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Take Action!
2007 has begun with a series of alarming attacks against Guatemalan human rights organizations. Send an email to the Guatemalan government today. more >>> | |
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Did You Know?
> Guatemala has the most unequal land distribution in the Western Hemisphere, with large landholders who comprise only 2% of the population possessing 70% of the productive lands. > Attacks against human rights defenders in Guatemala increased between 2004 and 2005. In 2005, El Movimiento Nacional por los Derechos Humanos documented 224 attacks against human rights defenders, in comparison with 122 attacks in 2004. > On March 30, 2006, the 11th anniversary of the signing of the indigenous accord, tens of thousands of workers, farmers and indigenous people marched in Guatemala City to demand the strengthening of indigenous rights, restriction of open pit mining licenses, and funds for the Ministry of Agriculture to purchase land for redistribution. | |
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printer-friendly Organize Locally
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- Host a speaking tour or teach-in. If you are at a school or university,
ask educators to assist you and hold a public teach-in on Guatemala. In your
community, organize a teach-in at the town hall, a local place of worship,
or another community space. You may have speakers for the teach-in in your
own community (if you or someone you know has traveled to Guatemala recently,
this is a great opportunity), or you may be able to help local organizing
for NISGUA's
Annual Fall Tour of Guatemalan Speakers.
- Set up information tables at local cultural events related to Latin
America. If a concert, dance performance, movie, or other special cultural
event is coming to town, contact the event promoter and ask if you can
set up a table at the door to hand out information and sign up new activists.
If it's not possible to get a table inside the event, have people outside
the doors hand out fliers and use sign up sheets on clipboards. If you
have a letter to send to a member of Congress, bring copies of the letter
so that people can sign and send them right there. If you have a very cooperative
promoter, ask if you can make a two-minute presentation before the event
begins.
- Set up an information table or have volunteers circulate with fliers
at regular community events, such as farmers markets, flea markets, and
street festivals. Again, if you have a letter to a member of Congress or
other urgent action, make sure to bring them so that people can take action
on the spot. These are opportunities to engage the local community with
your issue.
- Ask local activist groups that don't deal directly with Guatemala
if you can speak briefly at their next meeting. If you have local chapters
of Amnesty International, local immigrant organizations, and other
groups that may have an interest in Guatemala, see if you can come
and speak to them about a specific action that you are working on.
Most groups are more than happy to give other activists a few minutes
to discuss a new topic.
- Involve your religious community in advocacy for a more
just U.S. policy toward Guatemala.
- Hold a call-in or letter-writing day in a
local community space. This technique is especially
useful leading up to a major vote: members
of your community can voice their concerns
over a particular issue related to Guatemala
and ask their member of Congress to support
a bill or amendment to help change the policy.
To set up a call-in or letter-writing event,
you'll need the phone numbers and addresses
of your members of Congress, and talking points
on the issue for a phone call or letter. You
may also want a sample letter help guide writers.
For additional resources on how to effectively
address Congress, please
click here.
- Organize a town or city council resolution. Across the country, cities and
towns have passed council resolutions expressing concern over various human rights
issues. These resolutions stand in solidarity with peoples in other countries
and often urge Congress to support peace and social justice in U.S. foreign policy.
Click here for more information
about how to draft and organize around such a resolution.
- Hold
a
rally,
vigil,
or
parade
in
front
of
your
member
of
Congress'
district
or
state
office
(you
may
need
a
permit,
so
be
sure
to
go
through
the
proper
channels
a
month
or
so
before
you
hold
the
event!).
- Organize
a
film
festival.
Ask
your
local
movie
theater
to
sponsor
a
series
of
films
with
a
Guatemala/human
rights
theme,
or
plan
your
own
film
festival
on
campus
or
in
a
local
community
space.
- Coordinate
thematic
meals.
Host
a
dinner
featuring
dishes
from
Guatemala,
either
by
preparing
food
yourself
or
gathering
at
a
local
restaurant.
Have
a
theme,
play
Guatemalan
music,
and
decorate – and
then
during
the
event,
hand
out
information,
or
give
a
short
talk
about
the
issues
you
are
working
on.
Be
sure
to
include
an
action
and
a
way
participants
can
remain
involved
with
your
group/issue.
- Hold an art show. Ask art students or local artists to create and donate works with a peace and justice/Guatemalan theme for an exhibition and/or raffle.
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