As of September 1, 2021, Rights Action sent $225,000 of your grants and individual donations to partner organizations, communities and individuals, mainly in Guatemala and Honduras.
Funds are used for: human rights and justice struggles; land and environmental defense struggles; and, emergency and disaster response work – particularly due to COVID (on-going) and hurricanes ETA and IOTA in late 2020. (More information about the work with our partners available on request.)
Forced migrancy & refugee flight
“The inevitable outcomes of conquest, capitalist globalization and climate change generating mass dispossession worldwide”
Rights Action’s September 2021 newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/september-2021-newsletter-forced-migrancy-refugee-flight
The facemask does not coverup hunger and misery
Guatemala
Community defense & legal/justice struggles
CODIDENA and Parlamento Xinka: Resisting harmful mining and manipulated consultation process spear-headed by Canadian company Pan American Silver (formerly Tahoe Resource)
Gremial [Union] of Q’eqchi’ fisherpeople: Resisting harmful mining and manipulated consultation process spear-headed by Switzerland-based Solway Investment Group
Council of Q'eqchi' Peoples: Challenging manipulated consultation process related to Switzerland-based Solway Investment Group; work to achieve legal recognition of the Council
Mynor Padilla criminal trial (in Guatemala): For murder and aggravated assault by former head of security of Hudbay Minerals
Hudbay Minerals lawsuits in Canada: Seeking justice for mining-violence against 13 Q’eqchi’ victims-plaintiffs
Criminalization of Mayan community defenders: Support work for victims of trumped up criminal charges, including Maria Cuc Choc, land defender from El Estor
Justice struggles in Guatemalan courts: For harms caused by now closed Goldcorp Inc. mine; by Pan American Silver (formerly Tahoe Resources) in La Cuchilla village
Chaabil Choch village: Land defense struggle, addressed in Constitutional Court process
Community development & Environmental projects
ACPC ecological agriculture organization: Self-sufficiency, ecological agriculture production and education in Maya Achi communities of Xesiguan water-shed
Rio Negro community: Potable water system upgrade in Maya Achi village brutalized by World Bank and IDB-funded Chixoy Dam in 1980s
Lote 8 community: Pigs and chicken rearing project for victims of violent eviction-destruction of their village by armed forces working on behalf of Hudbay Minerals (Skye Resources)
Education: Schools & scholarships
El Estor: School and college studies, children of Q’eqchi’ land/ human rights/ environmental defenders
Rio Negro/Pacux refugee community: School and university studies, children of Achi genocide victims, including law degree of genocide survivor/justice defender
San Miguel Ixtahuacan: School and law studies, families of Mam community defenders who had been in resistance to Goldcorp Inc. harms and violence
Emergency relief funds: On-going COVID; Aftermath of Hurricanes ETA & IOTA
Campur community, Alta Verapaz
ACDIP organization, Peten
Q’eqchi’ land defenders, El Estor, Izabal
Patulul community, Suchitepequez
Achi communities, Rabinal, Baja Verapaz
German Chub: Health support for paralysis victim of Hudbay Minerals shooting
Refugee support: Forced migrants, Achi people from Baja Verapaz
Truth, Memory, Justice
Community commemoration: Feb.2, 1982, World Bank/IDB’s Chixoy dam Xococ massacre
Community commemoration: Mar.13, 1982, World Bank/IDB’s Chixoy dam Rio Negro massacre
COCAHICH: Chixoy Dam reparations campaign
CIRMA, Center for Mesoamerican Research
Carlos Ernesto, Prensa Comunitaria: Reports on climate disasters; mining resistance to Switzerland-based Solway Investment Group
FAMDEGUA, Family Members of Disappeared: Justice struggles, ‘Diario Militar’ and other war crimes cases
Todos Por Guatemala (Family Members in Exile): Justice struggles, ‘Diario Militar’ and other war crimes case
Honduras
Azacualpa Environmental Committee: Resisting cemetery & community destruction related to U.S.-based Aura Minerals
Berta Caceres family: Family security; Justice struggle related to March 3, 2016 assassination of Berta, attempted killing of Gustavo Castro
Community commemoration: Assassination of Berta Caceres
Guapinol community: Resisting mining harms and corruption related to U.S.-based NUCOR; Justices struggle to gain freedom for community defenders/political prisoners
OFRANEH Garifuna land & human rights defense organization: Resisting harms and violence related to global (including Canadian and American) tourism operators, African palm exporters; SUNLA legal investigation into Honduran State forced disappearance of 4 community defenders, on July 18, 2020
PROHN-Net: Reporting on organized crime/ drug-trafficking trials against Honduran regime leaders
Emergency relief funds: On-going COVID; Aftermath of Hurricanes ETA & IOTA
Siria Valley Committee, Francisco Morazan
Mujeres Ambientalistas Progresenas, El Progreso
Refugee support: Victims of repression, asylum claimants in Canada and U.S.
Other countries
Mexico: Family security and health support for Gustavo Castro, victim of attempted killing during assassination of Berta Caceres
El Salvador: Jocoaitique historical memory, ex-combatants committee, COVID relief and community development
El Salvador: Herbert Anaya Sanabria Collective, January 16 ‘Acto de Desagravio’, El Mozote, Morazan
Argentina: Campaign in support of Milagro Sala and other political prisoners
Canada: Tiny House Warriors “our land is our home” land defense struggle
North-South education, investigations, activism
“Testimonio: Canadian Mining in the Aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala”, book formatting and public outreach
Rights Action: North-south investigations and education; public and legal activism
GHRC, Guatemala Human Rights Commission: Human rights defenders program
Publication date: October 25, 2021
Testimonio
Canadian Mining in the Aftermath
of Genocides in Guatemala
Edited by Grahame Russell & Catherine Nolin
More info: https://btlbooks.com/book/testimonio https://mailchi.mp/rightsaction/testimonio-the-book-coming-soon
Order books: https://btlbooks.com/book/testimonio
Book launch: Webinar, Oct.25, 2021, 4pm PT, 7pm ET
