CONIC

ADVOCATE FOR MAYAN RIGHTS IN GUATEMALA

Everyone knows them, even if mainly from history books: the Maya. They were once a mighty people who built impressive architectural structures. Less is known about the present-day Mayan people, let alone their struggle against marginalisation, discrimination and loss of cultural identity. The Coordinadora Nacional Indígena y Campesina (CONIC) is one of the leaders in this struggle.

‘In Guatemala, where we work, Indians make up 65 percent of the total population,’ says CONIC coordinator Juan Tiney. ‘Still they are a “social minority”, which has survived one after the other attempts at genocide. The great majority of Mayan people live in poverty and no longer own property or are losing it bit by bit to a small group of rich, powerful land owners. In order to stay alive, many Indians need to work for large farms. There they often earn too little. Their working conditions are often terrible.’

CONIC joins forces of more than 375 Mayan communities in sixteen provinces of Guatemala. It acts as advocate of cultural and economic rights of the Maya, who receive no priority from the government. CONIC argues especially for land reform, so Mayas can (re)obtain fertile land. Moreover, CONIC works with the Mayan communities on their own economic model, in which Indians can provide for their own livelihood in a way that does not damage their culture.

Hivos has been supporting CONIC since 1993. ‘Thanks to CONIC, Indians have obtained more respect, land and political rights,’ says Hivos staffer Susana Rochna. ‘We support the struggle against the marginalization of certain population groups, especially if this, as with CONIC, builds upon the cooperation among the involved communities themselves – in this case the Indians that were brought together by CONIC. This partner has developed local and national Mayan leadership. As a result, it knows better than anyone else the needs and wishes of Indians in Guatemala. The understanding of the own Mayan culture and spirituality is very strong with CONIC, as is the devotion to preserving it.’

Vea el video con Juan Tiney

QUIÉN ES ESTA CONTRAPARTE (EN INGLÉS)

CONIC - Coordinadora Nacional Indígena y Campesina - Guatemala
GU014H07

In Guatemala, poverty is essentially of an rural, indigenous and peasant nature. According to UNDP figures for 2000, 56.7% of the population lives under poverty conditionsand 26.8% under extreme poverty conditions. The proportion of indigenous people in the country ranks 65%, and only a 2.7% of them can be considered belonging to higher social levels. Agricultural land is monopolised (2.6% of landowners own 65% of the total land area, generally the best land for agricultural production), and a large portion of it is maintained idle and tax-exempt. Landless peasants or those who gradually lose the land they have, constitute a surplus of agricultural labour that cheapens labour during the period of greatest demand at agro-exporting farms, having to work under sub-human conditions. CONIC is one of the organisations with the greatest amount of credibility among the peasant movement, due to a very consistente political work, a large base of members --100.000 people in 16 Departments of the country-- and a couragious attitude to defend the rights of indigenous people in teh country. CONIC also has fierce opponents, mainly in governmental quarters and at the top echelon of the agro-entrepreneurial and oligarchic complex. It continues to be a vital organisation for the democracy building process, and the struggle against poverty in the Guatemalan rural areas. It participates in popular, indigenous and peasant movement initiatives at the national level (CNOC, Agricultural Platform, Waqib Kej) and at the international level (CLOC, organization of the III International Indigenous Summit in 2007).
In the last CONIC book "11 Años de Lucha" is seen a fight and modality mobilization accomplish in the last decade by farmer and indigenous movement, in where CONIC participates with an autonomous speech, in which "force and the fight decisions rest in the will and cohesion of members communities." By these characteristics, Hivos has decided to incorporate CONIC to the limited group of counterparts that count with more of ten years support.

Tipo de organización

Community based organization

Sector

Human Rights & Democratisation

País

Guatemala

Fundado

1992

Contraparte de Hivos desde

1993

Sitio web

Más información

» | Quién es esta contraparte (en inglés)

» | Información sobre los proyectos de esta contraparte (en inglés)

CONTACTO

CONIC

Por la Vida, la Madre Tierra y los Derechos Colectivos del Pueblo Maya
DAC-sectors	Human rights Strengthening civil society
Location	Guatemala
Beneficiary	indigenous peoples, ethnic/religious/cultural minorities
activity	Sostenibilidad Institucional
Direct outreach	50 - Policy level/ institutional
Indirect outreach	800 - Intermediary level
activity	Fortalecimiento tecnico y politico de las mujeres mayas
Direct outreach	50000 - Beneficiaries: poor and/or marginalised women and men
Indirect outreach	400 - Intermediary level
activity	Movilización y recuperacion de tierras
Direct outreach	100000 - Beneficiaries: poor and/or marginalised women and men
Indirect outreach	800 - Intermediary level
activity	Fortalecimiento politico y cultural del pueblo maya
Direct outreach	100000 - Beneficiaries: poor and/or marginalised women and men
Indirect outreach	800 - Intermediary level
Contract total	120.000
Contractperiod	01-01-2010 until 31-12-2010

Description

En el presente periodo CONIC se ha propuesto iniciar la consolidación de un cambio estructural, descentralizado el trabajo en 12 Colectivos territoriales que cuentan con dos delegados cada uno (mixto, un hombre y una mujer), constituyendo así un espacio regional de toma de decisión y un espacio de mejor articulación con las necesidades de la población meta de CONIC.

En términos organizativos, CONIC está haciendo esfuerzos por fortalecer la organización y modernizarla acorde a su crecimiento, invirtiendo esfuerzos y recursos en un sistema más ágil de contabilidad, adaptado a su condición de organización de base (y no ong), que les permita disponer de sus recursos en forma ágil.

Adicionalmente y con la misma intención de simplificar su trabajo, se han organizarlo en torno a siete Líneas Estratégicas, las cuales permiten un mejor monitoreo, tanto programático como financiero de su trabajo. Estas líneas estratégicas son: (1) Fortalecimiento del entendimiento y vivencia de la cosmovisión del pueblo maya; (2) Formación política y técnica desde la cosmovisión maya; (3) Movilización maya y popular en la defensa y recuperación de la madre tierra, territorio y justicia social; (4) Cuidado, manejo y convivencia con la madre tierra y los bienes naturales para la sostenibilidad delas comunidades a través de sus actividades políticas y socioeconómicas; (5) Fortalecimiento de la organización, participación política y técnica de las mujeres en la organización; (6) Fortalecimiento de la dinámica (interrelación) de la organización, en coherencia con la visión y misión de CONIC y (7) Generación de procesos sostenibilidad para la organización

A través de estas líneas estratégicas CONIC espera alcanzar su fortalecimiento institucional y el crecimiento político, con respeto a su identidad cultural maya, para la membresía y para la misma organización, con especial énfasis en el desarrollo de liderazgos femeninos. Un punto muy relevante en una organización mixta.

Para Hivos esta organización es una contraparte 10+, estratégica en su portafolio, tanto para el país como la región Centroamericana.