Chiapas Project

Founded by Richard Flamer, the Chiapas Project is a sister community of the Des Moines Worker and located in rural Chiapas near San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico.

Influenced by his disillusionment during his U.S. Army stint in Vietnam, his subsequent years of photographically documenting the stark realities of war and poverty in Central America and southern Mexico, and the time he spent living in Catholic Worker communities in the Midwest, Flamer recognized the San Cristobal area in Mexico as a place of great need for works of mercy.

The Mayan people of southern Mexico are among the poorest in this hemisphere. Victims of widespread discrimination, high levels of unemployment, disease and malnutrition there is little reason for hope. It is here that Richard Flamer and his wife, Araceli have committed themselves to changing this bleak outlook The Groff family; Jim, Pat and Chris as well as daughters Anna and Ruth have committed to help them in this project. They receive no monetary pay for their work.

The Project began with a shared vision when Flamer, Bishop Samuel Ruiz, and other area clergy initiated a community center with the acronym of SYJAC (Service to our people in Tzol Tzil). Since its founding seven years ago, the Chiapas/Bishop Ruiz Project has supported and built the community center which now includes a day care center, a modest kitchen, and classrooms for adult literacy, sewing and carpentry.

The aim of the Chiapas Project is to live in voluntary poverty with others, to advocate for justice for the poor, and to be a prophetic, non violent witness against injustice and militarism. The work is to live as the Gospels have shown us: recognizing our failures, giving food to the hungry, clothes to the naked, building shelters, while seeking forgiveness from those whom we have wronged.

Together with supporters from throughout the world the Chiapas Project welcomes others to help and work with them in a nonviolent spirit that is their response to Globalization.