as necessary for the productive projects in operation and gestation.

Technology Transfer: The model of development that we are proposing is based on the formation of productive, specialized chains, and coordinators among them, that is, a group of social enterprises … Thus we seek to be producers who are not simple providers of raw materials but also that we have access to the gains that are obtained in the process of transformation and commercialization.

This specialization by chains enables the integration of interdisciplinary support groups that can be channels of technology transfer … for us, technology is not just the technical in itself but a whole system of knowledge that includes all aspects of integrated development.

Transfer of knowledge will enable the producers and campesinos to take part in general, administrative, financial, and accounting functions …

Financial Resources: Rural producers have always been severely limited in the obtaining of adequate financing … we need to demand that the Mexican government as well as credit institutions direct recourses to support the countryside.

In order for financing to truly be an adequate instrument for development, it is not just a question of access to resources. It is also indispensable that the conditions be appropriate for productive activity and that the implementation be accompanied with technology transfer and technical assistance that enable the security and profitability of the projects. In this sense, it is necessary that financing be provided opportunely and that the amount granted correspond to the productive necessities, to avoid over-indebtedness, and that payments be adjusted to the capacity and solvency of the projects … and the interest payments be appropriate …

Internal Savings: … the capacity to generate internal savings … creates the basis of auto-sufficiency and eliminates dependency on external resources. It has been demonstrated … that the poorest people have been able to strengthen their organizational-productive processes with the internal savings of their members when that is made an important issue in their development as an organization or group …

Raw Materials: Self-development is also based on the capacity to create our own raw materials. The most recommendable and desirable are organic insecticides, herbicides and fertilizer. Every day more plants, trees and insects are discovered that combat, exterminate or repel plant sicknesses or plagues. It is of real importance to obligate the government to produce and stimulate the production of organic products as well as to encourage our organizations to produce and utilize organic products, techniques and methods of natural fertilization.

Infrastructure: One factor in the high level of agricultural productivity in industrialized countries is due to the infrastructure they possess – equipment, machinery, irrigation systems, transport, etc. Campesino and indigenous organizations must demand and obligate the government to give us the infrastructure necessary to produce more and better ... infrastructure destined for and administrated by social organizations, not individuals. It is also important that the government give us equipment and machinery of high quality and durability to optimize our resources with intensive activities … avoiding the destruction of forests, mountains, etc. Equally, the government should create better conditions for the commercialization of our products. For this we need adequate transportation to bring our products to warehouses or markets …

Quality and Quantity of Production: Some social and political organizations reject discussion of quality in production and services. They find that characteristic inherent in a capitalist business, without realizing that the ability to sell merchandise that we produce resides in the quality, the diffusion, the presentation and the capacity of production. They don’t take into account that even if you have a good product and an appropriate promotional campaign, if you don’t fulfill the quantities promised, you project an image of incompetence and irresponsibility. The production of excellent merchandise or services creates a culture of responsibility, professionalism and constant self-improvement. Campesino organizations should appropriate and develop quality in all that we do.

[…]

Market: Everyone knows that the great bottleneck is access to the market for the selling of our products. Therefore it is necessary to change the role of the State … to act only as administrator and coordinate and make agreements with the warehouses, shopping malls, self-serve stores and producers’ organizations … to buy directly from those who produce.

Another problem we have is the great egotism … that we all want to benefit only our associates / members / comrades, which makes us act in an isolated manner and reject the management of a franchise. If we understand that producing with the same standards of quality and quantity; with identical promotion; with general and regional products; we can compete with the large transnational corporations by reducing costs and penetrating more deeply into markets. Uniting the infrastructure of each one of our organizations is similar to the capacity that the corporations have to install branches in every region and state. …

Conclusion: All the statements above are proposals that require polishing and combination with others dealing with other important issues such as the autonomy of the indigenous people; cultural aspects and identity; the struggle against privatization; for a higher budget in the countryside … It is necessary to give these proposals reality and work to integrate them in a way that can be translated into a single strategic document, making way for the struggle for the countryside as part of a multi-ethnic and pluri-cultural nation, but in the end, one single nation …

There doesn’t exist a recipe or single model for sustainable development. The important thing is that we are capable of combining all the elements described above and accomplish the completion of our mission.

Development, Equality, Honesty, Conservation and Power!

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