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Take Action!
99% of the crimes committed during Guatemala's war have not been brought to justice. | |||||||||
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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 was rejected by 89% of participants in a local referendum because it could 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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Justice and Accountability
Over 150,000 people dead and another 50,000 disappeared: The death toll in the Guatemalan war exceeded that of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Argentina, and Chile combined. The intensity of ethnic cleansing that took place in Guatemala over the 36-year-long conflict was equal to, or arguably worse than, that of Bosnia. Guatemalan government forces - buoyed by financing and training from the United States - committed over 90% of the human rights violations during the war (1960-1996).
Through our Justice and Accountability Program, NISGUA employs strategic, creative, and coordinated grassroots activism and advocacy to pursue justice for human rights abuses, including those committed during Guatemala's war. We provide information and strategic analysis to our grassroots network and organizational partners to monitor precedent-setting human rights cases and advocate on behalf of Guatemalans working to prosecute those responsible for genocide and other war crimes. We develop in-depth analysis and disseminate electronic, print, and verbal information about the political context in Guatemala and the ongoing struggle to end impunity.
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Introduction
While survivors of Guatemala's conflict bear physical and psychological wounds to this day, the masterminds behind the crimes walk free. Increasingly, courageous individuals and organizations are demanding justice for the heinous human rights abuses committed during the conflict.
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Precedent-Setting Human Rights Cases
Courageous individuals and organizations in Guatemala have sought to bring to justice the people responsible for egregious human rights abuses. NISGUA supports these efforts by providing accompaniment, advocacy, and public education for the most significant human rights lawsuits.
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CICIACS / CICIG
The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) aims to dismantle the clandestine structures of violence that emerged during the counter-insurgency war and that continue to threaten and attack human rights defenders to this day. The creation of the CICIG - initially called CICIACS - was much-heralded in human rights and solidarity circles. The CICIG is chipping away at the climate of impunity in which those with power are not held accountable for their crimes.
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Related Topics
Learn about courts in the Guatemalan legal system, how human rights cases proceed in the Inter-American system and more.
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Human Rights Defenders
Courageous human rights defenders in Guatemala work amidst risk and violence to ensure an end to impunity and a flourishing of peace with justice.
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Accompaniers' Reflections
Through the Guatemala Accompaniment Project (G.A.P.), NISGUA trains and places international monitors to work with communities, organizations, and individuals at risk of human rights violations. Accompaniers regularly report back on what they have learned. Here is a sampling of accompaniers' personal accounts of their experiences in Guatemala. You can also view articles that have been published by NISGUA accompaniers in a variety of media. Please note that in many cases names and identifying details have been changed due to security concerns.
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General Justice and Accountability News
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NISGUA Advocacy for Justice and Accountability
Through our Justice and Accountability Program, NISGUA employs strategic, creative, and coordinated grassroots activism and advocacy to pursue justice for human rights violations in Guatemala. We provide information and strategic analysis to our grassroots network and organizational partners to monitor precedent-setting human rights cases and advocate on behalf of Guatemalans working to prosecute those responsible for genocide and other war crimes. We develop in-depth analysis and disseminate electronic, print, and verbal information about the political context in Guatemala and the ongoing struggle to end impunity.
Read more. . .
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