Alvaro Colom, President of Guatemala, recently told supporters: "plant truth and justice and you will reap reconciliation, as Bishop Gerardi used to say".

Award-winning novelist Francisco Goldman is nominated for the T R Fyvel Book Award which honours freedom of expression through literature as part of the Index on Censorship’s Freedom of Expression Awards 2008. His book The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed Bishop Gerardi? is an account of the battle to bring a bishop's murderers to justice.

Also nominated for the Bindmans Law and Campaigning is Lydia cacho, an activist and veteran investigative journalist, committed to exposing the plight of abused and exploited woman and children in Mexico. The award is given to lawyers or campaigners who have fought repression, or have struggled to change political climates and perceptions.

The eighth annual Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards will be presented on Monday 21 April, 2008 at Christchurch Spitalfields, London. The ceremony will be hosted by Anna Ford, with keynote speech by Alan Johnston

More information about the nominees:

- Francisco Goldman: While the Gerardi murder was big news in the United States, it was not so for the rest of the world. A human rights activist, the bishop had dared to challenge a military-dominated regime that was the most bloodthirsty in Latin America. He was bludgeoned to death as a direct result of a report he had published. Francisco Goldman is an award-winning American-Guatemalan writer whose compelling investigation, The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed Bishop Gerardi? exposes the corruption that permeated the Guatemalan authorities through to the President during the late 1990s.

- Lydia Cacho: Despite the personal danger it entailed, Lydia Cacho has received widespread recognition and praise for her commitment to exposing the exploitation and abuse of women and children in Mexico.

I just wanted to flag up the following event where Guatemalan human rights defender, Norma Maldonado, will be speaking 10 April 2008, from 7-9pm. Norma has worked for many years promoting women's rights, respect for the environment and trade justice through the Mesa Global de Guatemala amongst many other areas of work. You can see a short presentation by Norma at an event at Harvard University in 2000 (starts 37mins in).

The Guatemalan author Ronald Flores will talk about torture and reconciliation during his country’s civil war when he launches his book, Final Silence, at HOUSMANS BOOKSHOP in London. Wednesday 16 April, 7pm Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX (a minute’s walk from King’s Cross Station) Tel: 020 7837 4473.

Final Silence, translated from the Spanish-language original Último silencio, is a compelling drama examining the emotional wounds that blighted a generation. It won the prestigious Mario Monteforte Toledo literary prize open to writers in Central America, and is being launched by Aflame Books to coincide with the London Book Fair.

You can find out more about Ronald Flores on his fascinating blog which regularly covers the latest developments in Guatemalan literature.

For further details, contact Gavin O’Toole: 020 8669 3891 Aflame Books.

The book has been reviewed by the Latin American Review of Books by Eugene Carey.

Here's a shout out for our compañeros over at the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign: Saturday April 12th- CABARET FOR NICARAGUA- a night of magic, music, mirth & merriment with:
 
 
VENUE: Chat's Palace, 42-44 Brooksby's Walk, Hackney, LONDON, E9 6DF. Homerton train station. BUS: 236, 242, 276, 308, 394, S2, W15. Doors open 7.30 pm. Show ends midnight.
 
£11.50, £8.50 concs. Part of proceeds will go to the rebuilding of a school destroyed by Hurricane Felix. Tickets on the door or from NSC  020 7272 9619 or www.wegottickets.com

Here's a shout out for a benefit gig for indigenous community in Oaxaca facing eco threat and state repression. When: Sat 15th March. Where: Hackney Social Centre, 231 Lower Clapton Road.

5 bands:  Radio Revolucion, Clay Pigeons, Bug Central, Active Slaughter and Hello Bastards. 9 - Late: Vegan food and info on Oaxaca (NO REAL FUR)

A unique opportunity to hear Rigoberta Menchú Tum, a Nobel Peace Laureate from Guatemala, has arisen at the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford.

Rigoberta will give a public lecture at 5.00-6.30pm on Friday 7th March on her non-violent work advocating the rights of indigenous peoples in Guatemala and elsewhere. Tickets cost £5 or £3 depending on circumstances.

For further details please visit www.sutickets.com or contact Peter Cousins at Bradford University by emailing: p.cousins1@bradford .ac.uk

This weekend the Latin American and Spanish Festival will be taking place in the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea. The event is organised by the Asociación Latinoamericana de Swansea (ALAS).

ALAS is a group whose purpose is to bring together all Latin Americans and all those in Swansea and surrounding areas interested in Latin American affairs. The main aims are to provide mutual support and to raise awareness of Latin America's cultural richness.

You can download a copy of the programme for the event here (Word doc).

MOVIMIENTOS: "Música Mestiza. Documentary films. Latin Culture" is on Thursday 10th January @ The Salmon and Compass.

Documentary Films from 7pm including: "Testamento".

7pm-2am
Entry: Donations
Salmon and Compass
58 Penton Street (Corner of Chapel Market)
N1 9ES (Angel tube/Northern Line)

Information about "Testamento"


You can find more in Spanish about the film in this handy PDF download.

LATIN AMERICA 2007 brings together trade unionists, NGOs, academics and progressive movements from Latin America and the UK to explore recent developments across the region.
 
Saturday 1 December 2007, 9.30am - 5.00pm

At: Congress House, Gt Russell St, London, WC1

Book online at www.latinamerica2007.org.uk or see further details on how to register below.

LATIN AMERICA 2007 features films, stalls, music, and discussion on:

• VENEZUELA: DEMOCRACY AND SOCIAL PROGRESS
• CHE GUEVARA - FORTY YEARS SINCE HIS MURDER
• NICARAGUA - THE RETURN OF THE SANDINISTAS
• LATIN AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE AMERICAS
• CUBA AND THE FIGHT AGAINST THE BLOCKADE
• WOMEN IN LATIN AMERICA
• US MILITARISATION OF LATIN AMERICA
• RESISTANCE TO NEOLIBERAL AGENDAS AND DEBT
• THE MIAMI FIVE
• SLAVERY AND ITS LEGACY FOR THE REGION

With speakers from Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua and Bolivia plus:

•H.E. SAMUEL MONCADA, Ambassador to Britain of the  Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
•CESAR NAVARRO, MP (MAS) for Potosi, Bolivia
•TONY BENN
•COLIN BURGON MP
•LEONARD WEINGLASS, US Lawyer heading up the defence team for the Miami Five
•GEORGE GALLOWAY MP
•ROBIN BLACKBURN
•JEREMY CORBYN MP
•VICTORIA BRITTAIN, Playwright and Journalist
•DIANE ABBOTT MP
•Cllr SALMA YAQOOB
•TONY BURKE, UNITE (Amicus Section)
•GEMMA TUMELTY, President NUS
•MICK SHAW, FBU President
•OSIRIS OVIEDO, Cuban Trade Union Federation
•PEDRO PEREZ SARDUY, Marti-Maceo Cultural Association
•KEITH SONNET, UNISON, Deputy General Secretary
•CARLOS LOPEZ TINOCO, FETRAJUN General Secretary (Nicaragua)
•FREDDY FITORIA, FTAU Youth Secretary (Nicaragua)
•DIANA HOLLAND, UNITE (TGWU Section)

Tickets £10 waged/ £6 unwaged
Register by credit card at 020 7263 6452
Book online at www.latinamerica2007.org.uk
Send cheques payable to CSC (Latin America 2007) to: CSC, c/o Red Rose Club,  129 Seven Sisters Road, London N7 7QG

We've just received the following information:

Conference 'Central America: Challenged transition?'
14th & 15th June 2007

Organised by:
The Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London in association with
the University of Glasgow and Chatham House

Supported by:
The Society for Latin American Studies

Venue:
IALS, University of London, 17 Russell Square London WC1B 5DR

Introduction
2007 is a year of historic milestones for Central America, with the fifteenth anniversary of the signing of peace accords in El Salvador coinciding with a decade of transition in Guatemala.

Although the media spotlight has been off the region in recent years, its countries remain important sites of comparative interest. In particular, the negotiated peace processes of Guatemala and El Salvador created an historic precedent for democratic transition from violent civil conflict. The success of the regional democratic project has, however, come under scrutiny in recent years. Present-day indices of violent crime and homicide are amongst the highest in the world, and repressive criminal justice strategies have gone some way towards reversing the demilitarisation of the immediate post-war period.

National economies are meanwhile increasingly dependent on migrants, with around 17% of El Salvador's GNP presently coming from remesas.  The 'importation and exportation' of gang violence to and from the US has also brought a new and explosive dimension to the question of migration.  The challenges of regional integration in such a context are considerable, and yet initiatives in free trade areas and the free circulation of the region's goods and people may have lessons for other integration initiatives.

This conference will explore the major challenges facing the region's governments and citizens today.  It will identify and analyse how processes of transition shaped the region's political, social and landscape, asking to what extent historic cleavages have been addressed by the peace and transition processes and what lessons other regions might draw from Central America's recent experience.

More information about the programme and online registration

This salsa evening Saturday 5th May at 8pm in Theatr Clwyd organised by the Clwyd Latin America Human Rights Group is to raise funds for the Movimiento Nacional por los Derechos Humanos (MNDH) in Guatemala. In February the MNDH suffered a number of intimidations reported by Amnesty International, including a break in at their offices (picture below).

If you`re interested in finding out more information about this fundraiser event, you can phone 01352 740 642 or 01244 531 702.

We've just received news of the upcoming events at the Guatemalan Maya Centre here in London (thanks Jamie!):

SPRING & SUMMER EVENTS 2007
 
ONGOING EXHIBITION: CHICHICASTENAGO: LIFE & DRESS: A selection of daily and ceremonial textiles from the Quiché Maya town of Chichicastenango (until end of April*)  Guatemala. The display includes both antique and contemporary textiles
            
Thursday 22nd March 19:00 – 20:00  FILM: CODE OF THE MAYA KINGS: A National Geographic funded video documentary examining how it took more than a century to unlock the secrets of the ancient Maya. Includes material on the life and work of reknowned Mayanist Tatiana Proskouriakoff. (Produced & directed by Graham Townsley & Ann Carroll).
 
Saturday 19th May 10:00 – 18:00 NEW EXHIBITION: TODOS SANTOS & THE TIERRA FRIA: CHANGING TRADITIONS IN HUEHUETENANGO. An exhibition bringing together a selection of textiles from the Mam, Chuj and Q'anjobal and communities of the northwestern highlands, depicting scenes of daily and ceremonial life.
 
Thursday 7th June 18:30 – 20:00 LECTURE (& FILM): SHAMANS, WITCHES & MAYA PRIESTS. With the publication of her book of the same title, Krystyna Deuss presents an illustrated lecture on native religion and ritual in highland. Organised as a part of the Native Spirit Festival, this event will be preceded by a short (18 minute) film, Atltzatzilistli/ Praying for Water, by an indigenous Mexican filmmaker. This event will take place at the Instituto Cervantes, 102 Eaton Square, London SW1W.
                        
Tuesday 17th July 19:00 – 20:00 TEXTILE STUDY EVENING: GUATEMALAN MAYA COSTUME. An informal look at the current textile exhibition: Todos Santos & The Tierra Fria, and hands on discussion of a selection of Maya textiles with Jamie Marshall, Curator of the Centre's textile collection. 

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OPEN:  Tuesday  &  Thursday  14:00 - 18:00;  Saturday  10:00 - 18:00
*CLOSED:  In  January,  August  and either side of Easter (April 3rd–24th inclusive)
Nearest Underground:  Fulham  Broadway  (District Line)  

Entrance to the exhibition galleries and craft shop is FREE. Use of reference library, videos & textiles: £5 annual membership

Unless otherwise stated all events are at the Guatemalan Maya Centre

A suggested £1 donation towards the cost of purchasing new videos is requested at video showings; admission to Centre talks / lectures: £2

For more information visit our website: http://www.maya.org.uk. Please contact us in September for an Autumn & Winter Events Sheet at 94 Wandsworth Bridge Road, London SW6 2TF  Tel/Fax: 020 7371 5291

Wednesday, 6th December- food at 6.30pm, talk at 7.30pm (Café prices apply)

Venue: La Ruca, Gloucester Road, Bristol

Meet Guillermo Chen, director of the Fundaciòn Nueva Esperanza, Guatemala

On the 10th anniversary of peace in Guatemala, Guillermo Chen, director of the Fundaciòn Nueva Esperanza talks about how an inspiring cultural education project is giving hope to the continuing struggle for justice, indigenous rights and identity in Guatemala.

‘Education for indigenous children is the only way to combat intolerance, build a lasting peace and improve quality of life for our communities’

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This December marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of Peace in Guatemala. The 1996 peace accords brought an end to a bloody 36-year conflict, in which 200,000 people, (the majority indigenous Mayans) died or ‘disappeared’.

The peace accords set out a framework for transforming Guatemalan society through principles of democracy, equality and respect. The reality is that the government has made little progress. Violence and human rights abuses in Guatemala are rife and the justice system is incompetent. Inequalities of land distribution, wealth and access to education are increasing.

Progress has been left to the inspiring and courageous work of civil society organisations.

The Fundaciòn Nueva Esperanza is one such organisation. It has developed a unique philosophy to educate children of Mayan Achi descent to participate and contribute to society whilst maintaining their threatened language, traditions and cultural values.

Ffi; Contact Stuart on 07791 034138

Voluntary donations requested

You are invited to an evening of inspiring conversation with guest speakers on Tuesday 5th December at 7-9pm at Latin American House Association, Priory House, Kingsgate Place, London, NW6 4TA.

Speakers include:

* Guillermo Chen, Director of the Fundación Nueva Esperanza, which provides bilingual education (Spanish and Maya Achi) in Rabinal, Guatemala.
* Jules Wilkinson, Guatemala Solidarity Network
* Carol Herbert, mother of two adopted children from Guatemala, who would like to propose the creation of a young persons group in the UK for children eight years old and over of Guatemalan birth

Refreshments will be provided - older children are welcome.

For further details contact: Carol Herbert carolinah61 [at] hotmail.com or 020 8209 1078.

This is just a quick heads up about the Human Rights Watch Film Festival which is co-presenting three films with Discovering Latin America Film Festival between 23 November and 3 December:


Visit www.discoveringlatinamerica.org for full details.

Congratulations to Dominga Vasquez (Guatemalan women's rights activist with FUNDAMAYA) and Helen Woodcock (Peace Brigade's international UK volunteer) who have won the International Service Award for the Defence of the Human Rights of Women.

They have won the award jointly with Nizaam (Cookie) Edwards, Provincial Coordinator of the KZN Network on Violence Against Women and Intersect Coalitions in South Africa.

The following information is taken from the PBI UK website and the Protection Line website.

In April 2005 Amnesty International issued an urgent action after there was grave concern for Dominga Vasquez's life. FUNDAMAYA forms part of the coalition Frente Nacional contra la Mineria, National Front against Mining, which campaigns to raise awareness of the potential environmental damage caused by mining and the negative impact on indigenous communities living close to mines. Carlos Humberto Guarquez who also received death threats, is FUNDAMAYA's representative to the coalition.

Women human rights defenders under attack: 25 years of fighting to defend human rights

Amnesty International UK and Peace Brigades International will be celebrating Peace Brigades International's 25th anniversary at an event dedicated to the work of women human rights defenders, and the central role they play in the struggle for human rights and justice.

Dominga Vasquez will be talking at the event; along with Kopila Adhikari who works for Advocacy Forum against illegal detention and extra-judicial killings, in Kathmandu, Nepal; and Berenice Celeyta, is president of Nomadesc (Association for Social Research and Action); a non-governmental organisation dedicated to working with marginalised and oppressed communities in Colombia.

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The event will be held on: 6th December, 6.00pm at Human Rights Action Centre, 17 - 25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA. Entry is free and you can book from AI UK's website.

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UPDATE - Event confirmed in Manchester:

Human rights award acknowledges work of Indigenous Guatemalan woman and Manchester human rights defender.

Saturday 9th December 2006 (12.00 - 1.30pm) at: The Friends Meeting House, Mount Street (Behind Central Library).

Accused of terrorism during a campaign to raise awareness about the rights of Indigenous communities, Guatemalan Human Rights activist Dominga Vasquez is also the first woman in 500 years to hold the position of Indigenous Mayoress. She is visiting the UK to collect the International Service Human Rights award.

Hear this hugely inspirational woman, who, in the face of death threats, intimidation and racism, continues her work for justice and human rights in Guatemala. Don't miss the chance both to hear Dominga speak and to welcome this amazing woman to Manchester. Speaking with Dominga will be Helen Woodcock, Manchester resident and joint recipient of the International Service prize, who has recently spent over a year in Guatemala with Peace Brigades International, providing accompaniment for Dominga and other workers for human rights and social and environmental justice threatened with violence as a result of their work.

This conference will be held on: Saturday 2nd December 2006 from 9:30 am. to 5:00 pm at Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1
 
This major conference brings together trade unionists, academics, NGOs and progressive movements from Latin America and the UK to explore the exciting political and social developments across the region, featuring films, music and discussion.


Guest speakers include: Harold Pinter, Tariq Ali, Wayne Smith, Victoria Brittain, Colin Burgon MP, plus key note speakers from Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia and Bolivia, as Cesar Navarro or Aida Avella.

The conference will explore the effects of US policy on the region and the current wave of progressive changes most notably seen in Venezuela and Bolivia.

Wayne Smith is a key commentator on US policy in the region having spent 25 years working for the State Department. During this time he worked as Head of the US Interests Section in Havana. He will bring a unique US voice at this important stage in the history of the Americas.


Cost: £10/£6 unwaged (advance registration only – call CSC 020 7263 6452 or Justice for Colombia 020 7435 7241)

More info contact CSC: 020 7263 6452 or see website: Events

The conference is supported by Cuba Solidarity Campaign, Venezuela Information Centre, Justice for Colombia, War on Want, Latin America Bureau, T&G Latin America Workers’ Association, One World Action, Noticias Latin America, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, Central American Women’s Network, Latin American Elderly Project, Caribbean Labour Solidarity, Liberation, Movimientos, GMB, Amicus

Post by Patrick Daniels and Jane Pelly

During November and December 2006, Guillermo Chen Morales, Director General of the New Hope Foundation (Fundación Nueva Esperanza), will be touring the UK and other European countries to share his experiences of developing and making education a reality for many young people in Rabinal, Guatemala. Much of the New Hope Foundation’s work is about promoting a more just society where indigenous Mayans in Guatemala (Maya Achi in Rabinal) have an equal stake in the Guatemala of tomorrow.


Humberto Ak'abal - Tz'olq'omin b'e (I walk backwards)

In 1999, the Commission for Historical Clarification (CEH) calculated that during the period 1981-83, the loss of life in the northern Guatemalan town of Rabinal at the hands of the military was at least 4,441 people (20% of the population). The CEH also pointed out that while the proportion of Maya Achi to ladinos in Rabinal is 82% to 18%, 99.8% of the victims of these massacres were Maya Achi. These topline statistics are just the start of the compelling case for explaining the campaign of violence of these times as one specifically directed towards the Maya Achi people.

In 2003, the Community Museum Rabinal Achi, the Bufete Juridico Popular and the Association for Integrated Development of the Maya Achi in the Verapaces (ADIVIMA), wrote a book "Oj K'aslik" ("We're Alive") that has contributed to the recovery of the historical memory of Rabinal. Part of the conclusion of Oj K'aslik is that it's vital to "eliminate the structural roots of the internal armed conflict, which includes promoting programmes for the eradication of ethnic discrimination in Rabinal". This objective of peace building through cultural empowerment provides the basis for the work of the New Hope Foundation (FNE), which offers multicultural and bilingual education, integrated and sustainable development of the cultural identity of the Maya Achi.

The New Hope Foundation (FNE) was established by Jesus Tecu Osorio in 1998 with funds from the Reebok prize for Human Rights which he won in 1996. Jesus, from the small village of Rio Negro witnessed the cold blooded massacre of his family as a child. His extraordinary life and work has led to those guilty of the massacre being brought to trial more than 20 years later, almost the only case of its kind in Guatemala.
 
The FNE created a scholarship program which has supported an increasing number of students, starting with 35 on an annual basis in 1998 to the point this year where it has helped over 150. In 2003, the New Hope Foundation realized their objective of establishing their own secondary school called Instituto Mixto Técnico Bilingüe, Nueva Esperanza, Rio Negro in memory of the massacre that took place in the 1980's.

The FNE programme is specifically orientated towards students of Maya Achi origin from small rural villages around Rabinal that were destroyed by the violence in the 1980’s and whose families live in poverty, a total of 31 communities. The instituto (secondary school) uses a popular bilingual methodology with orientation in human rights; it offers a unique, innovative and alternative type of education linked to the Maya Achi culture. Students do not pay for their education, but win scholarship places based on their ability and need. The educational programme is designed to give the additional support that students from rural villages need, to be able to keep up with their studies despite the difficulties of studying in their second language (Spanish) and deficiencies in their rural primary education. Importantly, the FNE promotes the creation of students who are active in their communities, retain their cultural values and work for social transformation.
 
Education is a luxury that the majority of people from the rural villages surrounding Rabinal can’t enjoy, less than half the children of primary school age currently finish their 6 years of primary education and of those only 53% continue to secondary level. Apart from the FNE, there are two types of school in Rabinal, those financed by the government and expensive private institutes. Both only offer a monolingual education in Spanish.  

The FNE has the following objectives:

    * promote education at the level of secondary, higher and further education
    * facilitate the human, social and occupational training through scholarships
    * promote consciousness, dignity, respect for human rights and cultural differences
    * contribute to the construction of justice, historical truth and participatory democracy

The alternative methodology used by the New Hope Foundation is being developed specifically to serve the needs of the rural impoverished and socially marginalized students from the Maya Achi communities that surround the town of Rabinal. This curriculum particularly promotes analytical abilities and experiential learning. The methodology consists of focusing on four learning areas: science; society; technology; and, language and communication.  

Students work through a series of workbooks which integrate the four learning areas, each module meeting particular teaching goals for each area. Each module also includes an investigative project in which students must apply what was learned in each module to their community. Thus students achieve a high level of academic knowledge, but particularly develop analytical skills that are applied to the social reality in which they live. This creates students who have a greater active commitment to transforming their communities. After three years, the students graduate with two titles, one a general culture certificate and the other as a promoter of rural wellbeing. The idea is to prepare young people, with a strong sense of their own cultural identity to return to work in and for their own rural communities and not emigrate to the main urban centres or the USA.

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Gullermo Chen Morales, Director General of the New Hope Foundation (FNE), will be visiting Spain, Germany and the UK in November-December 2006 to share the experiences of the FNE and the issues faced by young people in Rabinal.

You can see more photos on the work of Fundación Nueva Esperanza here.

Guatemalan Peace Accords: 10 Years Later Panel Discussion with Dr. Rachel Sieder, Yolanda Aguilar and Guillermo Chen - Thursday December 7th 2006, 6:30pm - 8.30pm

Canning House, 2 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PJ (www.canninghouse.com)

On December 29, 1996 the Peace Accords were signed, ending Guatemala's 36-year civil war which left 200,000 civilians dead or "disappeared", primarily indigenous Mayans.  The Peace Accords were supposed to provide a comprehensive framework for transforming Guatemala into a more participatory, pluralistic and equitable society. 10 Years later, we ask the question: what has changed? Speakers will discuss conflict and post-conflict resolution, human rights and the current situation for Mayans and women in Guatemala.

* Dr. Sieder is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the Institute for the Study of the Americas.
* Yolanda Aguilar is a Guatemalan Anthropologist and Human Rights Activist.
* Guillermo Chen represents Fundacion Nueva Esperanza, Rabinal, Guatemala.

Supported by the Embassy of Guatemala, Canning House and Guatemalan Solidarity Network (GSN).

In the preceding weeks are the following events on Guatemala:

Documentary: "Killer's Paradise" (2005) directed by Giselle Portenier - Wednesday November 22nd 2006, 7:00pm - 9.30pm

Impunity: Photographs by Carlos Reyes-Manzo - Tuesday 28th November 2006, 6.30pm - Friday 8th December 2006, 5.00pm

"When the Mountains Tremble" (1983) Directed by Pamela Yates and Newton Thomas Sigel. - Tuesday December 5th 2006, 7:00pm - 9.00pm

All events are to be held at: Canning House, 2 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PJ (www.canninghouse.com)

The Embassy of Guatemala in the UK presents the concert: Marimba of Guatemala - Singing Woods. It's taking place 9th & 10th October 2006 at the Bolivar Hall of the Venezuelan Embassy, 54 Grafton Way, London, W1T 5DL at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £10 and you can book tickets through 0207 351 3042.

A team of 11 marimberos are directed by Alfonso Angel Bautista. The event is sponsored by the BlueOil Company and supported by the Anglo Central American Society. There is also an acknowledgement to the Embassy of Venezuela on the invitation. The print invitation links to an interesting text on marimba by Rebecca L. Buckham - there's a low quality version available online.

I can't find any info about the supporting organisations or the event itself online. Anyone know anything, we'd be happy to hear from you.

"It is better to remain quiet and to forget. That's the only thing we must do. We must forget.. FOR-GET."  General Pinochet.

Questors Theatre that recently produced Goat Boy, a play that touched on some of the human rights issues in Guatemala, has a new production called "Tejas Verdes", continuing on the theme of human rights issues in Latin America.

Tejas Verdes means "Green Tiles" or "Green Gables". This was the name of a sea-side hotel in Chile that became a notorious detention centre and torture house under Pinochet's brutal regime.

We meet several characters whose lives were eaten up by that evil: the Disappeared, the Friend, the Doctor, the Gravedigger, the Informer, the Spanish Lawyer and the Soul in Torment. They speak to us without bitterness. They are almost casual in their telling of the horrors that consumed them. Through their eyes we see how the tentacles of evil reach down into the heart of society, corrupting everything they touch. Everyone has a part to play — the victim, the collaborator, the oppressed, the survivor.

Robert Shaw's eloquent translation of this stirring play, highlights beautifully the poetic motifs and hard prosaic truths of Cabal's original text. It is tough and compelling, but a deeply moving piece of theatre. We are silent witnesses to some disturbing truths about the ruthless efficiency and systematic brutality of military regimes — but above all there is a compassion that uplifts us and gives us hope and a belief in justice, ensuring that we never forget!

Zyg Staniaszek has brought together five of our most powerful and experienced actresses in what promises to be an unforgettable studio experience.

More information from Questors Theatre website.

This is the time of year for festivals, and once a year there is the Latin American Carnival in Peckham Rye Park, SE22 in London.
 
This Sunday 23rd July from 11am to 7pm (entry free)
 
In July many Latin American countries commemorate their day of Independence. Colombians celebrate it the 20th July, Peru the 28th, Venezuela the 5th, Argentina and Chile the 9th.
 
Due to these commemorations, the 23rd July the Independence Carnival will celebrate the emancipation of all Latin American people. A day where Londoners will have the opportunity to experience a journey across the rich Latin American culture and history.
 
With:
 
∙ Music and Dancing performances: ROBIN DEL CASTILLO Latin Band Show - Orquestra COCOMEX FUERZA VALLENATA - Folklore dancing band FANTASIA LATINA - Dennis Santa Cruz (El Chacho) ¨C Local artists
 
∙ Activities for Children: Inflatable Castles - Facial painting - Latinito Fair -Mechanic games-Creative workshops - Competitions
 
∙ Stalls with food from different regions in Latin America -Bar with Latin American spirits -Craft Work and Latin American products - Information and promotion.

Latin America Bureau, Rights Action and Guatemala Solidarity Network present:

SIPAKAPA IS NOT FOR SALE / SIPAKAPA NO SE VENDE"
by Caracol Producciones, Guatemala, November 2005

Date: Tuesday 18th July
Time: 6.30pm
Price: £3

The film will be followed by talks and the opportunity to discuss the impact of mining companies in Guatemala.

Speakers: Jane Pelly, Rights Action
Dr. Rachel Sieder, Institute for the Study of the Americas

Spaces are limited for this event. To pre-register for this event please email: dkenner [at] lab.org.uk

Venue:  The Library - Latin America Bureau, 1 Amwell Street, London, EC1R 1UL

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This documentary analyses the debate on mining exploitation in Guatemala and demonstrates the dignity of the Sipakapan People as they fight to defend their autonomy in the face of encroaching neo-liberal "development" megaprojects.

This 55 minute documentary (with English sub-titles) is about the struggle of the Sipakapense-Mayan people, in San Marcos, Guatemala, in defense of autonomy, locally controlled development and environmental well-being, against the harms and violations associated with the open-pit gold mining operation of the Glamis Gold mining company.

In 2005, Montana Exploradora, subsidiary of the Canadian/US transnational company Glamis Gold, received 45 million US dollars in financing from the World Bank to exploit an open-pit gold mine in Guatemala. There was never any consultation with the local Mayan Sipakapense and Mam communities about the 'concessioning' of their lands and territories to a global mining company that, furthermore, is using the most harmful method of gold mining – open pit, cyanide leaching processes.

In accordance with ILO Convention 169, the Constitution of Guatemala and the Municipal Code, a Community Consultation was held in Sipakapa on 18 June 2005, to establish whether the population would accept or reject mining exploitation in its municipality. The result was a resounding NO to mining.

"Sipakapa is Not for Sale" contrasts the daily life and struggle of the Maya Sipakapan people with the arguments of representatives of the mining company that operates in their territory. It analyses the debate on mining exploitation and demonstrates the dignity of the Sipakapan People as they fight to defend their autonomy in the face of encroaching neo-liberal "development" megaprojects.

The Goat Boy

17 year-old Mayan, Miguel, is living rough in Guatemala City trying to scrape together a living through street-trading to support both himself and his mother, Dominga. She is up in the Guatemalan highlands, fighting for compensation for atrocities suffered during the 1980s civil war.

Miguel’s twin sister Jacinta is cleaning houses on the other side of town and falling in love with her employer’s son, the glamorous Rafael, whose mother just happens to be the very state prosecutor opposing the highlands activists. In the meantime, a group of rather cynical Western journalists chart the progress of the court case, and a group of ‘magical realist’ goats provide a running commentary.

The tale told in Spanish and English is one of moral ambiguity that poses questions about the extent to which principles can be compromised for the sake of family loyalty, survival and power. Despite all this, it is also a comedy in which love triumphs!

The following event is an opportunity to find out more about PBI's experience in accompanying human rights defenders in Mexico near the Guatemalan border. PBI have a long experience of accompaniment in Guatemala:

Solidarity Night: the struggle for freedom of speech and human rights in Mexico and beyond

UPDATE: This event has been cancelled

"Guatemala : A Forgotten History"

Date - Monday 19th June
Time - 8.00pm – 10.00pm
Large Conference Hall, RISC, Reading International Solidarity Centre.

In association with the "Mayan Threads of Identity" exhibition members of the Guatemala Solidarity Network (GSN) will give some background about the country from which these beautiful textiles originate.

Gillian Horne and Jules Wilkinson will give an overview of recent Guatemalan history, which could fairly be described as the Americas' forgotten human rights tragedy. They will also describe the work of GSN, and in particular the accompaniment programme which supports Guatemalans who are trying to change their society for the better. The talk will be illustrated with slides.

There will also be the opportunity learn about and view the new exhibition on back strap weaving by the Mayan women of Guatemala and the context of their lives in Guatemala today, with Sandy Henderson, exhibition co-ordinator.

There will be refreshments including tequila and wine

There will be no charge for the talk and the first drink is gratis.

Please register a.s.a.p. if you wish to attend.   Contact – Barbara Lowe at RISC on 0118 9586692 and email – barbara [at] risc.org.uk

For further information about the exhibition please contact Sandy Henderson on 0208 802 1982 or email sandhend [at] dircon.co.uk

The RISC Conference Hall is wheelchair accessible.

For directions to RISC go to the website – www.risc.org.uk

RISC – 35-39 London Street, Reading RG1 4PS.

A Radical Activist Network conference, supported by War on Want.

1pm-7pm, Saturday 15th July (3rd Floor, University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1). Featuring Oscar Olivera, Spokesperson for the Coalition in Defense of Water and Life in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Plus Hilary Wainwright, Red Pepper
Andy Higginbottom, Frontline Latin America
Sue Branford, chair of the Latin America Bureau
Nick Buxton, Fundacion Solon, Bolivia
Paul Chatterton, Kiptik (Zapatista solidarity network)
and others to be confirmed

Whether it be indigenous rights movements, people fighting neoliberal economic policies or US domination of the continent, or the struggle for land and work rights, social movements are now embedded in the political landscape across Latin America. In Bolivia, popular mobilisation over the last six years has seen its electoral expression in the victory for Evo Morales and the Movement towards Socialism (MAS in its Spanish initials). This conference aims to examine how social movements in Latin America are organised, what they've won and their different relationships with the growing number of left leaning governments in the continent.

Oscar Olivera is spokesperson for the Coalition in Defense of Water and Life, ('La Coordinadora'), which was at the forefront of a popular uprising in Cochabamba in 2000 against US multinational Bechtel who had taken over their water systems as an IMF-imposed condition for Bolivian debt relief.

GSN should be there too- watch this space for more information.

Sandy Henderson, after spending time in Guatemala, has put together with Barbara Lowe, a brilliant exhibition on Mayan weaving at the Reading Internationcal Solidarity Centre (RISC). Sandy has put the exhibition together with the support of GSN and the Mayan Hands, a fair trade organisation that works with a large number of Mayan women weavers, particularly around Solola and Lake Atitlan, but also other parts of the highland regions.

For more information about the exhibition, contact RISC. You can see more photos of the exhibition here.

We don't usually include go off-country on this blog- but it isn't often that there is a chance to hear a Latin American president speak in London. So we'll make an exception...

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will now be speaking at a public meeting organised by the Greater London Authority in central London on Sunday 14th May at 3-7pm at the Camden Centre, 38-50 Bidborough St, London WC1. 

President Hugo Chavez will address the meeting hosted by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. President Chavez Frias will address the meeting on current social and economic policies issues in Venezuela that are relevant to London.

People are required to register their names with the GLA or they will not be admitted. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and there is no charge for entry. To register you must contact anna.roberts@london.gov.uk or sandeep.sra@london.gov.uk.

For more information contact: Venezuela Information Centre at info@vicuk.org.

Oscar Berger, Guatemala's President was quoted yesterday by EFE (10-05-06) as saying that Chavez is increasingly trying to influence politics in Central America. Berger is also in Europe at the moment for negotiations over the trade pact between Central America, South America and the European Union. The event is referred to as the 'Business Summit'

Film: CPR (Communities of Population in Resistance), éxodo de un pueblo

After the Guatemalan army burned and killed the peasants of their village, Mateo and his family took refuge in the mountains of El Quiché. There they found thousands of refugees escaped from another massacres.

Friday, 5th May 2006 at 7:20pm at Instituto Cervantes, 102 Eaton Square, London (UK)