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Did You Know?
> 2011 was the most violent year for human rights defenders in Guatemala since the end of the civil war. NISGUA's teams of on-the-ground international human rights monitors work to deter violence in communities, courtrooms and at public events. > Former dictator Efrain Rios Montt, who ruled during the bloodiest period of the war, is awaiting trial for genocide and crimes against humanity. > The Xalalá hydro-electric dam is rejected by 89% of the local population because it would displace thousands of indigenous people and damage farmlands and forests. > Almost 400 mining concessions have been granted to transnational gold, silver, nickel, and zinc companies in Guatemala, posing severe threats to rural communities' social and environmental well-being. | |
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2006 NISGUA Speaking Tour
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Genaro Fabian Gregorio
Genaro Fabián Gregorio works with the Pastoral
Social office of the Ixcán. A teacher and
investigator, Genaro is originally from a small
highland town that was destroyed in a landslide in
1967. At the age of 12, he emigrated with his family in
search of land and a new life in the fertile Ixcán
region of northwestern Guatemala. In the 1980s, as the
army stepped up its massacres, the Fabián Gregorio
family once again lost their home and livelihood. They
fled into hiding in the jungle and joined the
Communities of Population in Resistance (CPRs), groups
of displaced families who actively resisted military
control. Genaro was at the forefront of the CPRs’
struggles to be recognized as a civilian population and
achieve land. He is one of the founders of Primavera of
the Ixcán, a cooperative of former CPR members. Though
his formal education was interrupted repeatedly in his
childhood, Genaro went back to school and will soon
receive his teaching degree from the University of San
Carlos.
The Pastoral Social office of the Ixcán is a progressive organization within the Catholic Church that promotes social justice, equitable development, and respect for the environment. Since 1999, Genaro has coordinated the educational component, organizing workshops and teaching tools around themes such as community organization, human rights, social analysis and investigation, regional political participation, and gender equality. He has been involved in committees and conferences on free trade, development, and citizens’ participation.
Genaro will speak about the highly controversial Xalalá hydroelectric dam, which threatens to displace communities and disrupt the ecosystem, yet remains shrouded in secrecy. He will also describe the series of regional corporate-driven megaprojects included in the Plan Puebla-Panama (PPP) and their likely impacts on society.
Genaro's Presentation (10 MB, PDF file)
Tour Action:
Show your opposition to the Genaro will speak about the highly controversial Xalalá hydroelectric dam! Print out the letter, sign it and send it to the Guatemalan Electrical Institute (INDE)
Related info:
Video on the people, resources and politics of the Ixcán
Presentation on hydroelectric dams in the Ixcán (In Spanish - PDF, 1MB)
Communities of Population in Resistance
Tour Stops:
Oct. 30-31: Washington, DC
Nov. 1: Baltimore, MD
Nov. 2-3: Philadelphia, PA
Nov. 4: New York City
Nov. 6: Albany, NY
Nov. 7-9: New Hampshire
Nov. 10-16: Boston, MA
Nov. 13: New Haven, CT
For more information about the tour, email andrew[at]nisgua.org or call us at (202) 518-7638.
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