San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico, in 1994 became the second city to sign the Sister City declaration with Asheville.

Fast Facts

• Population 121,100
• Well known for its beautiful colonial era architecture
• In 1994, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation used San Cristobal as one of the four cities where it began its revolution.

Past Projects

• Six wheel chairs donated for a physically handicapped basketball team in San Cristobal.
• Trudy Blom photographic exhibit of indigenous Mayan people living near San Cristobal held at Asheville Art Museum.
• 2000 Environment-Culture project with San Cristobal
• At the invitation of Kiki Saurez, a well known artist in San Cristobal, students in six elementary schools in Asheville produced paintings for an international art show entitled "Me and My Family." Paintings were exhibited in the UN Building in NYC, as well as Mexico and Russia.
• Over $10,000 raised for the Mayan Midwife project in San Cristobal, led by ASCI delegate Alicia Butron. Part of the money purchased a truck for transporting midwives to those in need.
• 2007, successful completion of water project, a collaborative project of ASCI, Asheville & SCdlC Rotary Clubs and Rotary International, providing year round clean water to over 50,000 SCdlC inhabitants.
• 2008, donation to Hogar Comunitario Yach'il Anzetic, a shelter for pregnant women and their families, allowed the building and completion of a greenhouse to grow and market a mushroom business that gives women work and skills to be self sufficient and support their families.
• Successful SCdlC delegation visit in summer of 2010 . Delegates included the SCdlC Sister City chair, the Rector & Dean of Universidad Intercultural de Chiapas, a Mayorial Representative and the Producer of Palenque Rojo, a multi media performance prodcution. Delegates met with local businesses, non profits and several univeristies and colleges.

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If you are interested in learning more or joining our committee, we invite you to our monthly meeting  on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 6:00 pm at 33 Page, Asheville, NC

The ASCI San Cristobal del las Casas Committee can be reached by email at: gclemons(at)mhc.edu

(Please highlight the above email address, copy it, then paste it into an email, replacing "(at)" with @.)