Promoting peace

Mexico, which lies in the northern part of Central America, is almost fifty times the size of Switzerland, and has a population of around 105 million. Its membership of NAFTA, the Trade Agreement with the USA and Canada which was formed in 1994, has not led to improvements in the living conditions of large sections of the population. On the contrary, more people now live in poverty, and many are forced to migrate to the cities and to the USA.
In the southern state of Chiapas, an uprising led by the Zapatista Liberation Army (EZLN) started at the beginning of 1994, to which government forces responded with ‘low-intensity warfare’.

The objectives of Fastenopfer’s work are to promote peace and respect for human rights, as well as supporting the lives of the minorities, especially in Chiapas. Another goal is the education and further training of committed lay people for work at the grassroots.

Programme officer

Daniel Hostettler