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Maritimes
- Guatemala
Breaking the Silence Network
"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting
your time. But if you come because your liberation is bound up with mine,
then let us work together."
– Lilla Watson, Australian Aboriginal activist and organizer
Introduction
Breaking the Silence (BTS) is a voluntary network of people in the Maritimes who began to organize in 1988 to support the efforts of Guatemalans struggling for political, social, economic and environmental justice. We recognize that injustice is connected to structural inequalities both within and between countries, and BTS is committed to supporting structural transformation both in Guatemala and in Canada. Our work is guided by the understanding that we all deserve to be treated as equals, and that we need to build long-term relationships based on solidarity and mutuality. We respond to the needs and issues defined by our partners and by other Guatemalans with whom we work, and we support them in taking charge of their own lives. Our relationships are built on friendship, sharing, and dialogue as we work, learn, and grow together.
As a community of people who share this commitment to solidarity, we undertake advocacy and lobbying; organize delegations; send interns, volunteers, and human rights accompaniers; promote fairly-traded products; and raise awareness within our own communities through speaking tours by Guatemalan leaders and other political campaigns.
Human Rights Accompaniment
Breaking the Silence supports a human rights accompaniment program in Guatemala by training and sending Canadians to act as international observers and witnesses to human rights violations and threats. Volunteers also accompany witnesses involved in legal cases the Centre for Human Rights Legal Action is taking against Guatemala for war crimes committed during the Lucas Garcia and Rios Montt regimes.
Awareness Tours and Campaigns
Breaking the Silence volunteers participate in advocacy, lobbying, and awareness-raising on concerns related to Guatemala including human rights, trade issues, and Canadian foreign policy. We are involved in a longterm campaign of support for Guatemalan communities resisting actions of Canadian mining companies. Each year BTS supports visits by representatives of our Guatemalan partners to participate in our awareness tours and campaigns.
Urgent Actions
Breaking the Silence members respond to Urgent Actions concerning human rights violations in Guatemala. We receive these Urgent Actions from Amnesty International, BTS Partner Organizations in Guatemala, and solidarity organizations such as NISGUA and the Guatemala Human Rights Commission.
Letters and Reports
Interns, delegation members, volunteers, and human rights accompaniers frequently send us articles, reports, and letters on their experience, reflections, and current events in Guatemala.
Local Committees
The Breaking the Silence Network has five active local committees in
Halifax, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Antigonish, and the North Shore of
Nova Scotia. An informal committee also exists in the Moncton/Sackville
area in New Brunswick.
For more information on BTS activities, please contact the Coordinator of the Breaking the Silence Network
Related Links
- Tatamagouche Centre
- ARSN (Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network)
- Just Us! Fair Trade Coffee Roasters
- JUDES (Just Us! Development and Education Society)
- New Hope Foundation
- NISGUA (Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala)
- GHRC (Guatemala Human Rights Commission - US)
- Rights Action
- Mining Watch Canada
- CAIG
About Us | Partnerships | Delegations | Internships | Accompaniment | News and Updates | Home | Contact Us
Graphics Design by Susan Corning. Programming by Blake McDonald.
