Caravan as Strategy for Mobilization

This session was fun for me, to connect four caravans in my life: the Sustainability Road Show from San Fran; the “Other Campaign” with the Zapatistas in Mexico; the Camel Peace Caravan that I might join in Kenya, and the group from Zambia that ran this workshop.

This group enthusiastically shared about the power of traveling from village to village, from Zambia to the World Social Forum. They talked about how each place was so similar with its traditions and problems, and how excited people were to learn about each other. There was a lively debate within the group about if it was fair that only some people were able to travel on the caravan (most couldn’t get the money).

I asked if anyone had heard of the Zapatista caravan and no one had heard of them. It felt really great to connect them with their comrades in Mexico… afterwards we exchanged info and I will connect them directly.

Oh! At the end of the session, the Zambians got up and sang a song, which I eagerly learned. This woman stayed with me afterwards to teach me the tune… and I recorded it with my handy-dandy audio recorder. I love collecting songs!

Here’s the song:

Zing guluka u ganjile munando muria

Zing guluka u ganjile munando ubonee

Africa tuagaga ku penga

Zing guluka…..

Turn around, enter, you see, and refuse poverty

You return again

Come and you see, refuse suffering.

(roughly)