Maya Commission for Peace and Reconciliation
COMISIÓN MAYA PARA LA PAZ Y LA RECONCILIACIÓN
Since the Truth Commission in Guatemala made public its report six months ago, the government of President Arzu has not adopted a serious policy for complying with the Truth Commission's recommendations (The Commission for Historical Clarification). In Guatemala, insecurity persists and the Mayan population continues to search for new ways to participate directly and democratically in the construction of a multiethnic Guatemalan nation-state. Considering the need of having a unified voice for the Mayan people, a group of Mayan intellectuals and non-Mayans, spiritual leaders and educators were reunited in Guatemala City on September 17 and 18 1999, to organize the Commission for Peace and Reconciliation. (This meeting was called by the Mayan anthropologist Victor Montejo, currently an Associate Professor of Native American Studies at University of California, Davis. The meeting, which was attended by 20 Mayan leaders, was made possible with the support of the project Incindencia-USAID of Guatemala. Stefano Varese (UC-Davis) and Norman Shaifer (Indigenous Peoples Media Network) were present as advisers to the Maya group.
The group agreed to organize a Civil Society which will have the role of planning and implementing projects that will lead to solving problems of economic inequality, access to education and political power that affects Mayan rural communities of Guatemala. Similarly, the Commission has as one of its most important objectives, to fulfill the recommendations of the Truth Commission, in implementing programs of reparation to the communities affected by the armed violence during the 1980s. The members of the Commission and its president Narciso Cojti, and its Executive Director, Dr. Victor Montejo, will elaborate plans for development and seeking reparations to the Mayan communities. (The commission wants to obtain disability for the thousands of victims of this armed struggle between the Guatemalan army and the guerrillas.) The Commission will ask for aid from the countries involved in this conflict as well as the Guatemalan government. One idea is to create a Maya Memorial Museum in order to perpetuate the memory of those massacred during this armed conflict, which killed 200,000 Guatemalans and lasted for 36 years (similar to a Holocaust Museum). In this way the Mayan people of Guatemala will have its own dignified presence in the history of the country which will be rewritten as we start the new millennium.
PROJECT PROPOSAL: CONSTRUCTION OF A COMMUNITY MEETING CENTER This is a request for funding for the construction of a community center presented by leaders and members of the indigenous community of Paya, of the municipality of Jacaltenango, Department of Huehuetenango. In their request they state that 1) They are members of a poor peasant and peasant community in the highlands of western Guatemala. 2) Despite the poverty in which we live, we keep contributing to the development of our community and our children attend the local school in the community to which we have also contributed with our labor when needed. 3) With great effort we have tried to solve some of our problems, but there are others that we need to maintain our community’s unity and solidarity and living in peace with our neighbors. Now that the community has grown, we want to maintain our traditions and culture, by having a cultural/meeting center for our activities and a place where to carry out programs of leadership and training for the youth for us and for the youth. For this reason, and with all respect we come to you REQUESTING:
We are thankful to you for helping us to find good hearted people who will help us to build this community center. Thank you very much. Village of Paya, Jacaltenango, Huehuetenango The Members of the Committee for Development of Paya, sign the request. And other signatures. BUDGET
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| Victor D. Montejo | Narciso Cojti |
| Executive Director | President of the Commission |
| 718 Placer Drive | (502) 205-9967 |
| Woodland, CA 95695 | e-mail: proindig@concyt.gov |
| Phone: (530) 666-3125 | |
| Fax: (530) 752-7097 | |
| e-mail: vmontejo@ucdavis.edu | |
| Report To Incidencia On The "Maya Commission For Peace And Reconciliation" Organization Conference |
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| e-mail to us at: maya@xxicentury.org | |
COMISIÓN MAYA PARA LA PAZ Y LA RECONCILIACIÓN
A seis meses de la divulgación del reporte de la Comisión de la Verdad, el gobierno del presidente Arzú no ha tomado aún ninguna medida seria para cumplir con las recomendaciones de la Comisión para el Esclarecimiento Histórico (CEH). La inseguridad persiste y la población Maya de Guatemala sigue buscando las formas de participar directa y democráticamente en la construcción de una Guatemala multiétnica y compartida por los diferentes pueblos que la componen. Considerando la necesidad de tener una voz unificada del pueblo Maya, un grupo de intelectuales mayas y ladinos, lideres espirituales y educadores se reunieron en la ciudad capital los días 17 y 18 de septiembre del año en curso para organizar y establecer la Comisión Maya para la Paz y la Reconciliación. El antropólogo jakalteko, Dr. Victor D. Montejo, actualmente Profesor de Estudios Indígenas Americanos de la Universidad de California, Davis, convocó a tal reunión con la ayuda de la Asociación Cultural B'eyb'al. Esta reunión de aproximadamente 20 líderes mayas invitados se llevó a cabo gracias al apoyo del Proyecto Incidencia de Guatemala y de AID. Además, se contó con la presencia del Norman Sheifer, Director de Indigenous Media Network de Nueva York, y del asesor internacional, Dr. Stefano Varese, miembro fundador del Grupo de Barbados.
Esta organización de la sociedad civil, tendrá la función de planificar e implementar proyectos que tiendan a solucionar los problemas de desigualdad económica, educativa y de poder que sufren las comunidades rurales de Guatemala. Asimismo, la comisión tiene como uno de sus principales objetivos, abocarse al cumplimiento y a la ejecución de los programas de resarcimiento a las comunidades damnificadas por el conflicto armado. Los miembros de la directiva y su presidente, Narciso Cojti y el director ejecutivo, junto con el Director Ejecutivo Dr. Victor D. Montejo discutirán y desarrollarán los planes de desarrollo y de resarcimiento con expertos internacionales de otros países donde poblaciones étnicas han sufrido masacres y genocidio. Además, y para darle visibilidad a los miles de victimas inmolados durante este conflicto armado, la Comisión buscará por todos los medios el apoyo de los países que intervinieron en esta guerra, como también del mismo gobierno guatemalteco, para crear el Museo del Holocausto Maya. Las víctimas del conflicto no quedarán en el olvido y el pueblo Maya de Guatemala buscará tener voz y presencia digna en la historia del país que está por reescribirse al iniciarse el nuevo milenio.
| Victor D. Montejo | Narciso Cojti |
| Director Ejecutivo | Presidente de la Comisión |
| 718 Placer Drive | |
| Woodland, CA 95695 | |
| (530) 666-3125 | |
Other Contact: Indiginous People's Media Network. e-mail: ipmn@xxicentury.org |
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