Enlace Civil was founded in 1996 at the behest of indigenous communities in Chiapas to build a bridge of communication and cooperation between the indigenous movement in Chiapas and allies across Mexico and the world. Enlace Civil is a multidisciplinary group of professionals that defends Chiapas’ indigenous people’s human rights and supports their community-based development projects.

All of the projects that Enlace Civil promotes and implements respond to the expressed needs of each community as articulated by the Councils of Good Government (Juntas de Buen Gobierno). Enlace Civil does not create its own projects but listens to local communities’ aspirations and plans, and then seeks to involve Mexican and international supporters in working with them to support those initiatives for building equitable and viable communities.