Aboriginal Public Diplomacy Initiatives in Guatemala

Aboriginal affairs is an important part of the work of the Canadian Embassy in Guatemala. The Embassy is in frequent contact with indigenous organizations, interested in moral and financial support for their advocacy and development efforts. A proportion of CIDA's democratic development fund is targeted to indigenous issues thus further increasing indigenous links. Indigenous groups in Guatemala are very interested in the Canadian indigenous experience and in best practices, and the Embassy is working with them to build contacts with Canadian aboriginal groups.

Below is a list of some of the events that the events in which the Embassy has recently participated:

March 18 - 22, 2002		Participation of indigenous female leader in Quetzaltenango, Dra. Irma Alica Velásquez. in the course "Interdisciplinary Cooperation: The New Peacekeeping Partnership in Action" organized by Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Costa Rica
February 7 - 18, 2002		"Indigenous Art Exhibit", as part of the Peace Festival in San Salvador commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Peace Accords. This art collection is displayed in the Canadian Embassy in Guatemala and is exhibited on occasion.
January 14 - 18, 2002		Identification and support for the participation of an indigenous rights expert Marco Antonio Curuchich (Guatemalan Ministry of Culture) in the "New Relations between the State and Indigenous Peoples: the International Experience" seminar organized by the Canadian Embassy in Santiago, Chile.
December 9, 2001		Participation in local celebration of "Anniversary of Signature of Universal Declaration of Human Rights " highlighting indigenous rights with distribution/exposition of the declaration of human rights, documents on children's and women's rights, and information (and posters) on the contribution of indigenous communities to world development, in the context of the Quebec Summit, and a handicrafts market featuring indigenous artists previously funded by CIDA projects
June 5 & 6, 1999		Official visit by Assembly of First Nations: 2-day programme including meetings and round tables with main Guatemalan indigenous organizations. Including a visit by AFN Grand Chief Phil.Fontaine as part of the Canadian delegation to the Organization of American States General Assembly, and took advantage of the trip to meet with key Guatemalan indigenous counterparts.
1998		Conferences on "The Inuit of Canada" at one of Guatemala's largest universities (Universidad Francisco Marroquín).

For more information, please see the Canadian Embassy in Guatemala website at: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/guatemala/

or contact Monica Izaguirre at: monica.izaguierre@dfait-maeci.gc.ca