Participatory Democracy in Oaxaca
Participatory Democracy in Oaxaca
For this Olio, by focusing on two municipalities in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, we will look at how people have organized and reorganized themselves in response and in opposition to capitalism. These municipalities offer lessons on democracy, the commons, and perhaps contain the seeds to better worlds. Coming back to Kingston, we can think about what those lessons can help us build here, what is a city charter, and what could a more democratic Kingston begin to look like?
Bio: Sebastian Pillitteri is an adjunct professor at Bard College, he is also surprised by this. He has a Masters in Environmental Policy from Bard College and graduated in 2013, this as well. He works as an organizer and scientist while in the US, and teaches a course on municipal governance and participatory democracy annually in Oaxaca, Mexico. He spent four years living and working in Oaxaca for a local non-governmental organization called the Institute for Nature and Society of Oaxaca doing integrated watershed management for the Rivers Atoyac and Salado which flow through the capital city, Oaxaca de Juarez. According to a friend who grew up and lives in Oaxaca, he did a bad job because the rivers are still polluted. In Oaxaca, he got to know communities that had been managing communal lands for over 500 years, surprising for an economics major who heard many a time in his classes that this couldn’t happen.
Moving to Kingston in 2017 put him in touch with people who deeply care about their city, process, and how we can construct a more democratic city. This deepened his interest in local governance, and he has been active in local political campaigns, some levels of municipal governance, and feels that this is one of his homes.
The event image is the cover print of "House Zine" by Erin Dorney
VIBE
This Olio will be a more intimate dinner party, where we all gather around a long table to hear from Seb and then
FOOD
Please post your dietary restrictions in the event. The host will prepare a main dish, and you should plan to bring a small side dish to share.
DRINK
Host will be sharing Oaxacan mezcal from Palenque 5 Estrellas. Please bring any additional drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic) that you want to drink or share.
TIMING
6:30 PM Arrive and mingle
7:00 PM Olio starts
VENUE NOTES
Cat household: bring your zyrtec if you need it
Shoes-off household: bring your house slippers if you need them