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Angelina Martinez Miranda's
workshop in Savenay, France.
Created in 2009, the Association MÂ aims to lead awareness campaigns around the theme of Humanization of Birth, and to promote the well being of children from their birth to their mature age. The organization also contributes to create social links and open networks between its members and non-members (professionals, students, parents, activists…). The organization launches various projects, aimed to be shared in different cultural settings, in order to promote intercultural discussions on birth and motherhood.
Maïwenn & Norah,
Fair Trade Solidarity Project
Since 2011, the organization has set up intercultural exchanges with traditional midwives and doctors from Chiapas, Mexico. In France, MÂ organizes screenings, social events, training workshops, and conferences (a small congress was organized) in which we receive speakers from Mexico, among whom: the Mexican midwife Angelina Martinez Miranda, the traditional doctor Fernando Hernandez and the film-maker Agripino Ico Bautista. The latter is a member of OMIECH (Organization of Indigenous Doctors from the state of Chiapas) which is collaborating with the Association MÂ for an exchange program on knowledge transmission between French women and traditional Maya midwives.



ABOUT OMIECH ... 

Micaela Ico Bautista during an OMIECH
Women and Midwives’ Area workshop.
OMIECH was created in 1985 in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in the Chiapas State of Mexico. The organization’s goal is to promote traditional Mayan medicine. At the beginning, OMIECH was principally devoted to reinforcing the traditional knowledge around medicinal plants, through workshops, the creation of a medicinal garden within the organization and in indigenous communities. The collection of medicinal plants then led to the creation of a herbalist shop. Later, more specific workshops were created with women and midwives from the organization.
  

ACTIVITIES OF OMIECH' S WOMEN AND MIDWIVES’ AREA
Children reading OMIECH's books edited
in Tsotsil, Tseltal and Spanish languages.
The collaboration between MÂ and OMIECH led to the project “Promoting the traditional practice of Mayan midwives in Indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico”. The activities took place in 11 Indigenous communities from the State of Chiapas and consisted in community workshops. During these workshops, the main theme was sexual and maternal health (pregnancy, childbirth, post-partum, infant health, family planning, diseases and issues related to women’s health). The workshops were conceived and realized from the point of view, the feelings, the perspective and the cosmovision of traditional Mayan medicine. One of the goals was to transmit traditional knowledge and skills to apprentice midwives. The methodology used during the workshops is one of exchange of knowledge and experiences on medicinal plants and birth practices, between and from experienced traditional midwives to other midwives.
“Thus, our customs and traditions that we have been preserving for centuries would not disappear”.
Following on these workshops, two women per community were able to learn midwifery in order to recover and reinforce the therapeutic practices of experimented midwives. They will learn how to attend childbirths and how to solve possible complications.



Goals of the organizations

Agripino Ico Bautista (OMIECH),
Eugenia Corne (Mâ) and Fernando
Hernandez in Quimper, France.

MÂ and OMIECH

Mâ in France:
MÂ’s goal is to raise awareness on cultural diversity, to promote messages from Indigenous people and to open a window on Mayan culture, thanks to audiovisual support. Its goal is also to allow access to Mayan and Mexican documents translated in French, and create intercultural and solidarity-oriented exchanges in France. The organization devotes a great part of its activities to promote Respected Childbirth (Humanization of Childbirth), raising awareness among the general public to the work of traditional midwives and doctors from Mexico.

OMIECH in Mexico:

The Women and Midwives’ section of OMIECH was created upon request of Indigenous women from Chiapas, who wanted to organize workshops where women and traditional midwives from several communities could exchange their knowledge. Their goal: to develop, strengthen and transmit the knowledge and medical practices of traditional Mayan midwives. This network of women embodies the values of self-education, including an intercultural exchange through solidarity networks in France.


Origin of the Partnership​
OMIECH & MÂ in San Cristobal, Chiapas
The origin of exchanges between the two organizations emerges from collaborations around the creation of a documentary.  It is still important today, and working together on audiovisual products allows for a humane exchange before and after the projects.
The first encounter took place in April 2010 whwhenile OMIECH was collaborating with MÂ for the documentary “Partera Madrina”. MÂ’s interest for the work of OMIECH’s Women and Midwives’ Section has been growing since.
Even though “Partera Madrina” could not be produced in the expected deadlines, the director and coordinator of the Communication department of OMIECH, Agripino Ico Bautista, accepted to entrust his documentary “Knowledge of Indigenous Midwives from the Highlans of Chiapas” to MÂ in order to be translated, subtitled and screened in France.
Mounia El Kotni & Alice Bafoin, MÂ's
volunteers with Micaela Ico Baustita.
From early September to mid-October 2011, the Association MÂ received Agripino Ico Bautista in order to create a space for exchanges with French audience. A dozen of screenings took place, all followed by discussions and debates with the director. This was a strengthening experience for everyone, and created a new project, in order for MÂ and OMIECH to collaborate together on an audiovisual production for the French and Mexican public.





Join our organization and become a member!


​       You can send us a letter with the following information:
- First and Last Name



- Address




- E-mail




- Telephone Number




- And 5 euros (or more!) by check.



Contact us 

​infoassociationma@gmail.com
Association MÂ

Chez Aurélie Bes de Berc
49 quai de la Prévalaye
35000 Rennes

France



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