8th Regional Assembly of the Consejo Ciudadano Rural de Agua de San Miguel de Allende

Regional Assembly of the Consejo Ciudadano Rural de Agua de San Miguel de Allende
(SMA Rural CItizens Council on Water)

Over 70 men and women, plus a dozen children and babes-in-arms, attended this assembly in the chapel patio of Vivienda de Arriba. They represented 18 communities, including a new community, Los Magueyes:

Juan Gonzales – 3
Tierra Blanca – 10
Correlejos – 2
Villa Guadalupe – 2
Capaderillo – 3
Montecillo de Nieto – 6
Vivienda Urbana – 2
Cruz del Palmar – 3
Los Torres – 7
Cinco Señores – 2
Ciénaga de Juana Ruiz – 5
La Tinaja – 8
La Palmita – 4
Presita de Santa Rosa – 4
Guerrero – 5
San Lorenzo – 2
Vivienda de Arriba – 2
Los Magueyes – 6

The Council representatives explained to the newcomers the purpose and objectives of the Council – to represent campesino communities before the government and NGOs, to resolve problems in common, to generate resources for development projects, such as but not limited to rainwater-harvesting systems, dry toilets and health issues. Chela cited two concurrent objectives: organization of (within) the communities and unity among the communities to be able to have a stronger voice in dealing with regional issues.

Saul explained how a community can join the Council – with the Acta de Nombramiento, signed bya majority of members of the community and notarized with the seal of the community’s delegado. There are also application forms for cisterns (community application and family application) and dry toilets (family applications).

Chela asked how long everyone wanted to meet; and given that not everyone was informed that this meeting was “traje” (bring your food), it was decided to adjourn the meeting at 2 p.m. so that everyone can return home to eat. A discussion regarding the question of food ensued. Chela and Holly explained that Vivienda de Arriba hosts many meetings because of its central location and meeting place appropriate for large groups – even more so now since the community has enlarged the patio and built benches along the walls – but that we did not want them to feel obligated to prepare food for the whole regional assembly. Others stated that their community would provide food for people who attend meetings, since travelling to get to the meeting represents a cost that those in the host community don’t incur. Ana noted that they did not prepare any food for today’s meeting because Holly explicitly said not to, but they usually provide food for meetings. The discussion was tabled since it was taking up a good deal of time and since we decided to try to adjourn at 2 p.m., we need to get to other issues.

Ana Torres of VIvienda de Arriba was chosen to coordinate the meeting, and Abraham of Tierra Blanca to take notes.

The agenda was established:

1. Creation of a Regional Center for the Citizens Council.
2. Report on dry toilet applications with the department of Desarrollo Social (Social Development)
3. Encuentro Campesino (Campesino Conference)
4. Research for book on Medicinal Plants

1 Citizen’s Council Regional Center – a place to hold our meetings, for training and workshops, for showcasing model eco-technologies
a. Ana of Vivienda de Arriba reported that she went to the Cruz del Palmar Ejido Commission to find out about donating a piece of ejido land to the Citizens Council. The commissioner told her that the petitioners need to choose a piece of land that is not occupied or disputed, and make a request to the Ejido at their next meeting. Ana then called an community assembly and they chose two pieces of land in and near the community not in use or disputed: one next to the kindergarten on the main road and the other by the football field in the valley.
b. Irene of Capadrillo said that she has a piece of land about 5 minutes from the highway that she would be willing to loan to the Council, near the northern entrance to Capaderillo, but that it does not have road access.
c. Emelia of Cienaga reported that their ejido is selling land near the intersection of the old and new highways to Guanajuato.
d. Roberto of Presita Santa Rosa said that he and Abraham would seek out the owner of the building at the curve of the Vivienda de Arriba road to find out for how much the owner wants to sell it.
e. Chela mentioned that she, Holly and Saul checked out the building near the entrance to VIvienda de Arriba, just off the highway, and got a Mexico City phone number to inquire about the property.
Of all the options, everyone agree that (a) was best since it would be a donation and Vivienda de Arriba is the most central location for all the communities in the Council.
A commission including Ana, Gloria and Angela will find out about the next meeting of the Cruz del Palmar ejido and report back to CEDESA.
After the assembly, a group took a look at the land next to the kindergarten – about a half hectare, partly wooded with mesquite trees and large nopales which we liked. The other location within the community of Vivienda, next to the football field, does not have good road access, so after the meeting, we decided to pursue the possibility of donation of the lot next to the kindergarten.

2. Dry toilet applications.
Saul gave some background on the application that the Council made in March of 2011 (458 dry toilets in 17 communities): at the April meeting with the Presidencia, Lucy referred the Council to the department of Social Development since they have funds for dry toilets as part of a “sustainable campesino home” project. In May, Social Development accepted the applications presented by the Council, which requested funding for materials, construction to be done by local masons, and coordination and consulting by CEDESA for a cost of $11,000 pesos per toilet, with the families providing “chalan” (mason helper) labor.
At the end of May, Social Development told the Council that they needed a few more details, such as the number of people in the families that would benefit from the project. The Council collected this information and Saul went to present it to Social Development yesterday (June 14) and got a big surprise when they told him that they have decided to utilize outside consultants and contractors to build 225 dry toilets, each costing about $25,000 pesos, of which the families will be required to pay 15%, or about $3700 pesos. Furthermore, Social Development would not respect the organizational work already done by the Council, but rather visit the communities and choose whom they felt were“the most needy,” who would get the ready-made toilets.
Saul argued that the applications submitted by the Council represent people who have expressed their interest and motivation by participating in the Council, which would also provide follow-up in terms of training in the use and maintenance of the toilets so the likelihood of their being properly utilized would be much greater than Social Development’s non-participatory plan.
Other members of the Council also expressed their displeasure with Social Development’s first accepting the Council’s dry toilet project, then switching to a typical government-imposed plan that is more costly, less participatory and therefore less likely to succeed.
Discussion ensued as to what to do about this – return to Social Development to negotiate; appeal to the Mayor; publicize the situation through press conferences, interviews, articles and mass demonstrations. It was decided that a committee consisting of at least one member of each Council community will go to the office of Social Development on Tuesday, June 21 – if Social Development does not respond favorably, they will go to the Mayor’s office that same day; if there are still no concrete results, the Council will plan a publicity campaign to pressure the government officials to honor their word.

3. Encuentro Campesino
This was postponed last month due to an unexpectedly large increased workload (SAPASMA’s funding of 54 cistern projects in addition to the four communities funded by Rotary and Fondo Verde). Chela offered CEDESA as the site for the five workshops mentioned at the first Encuentro Campesino: 1) backyard design 2) bio-intensive gardens 3) cultivation of nopal in “tunnels” 4) medicinal plants and 5) terracing. Though CEDESA is in the municipality of Dolores Hidalgo, Chela suggested it would be worth it for participants to see the finished results of these techniques that have been implemented on site at CEDESA for many years. Also, participants can see other eco-technologies that CEDESA has or is testing and promoting in campesino communities.
The date was agreed upon: Saturday, June 25 and it will be an all-day event, starting at 10 a.m. and finishing at 5 p.m. Lunch will be provided by CEDESA, and we will help organize transportation. Roberto of Presita knows a bus driver and will investigate costs; all interested persons should explore ride- and expense-sharing options in their communities. Saul can lead a caravan up the new Guanajuato road to CEDESA via Xoconostle; Los Torres, Montecillo and Los Magueyes can make arrangements to go to CEDESA via the Dolores-SMA highway.

4. Medicinal Plants
Holly explained the book project that CEDESA is collaborating on with Dr. Rosita Arvigo, an international expert on nutrition and alternative medicine. Dr. Arvigo would like to interview healers who have traditional knowledge of plants and their uses for treating and curing common ailments. Her goal is to rescue this folk wisdom that is being abandoned for commercial medicines and doctors. The book will be given to all persons who participate in the project, as a way of sharing information and techniques. Several people from various communities including Los Torres, La Tinaja and Cienaga said they would talk with healers In their communities, and find out if they were willing to participate in the project and will get in touch with Holly.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:20 p.m.