During September 17th and 18th, 1999, in the city of Guatemala the invited Mayan leaders gathered to discuss the formation of the "Maya Commission for Peace and Reconciliation. This meeting was organized and promoted by Dr. Victor Montejo in coordination with Lic. Gaspar Gonzalez, director of the cultural organization B'eyb'al. Afterwards, and to comply with the meeting's objectives, the coordinator of the event, Dr. Victor D. Montejo, a professor at the University of California, Davis; and the members of this new organization submit the following report of accomplished activities during the above dates to Incidencia/AID.
Historically the Mayan community have been subjected under the dominion and imposition of the dominant elite in all areas: cultural, political, economical, and social. Since 1500 the Mayan territory had been invaded and colonized, having imposed on the habitants with a political, social, military, and religious system alien to their own cosmovision. As a consequence, the Maya community saw themselves obligated to substitute their ways of life under the foreign pressure which has persisted throughout the centuries.
The former republican government used the Mayan community as a motive or cause of the country's underdevelopment and it's backward motion, which justified a political implementation assimilating, engrossing, and integrating the Western culture, which served as a model for the Guatemalan State.
The characteristics of an excluding and racist state, in actuality are still maintained, which have been reflected in the distinct constitutions that do not take the Mayan spirituality, language, territoriality, or the access to political power seriously. Yet, the Maya community's name has been manipulated by those who detent power for their own benefit.
Such causes motivated an armed confrontation during the past thirty-six years in which the Mayas were the most affected: 250,000 died according to the Commission of Truth or CEH. Of these, 93% belonged to the Mayan community; 400 toxins disappeared, more than I ,000,000 displaced internally and externally; 150,000 orphans; 150,000 widows; an uncountable amount crippled. The finalization of this fraternized confrontation was only possible by the intervention of international pressure, which obligated the Guatemalan government and the guerillas to put an end to this confrontation with the signature of the peace agreements.
Following the recommendations issued by the "Comision de Eselarecimiento Historico", the Commission for Peace and reconciliation was created. This instance shall be commissioned as the delegate between the Mayan population and the Guatemalan State; whose activities are enmarked inside the Peace Accords, specifically those concerning the Identity and Rights of the Indigenous People of Guatemala.
Justification
All of us Guatemalans are being called to contribute in the implementation of the Peace Accords, if we want our dreams of a lasting peace with social justice to become a reality. For this reason and after the systematic documentation of the atrocities committed by the Guatemalan army and the guerillas (URNG) against the Mayans, the conclusions and recommendations of the "Comision de Eselarecimiento Historico" (CEH) should be implemented. By the same token, the magnitude of violence documented by CEH and the Catholic Church's report "Guatemala: Memory of Silence," demonstrates the magnitude of the genocide committed by the contending forces who also depended on international assistance. In this conflict the Mayan people suffered the most brutal consequence. Of the reported 200,000 dead during the thirty-six years of the armed conflict, 93% were indigenous.
On the other hand, there has been very little Mayan representation in the government and in the implementation of projects and programs that are supposed to be directed towards them. As a solution to the Mayan community's small participation in the decisions concerning them, we believe that the Maya Commission could unite the dispersed voices of the many organizations which look to incite peace and reconciliation in this process. The indigenous organizations such as COPMAGUA which had been the voice of the Mayan people did not succeed with their intended objectives, reason being that there never was true representation of the Mayan community in the decisions that were made. Therefore, the time has come for the Mayans to directly participate in the present democratic development of Guatemala with a strong and represented Mayan leadership.
II. Project Description
Project Summary
Peace and social justice is undoubtedly the main wish of all Guatemalans, it is indispensible in order to build a solid democracy which is the base to construct a new multicultural and multiethnical Guatemalan Nation-State. Yet, it is also known that we cannot reach these dreams without a strong Mayan leadership to participate in the process of reconstruction after the peace signature. For this reason we unite various Mayan leaders and international assessors for the establishment and organization of what was called the Maya Commission for Peace and Reconciliation.
It was attempted to unite twenty Mayan leaders and public intellectuals most visible in Guatemala to integrate the Maya Commission which strives to unite the many voices of the Mayan movement. The principal objective was to create a regenerationist group which looked to centralize the strengths of the Mayan community in order to reach its political, economical, and cultural developmental goals. For centuries, the Mayans have been subjected under the domination and control of the powerful ladinos sectors and have always "spoken of and represented" the indigenous people. Now, after the peace negotiations, in which the Mayans were not represented, we indigenous leaders who were invited to conform the Commission would like to unite ourselves and become the voices of our cultures. We need to open a true dialogue with the ladino sector in Guatemala in order to build together a pluralist nation.
General: The Mayan community requires a strong and coherent leadership that would be able to represent the Mayan culture as part of national pride as much of the past, present, and future. The organization of this work group responds to the Mayan will to propose, contribute, and execute projects and initiatives conductive in strengthening peace and reconciliation. The members of the group will work towards promoting peace, social justice, and solidarity between the different sectors of the Guatemalan community.
The objective of the group is to incite and participate in national decisions implemented by the Peace Accords and the compensation of the damages of war. With this we would like to contribute to the creation of an equal and just nation which prevails the right of all of the people who make up the nation.
In conclusion, the specific objective of this Mayan /non-Mayan leaders convention was the creation of this commission that will try to unite the many voices of the Mayan movement. And one of the specific missions of this Mayan Commission will be to develop projects and implement them according to the decisions of the affected community.
One of the goals of this project was the organization and formation of the Mayan Commission which will articulate the different voices and tendencies of the Mayan movement. The goal to attain is for the Mayans to become an integral part of the search for solutions to the underdevelopment problems in which is integrated by intellectuals and clear trajectory and national and international renown leaders. This was the first step for the commission in developing a plan of action.
A participation of the ladino sector was also looked for. Three ladino assessors were named: Dr. Flavio Rojas Lima, Lie. Erick Bolanos (who both attended), and Brother Oscar Azmitia (who was unable to attend). With the presence and dialogue of the ladino population we will be working in coordination and clarity to avoid misunderstandings and fear on behalf of the ladinos towards the Mayan projects. All, Mayans and non-Mayans should work together for peace and reconciliation in order to build a truly multicultural and pluriethnic nation.
Eighteen people attended the meeting on this date. Those who attended were welcomed and afterwards Dr. Victor Montejo made known the objectives of said convention that took place on a recent date. The Mayan leaders meeting was to form a commission in order for Guatemala to make true changes and become a real place for the Guatemalan indigenous communities to politically incite in the peace and reconciliation process. I-Ic also spoke of the compensation for the communities that were devastated by violence. For example, there are mothers who still cry for their children and they have yet to be attended to. Neither has the damage to the affected communities been repaired, since some simply want to forget the victims of the armed conflict. For this reason we cannot say that our country has already been compensated. A national and regional study of the same magnitude as the conflict is needed to consult with the communities themselves in order to see what are the primary necessities. The compensation should be communal so that future generations may also benefit from the projects created for the damnificated communities.
It is important that Mayan and non-Mayan civil society search for convergence. The international community is organizing itself to listen. The best strategy should be looked for in order for the Mayans to search for a more united leadership that represents the will of the indigenous majority of the country.
The convergence for strength and consolidation of the Mayan movement should be looked for. Although here we are few, we know that a leadership that can guide us through sure paths and not violent ones is needed. It is necessary to associate ourselves, to articulate the different leadership groups. In other words, we need to meet where all organizations are taken into account. Each one has had experiences in which to share. A national meeting must be made in order for the agents involved in the decision making from the different sectors and organizations such as: the Church, Universities, Congress, Human Rights organizations, United Nations, Mayan Organizations, etc., be able to revitalize the Peace Accords. We should begin to organize ourselves and search for reconciliation because the government will not do it. The immediate strategy to follow is a national meeting with all of the Mayan sectors and institutions who work for peace and reconciliation. We should not stay with our arms folded and look for the agencies and institutions that are willing to help us. What we need to do is organize ourselves and look for a united leadership. This leadership has been in the hands of COPMAGUA, yet we know of the problems and failures of this organization. Although the organization supports the Mayan movement, COPMAGUA does not represent the Mayan community. A solid voice that articulates the present, the past, and the future in order to envision and build a better future is needed. We propose the following: a Ibderation of Mayan organizations should be created. Afterwards, we can also ask ourselves the following questions or reflections:
In the meantime, it was said that it was alright to form the commission but this was to remain the same, without giving it a second thought and in some way make it known to the indigenous population that violence was not wanted in Guatemala, therefore the military is no longer wanted in the government, although many indigenous people support ERG, yet they may be doing it out of ignorance or attending to their personal interests.
It was said that the Mayan movement weakly continues and with a poorly affective leadership. When it is said that the Mayan movement is weak it is because it has not been able to coordinate strengths great enough to make a national impact. An example of this weakness of leadership was expressed in the results of the "Consulta Popular." Although we do understand that there are regional and national leaders, since there exists an advance in terms of indigenous leaders participation in the municipal government. In actuality, about ten municipalities exist with Mayan mayors, yet even though the ladinos occupy the treasury and that affects the local power too much. In reality, there are no economic recourses in order to mobilize the indigenous people and to form part of the electoral struggle. Some suggest the support of the Mayan brothers and sisters inscribed as candidates for the different political parties. Yet, here we may also see that the Mayans play a traditional political party, they are present in all of the political parties so much left extremists as right extremists.
Criteria should be united. Television is one mode of communication that should be informing the community. However, channels three and seven do not reach far communities for the population does not know of the ongoings in the capital.
We are speaking of uniting ten Mayan organizations but is it possible to unite and look for a leader to represent us in the government? The main problem is financing the projects that are in mind. For example, from now on we would be able to do something in order for the people not to vote for the parties whose members are militant.
Suggestions: For instance, a walk could be done where posters saying that all of the indigenous people no longer want violence could be taken. This walk would start from Huehuetenango until the capital is reached, yet for them economic recourses are needed. This idea was approved by almost all of the leaders present in this meeting, for all of us are worried about the future of Guatemala. Meanwhile, it was discussed that these were immediate projects and that the role of' the Mayan Commission for Peace and Reconciliation has to be careful not to radicalize itself like the other Mayan organizations that impulse this type of political activism of the moment.
It has been mentioned that there is not any financial support for the realization of the walk. It is proposed to create a small project which contains the following three objectives:
In order to form a commission of leaders, the Mayan organizations failures, such as COPMAGUA, should be identified. We also have to be sure that the Mayan professionals do not confuse particular interests with communal or global Mayan interests. Many are in search for political positions within political parties and their action does not necessarily represent the will of the Mayan community in general.
Principal Idea: is the organization of the Commission for Peace and Reconciliation. This organization is needed in order to have incidence in national matters which affect the life and future of the Mayan community in Guatemala.
Experiences: Mayan political scene of unity and brotherhood. A work commission which has compensation as an objective should be taken into consideration. There are many opposing groups that are interested in not allowing compensation to succeed.
Invite Mayans of all religions and regionalize the Commission for Peace and Reconciliation's project.
Take initiative in groups and not individually.
There is credibility when there is concrete work.
Norman has been involved in these types of activities and in his experience with them he has discovered that there are differences, but these are small. About the fundamental themes, most of the indigenous leaders are in agreement.
Recommendation: Concentrate on a broader vision
Activities
Short Term:
National mark: the national plan for peace and reconciliation. The Maya vision.
Maya pronouncement.
Create promotions for the means of communications.
National convocation of Mayan and non-Mayan leaders. Representatives of the organizations that work towards peace and reconciliation.
Medium:
Regionalization of the commission's projects.
Consult the Mayan communities affected by the conflict.
Beginning of the compensation projects for the victims of the internal armed conflict.
Long Term:
Implementation of compensation
Creation of the Mayan Holocaust Museum
National reconciliation.