Activism Change

NISGUA delegation to Guatemala

Question:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dear Friends, Here’s outreach material for NISGUA’s delegation, the e-mail version.   Please distribute it as widely as possible. Thanks, Lael NISGUA Announces: The Struggle for Justice and a Multicultural Nation: An Activist Delegation to Guatemala The Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) is taking a delegation to Guatemala to examine issues raised by the Constitutional reforms process and to participate in the commemoration of the first anniversary of Bishop Gerardi’s brutal assassination.  The delegation will focus on indigenous rights, multiculturalism, impunity, demilitarization and the strengthening of the justice system.  The delegation will provide participants with the opportunity to look at the recently released findings of the Guatemalan Truth Commission, to gain a deeper understanding of the involvement of the United States government in the history of human rights abuses in Guatemala, and to commemorate the victims of this violent past.  Please join us! Cost:   $650 Contact:  Amy Johnson – 202-518-7638 (phone) – 202-223-8221 (fax) – EPICA is taking a delegation of religious leaders to Guatemala on April 24-27.  For information about EPICA’s delegation call 202-332-0292.  The two groups will coordinate to attend some commemorative activities together. Context of Delegation: 1999 is a critical year for the future of Guatemala.  Since the signing of the peace accords in 1996, Guatemala has been in a period of transition between war and peace — and like most transitions, it has been a time of flux.  However, the transition is drawing to a close as the Guatemalan people and their government are called upon to make long-lasting decisions about key issues that will set the scene for the future of Guatemala.  These issues, which include indigenous rights, impunity and justice reform, military reform and reparations for war victims, and popular participation in democratic processes, are on the top of the national agenda in the post-war era, and will be part of a national referendum on Constitutional Reforms in Guatemala in May of this year. On February 25, the UN-sponsored truth commission, known as the Historical Clarification Commission (CEH), released its report on human rights violations during the 36-year civil war in Guatemala.  This report concludes that the Guatemalan military and government used genocide as a counterinsurgency policy, decimating Mayan communities and murdering all political opponents, with the tacit, and sometimes explicit, support of the United States.  The report also makes recommendations to encourage peace and national harmony in Guatemala, including measures to provide reparations for war victims, reform the military, strengthen the justice system, and take other actions to foster a culture of observance of human rights and strengthen the democratic process in Guatemala. Yet it is still to be seen how the Guatemalan government will respond to this report, and to the recommendations of the CEH commission.  Last year, Guatemalan Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi Conedera was bludgeoned to death in his home, just two days after the presentation of Guatemala: Nunca Mas (Never Again) a similar project sponsored by the Catholic Church to "recover the historic memory" of the victims of human rights violations in Guatemala.  Now, almost one year after the assassination, the official investigation of this crime has not concluded, nor have the murderers been caught.  This high-level assassination has been a focus of national and international attention for the past year due to its clear political motives, yet the lack of progress in the investigation process has proved that impunity continues to be the rule in the Guatemalan justice system. As the CEH report states, structural inequities, racism, and anti-democratic practices were the root causes of the violence and the conflict in Guatemala, and if these causes are to be addressed there must be change in the structures of the Guatemalan State.  In response to this need, a package of 47 Constitutional Reforms which lock the gains of the peace accords into the Guatemalan Constitution was passed last October in the Congress.  A national referendum is planned to further solidify this progress in May, and currently a wide variety of political and social justice organizations are working on major organizing efforts to educate the public and get out the vote when the referendum is held. The transformation of the Guatemalan Constitution is a historic first step towards creating a more just and inclusive society in Guatemala, and is the result of the indigenous peoples’ long struggles to overcome the discrimination and inequities of the past.  These reforms are based primarily on the accords on demilitarization and strengthening civil society, and are essential to the future of the peace process in Guatemala.  If passed, the Constitutional Reforms will recognize the multicultural nature of the Guatemalan nation, and will provide for important structural changes in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the Guatemalan government. The NISGUA delegation in April-May of this year will serve to deepen the understanding that U.S. activists have of this important Constitutional reform process, as well as to support the work of the Guatemalan civil society is doing to promote the reforms. We will also commemorate the memory of the victims of human rights abuses in Guatemala, by participating in activities on the anniversary of the assassination of Bishop Gerardi, and meeting with human rights activists to discuss the implications of the CEH report and the responsibility of the United States government in the abuses of Guatemala’s violent past.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -NISGUA Announces: The Struggle for Justice and a Multicultural Nation: An Activist Delegation to Guatemala The Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) is taking a delegation to Guatemala to witness and support the indigenous rights movement and the broader movement for social justice in their efforts to reconstruct Guatemala after more than 36 years of civil war. We will participate in the commemoration of the first anniversary of Bishop Gerardi’s brutal assassination, and learn about the national referendum on Constitutional Reforms scheduled for May, 1999.  These reforms address the structural causes of the war, and touch on some of the most important issues in Guatemala today: Indigenous rights, impunity and justice reform, military reform and promoting popular participation in democratic processes. The delegation will also provide participants with the opportunity to look at the recently released findings of the Truth Commission, to gain a deeper understanding of the involvement of the United States government in the history of human rights abuses in Guatemala, and to commemorate the victims of this violent past.  Please join us! Cost:   $650 plus airfare        Highlights:        Participate in activities to commemorate the first anniversary        of Bishop Gerardi’s assassination        Meet with Mayan leaders to discuss indigenous rights and the        struggle for a multicultural Guatemalan State        Visit Mayan communities involved in social justice struggles        around Lake Atitlan        Learn about the findings of the Guatemalan Truth Commission        report, and meet with U.S. Embassy officials to discuss U.S. involvement         in the war        Talk with leaders of the progressive political party coalition        about their proposals for the 1999 elections Contact:  Amy Johnson – 202-518-7638 (phone) – 202-223-8221 (fax) – EPICA is taking a delegation of religious leaders to Guatemala on April 24-27.  For information about EPICA’s delegation call 202-332-0292.  The two groups will coordinate to attend some commemorative activities together. Context of Delegation: 1999 is a critical year for the future of Guatemala.  Since the signing of the peace accords in 1996, Guatemala has been in a period of transition between war and peace — and it has been a time of flux and opportunity.  However, the transition is drawing to a close as the Guatemalan people and their government are called upon to make long-lasting decisions about key issues that will set the scene for the future of Guatemala.  These issues, which include indigenous rights, impunity and justice reform, military reform and reparations for war victims, and popular participation in democratic processes, are on the top of the national agenda in the post-war era, and will be part of a national referendum on Constitutional Reforms in Guatemala in May of this year. On February 25, the UN-sponsored truth commission, known as the Historical Clarification Commission (CEH), released its report on human rights violations during the 36-year civil war in Guatemala.  This report concludes that the Guatemalan military and government used genocide as a counterinsurgency policy, decimating Mayan communities and murdering all political opponents, with the tacit, and sometimes explicit, support of the United States.  The report also makes recommendations to encourage peace and national harmony in Guatemala, including measures to provide reparations for war victims, reform the military, strengthen the justice system, and take other actions to foster a culture of observance of human rights and strengthen the democratic process in Guatemala. Yet it is still to be seen how the Guatemalan government will respond to this report, and to the recommendations of the CEH commission.  Last year, Guatemalan Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi Conedera was bludgeoned to death in his home, just two days after the presentation of Guatemala: Nunca Mas (Never Again) a similar project sponsored by the Catholic Church to "recover the historic memory" of the victims of human rights violations in Guatemala.  Now, almost one year after the assassination, the official investigation of this crime has not concluded, nor have the murderers been caught.  This high-level assassination has been a focus of national and international attention for the past year due to its clear political motives, yet the lack of progress in the investigation process has proved that impunity continues to be the rule in the Guatemalan justice system. As the CEH report states, structural inequities, racism, and anti-democratic practices were the root causes of the violence and the conflict in Guatemala, and if these causes are to be addressed there must be change in the structures of the Guatemalan State.  In response to this need, a package of 47 Constitutional Reforms which lock the gains of the peace accords into the Guatemalan Constitution was passed last October in the Congress.  A national referendum is planned to further solidify this progress in May, and currently a wide variety of political and social justice organizations are working on major organizing efforts to educate the public and get out the vote when the referendum is held. The transformation of the Guatemalan Constitution is a historic first step towards creating a more just and inclusive society in Guatemala, and is the result of the indigenous peoples’ long struggles to overcome the discrimination and inequities of the past.  These reforms are based primarily on the accords on demilitarization and strengthening civil society, and are essential to the future of the peace process in Guatemala.  If passed, the Constitutional Reforms will recognize the multicultural nature of the Guatemalan nation, and will provide for important structural changes in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the Guatemalan government. The NISGUA delegation in April-May of this year will serve to deepen the understanding that U.S. activists have of this important Constitutional reform process, as well as to support the work of the Guatemalan civil society is doing to promote the reforms. We will also commemorate the memory of the victims of human rights abuses in Guatemala, by participating in activities on the anniversary of the assassination of Bishop Gerardi, and meeting with human rights activists to discuss the implications of the CEH report and the responsibility of the United States government in the abuses of Guatemala’s violent past. Guatemala News and Information Bureau (GNIB) 3181 Mission Street Box 12 San Francisco, CA  94110 Phone/fax:  (415) 826-3593 Que todos se levanten, que ni uno ni otro se quede atras de los demas. –Pop Wuj

Response:

Filed under: Activist Movement

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