"Racism has been a banner to justify the enterprises of expansion, conquest, colonization and domination and has walked hand in hand with intolerance, injustice and violence." -- Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Guatemalan Indigenous Leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
The international community has been reeling after the gunning down of Indigenous Lenca activist Berta Caceres of Honduras, well known and loved around the world for her dedication and commitment to her community, their lands, and protecting the environment.
Thirteen Maya villagers will be standing trial in Belize on March 30th, 2016, under fabricated charges. Like many Indigenous leaders fighting to protect their lands, they are being criminalized for these actions, and may face prison time.
On the early morning of June 24th, 2015, traditional leaders of the Maya people of Southern Belize were violently awoken in their homes by police. Charges were brought against 13 people, including 10 farmers, two traditional Maya leaders, and Q’eqchi community spokesperson Cristina Coc, advisor to the traditional leaders and mother of two.
Las radios comunitarias indígenas de Guatemala están atravesando por un período coyuntural en cuanto a su legalización con el nuevo cambio de gobierno en el 2016. La Iniciativa de Ley 4087, la cual solicita la legalizació
Indigenous community radio stations in Guatemala have found themselves in the midst of a hopeful period regarding their legalizations, as the new government entered in January 2016. Bill 4087, Community Media Law, which was brought to the table in Congress after years of lobbying, has achieved significant advances as it passed its first and second readings in Congress.
La Red Centroamericana de Radios Comunitarias Indígenas, la cual esta conformada por radio comunitaria indígenas de los siete países de Centroamérica (Belice, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Panamá), ha pronunciado su apoyo y respaldo para la iniciativa 4087, la Ley de los Medios Comunitarios, en Guatemala. En una carta poderosa, urgen que el Congreso de la Republica de Guatemala apruebe la ley para cumplir con su compromiso como un Estado Democrático.
By Teresita Orozco
On January 16th and 17th, 2016, Narganá, Comarca Guna Yala, Panama became the birthplace of the Central American Network of Indigenous Community Radios, with more than 40 radio directors from all seven countries in Central America as witnesses. Multiplying efforts to democratize communication in the region, this network will build on and strengthen community radio movements in each country.
“We must change the mentality of human beings to create new generations that understand, demand, support, and construct a new reality. Community radio is essential to...the strengthening and development of Indigenous communities and women towards the defense of their human rights" - Ada Villarreal, Universidad Indígena de la Costa Caribe, Nicaragua
Por Teresita Orozco / Promotora Regional
Cultural Survival apoya a la iniciativa 4087, Ley de Medios Comunitarios, la cual esta siendo considerada en el Congreso de la Republica de Guatemala. El voto para la iniciativa podría estar programado para el martes, 9 de febrero, 2016 a lo mas pronto y para ser aprobado, 105 de los 158 miembros del congreso tienen que votar a favor de la ley. La Iniciativa 4087 modificaría la ley existente de telecomunicaciones guatemalteca para permitir acceso a frecuencias radiales para radios comunitarias sin fines de lucro en cada municipio del país.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
