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.

See our BTS informational brochure here

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.

For more information click here

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.

For more information go to:http://goldcorpoutofguatemala.com

Delegations

Spend time and learn with Mayan community groups working for peace, justice, reconciliation and human rights in Guatemala. Visit schools for families affected by genocide; legal clinic involved in cases of genocide and women’s rights; women’s cooperatives and an organization which produces Just Us! Fair trade coffee, organic agriculture projects and communities affected by Canadian mining.

See the Delegations page for more information on upcoming delegations.

Internship Program

Since 2001, each year BTS has sent interns to Guatemala for a seven month term to work with partner organizations. Funding for these internships comes from the Canadian Funding for these internships comes from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

See the Internships page for more information on upcoming internships.

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 http://www.nisgua.org/ and the Guatemala Human Rights Commission http://www.ghrc-usa.org/. .

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.

For more information go to http://breakingthesilencenet.blogspot.com/:

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

Interested in becoming involved? Join our listserve:

breakingthesilence@googlegroups.com or e-mail our BTS Maritimes Coordinator, Wyanne, at: btsmaritimes@gmail.com

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For more information on BTS activities, please contact the Coordinator of the Breaking the Silence Network


A SPECIAL REQUEST TO BREAKING THE SILENCE MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

BTS Fundraising CDs Now Available!
Click CD Cover for ordering information.

For CD Lyrics Click Here
 

Related Links

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Graphics Design by Susan Corning. Programming by Blake McDonald.