A bit of Mexicana flair was put into tabling last week in Sayles and during Spring Concert. Working as a branch of The University Chiapas Project, Amanda Brown '08 and Emily Schulman '08 organized Carleton students to sell indigenous Mexican clothing and accessories. All money raised from the items were sent directly back to the artisan women's cooperatives and collectives in Mexico who made them.
The Carleton chapter of the organization was newly created this term. “We're at a very 'start-up' phase,” said Amanda Brown, “We're trying to get people to know who we are around campus.” A major goal of the project is to support the women's cooperatives by providing an alternative income to help them secure food, medicine, education and other necessities in Chiapas, Mexico. The group also aims to educate members of college campuses and their surrounding communities about human-rights issues within the area.
The group has raised over $200 so far and hopes that with their organization-charter, they can increase the participation and awareness on campus. Mediating discussion groups, hosting awareness film screenings, organizing a Spring Break trip to Chiapas as well as selling more clothes in Sayles and in Northfield during Jesse James Days are future goals of the organization.
Through the sale of these crafts, the indigenous cooperatives gain a fair market in which to trade. This access grants the women's collectives the autonomy and empowerment to strive for change and justice in Mexico. Though they are fairly uncommon in the country, collectives are rising in numbers. They allow scarce resources to be shared, promote women's independence, mold a better vision of women with more rights and opportunities, and reduce the exploitation of the market for their products.
The University Chiapas Project has other chapters at colleges including Colorado College, Yale, Washington University, Columbia. They are all extensions of the Oakwood Chiapas Project, a group organized in the mid-1990s at Oakwood School in Los Angeles, California. Since its founding, the Oakwood Chiapas Project has raised over $200,000 from the products for the women's collectives.
The most difficult part in running a successful chapter is finding a greater demand for the products. “We need to find a way to reach non-students,” said Amanda Brown. The Oakwood group raised most of its money by hosting "Chiapas parties," a spicier version of Tupperware nights with participation from students and local citizens alike. Through an increased membership in the fall, the organization hopes to gain the support that it needs to make a substantial impact in the collectives and the Chiapas area.
The group plans to do more tabling in Sayles before the term is over, so watch for their one-of-a-kind crafts. Contact Amanda Brown (brownam@carleton.edu) for more information on how to get involved.
