Guatemala: Working Group Year End Highlights Part 5

Looking back can sometimes surprise, and seeing all the work this international solidarity group (and one of our longest serving working groups, over 10 years) is pretty impressive. Here are some of the events and activities Guatemala working group got up to in 2014-15:

1. CCDA visit with Leocadio Juracan @ the ARCH, June 18, 2014: National Director (Guatemala) of the CCDA. Peasant / Farmer organization of the Highlands, Leocadio spoke about territorial resource defense, resistance, solidarity trade and Cafe Justicia. Leocadio also visited 2 local elementary classrooms.
2. Social Justice Coffee House in collaboration with Engineers Without Borders McMaster - Sept. 8, 2014, 7:30-9:30 pm - Lawn Bowling Clubhouse, Churchill Park. An evening of music and culture to help raise awareness about mining in Guatemala (performances, treats and Café Justicia. We spoke about risky community and environmental defense struggles in Guatemala related to Canadian mining companies, including Goldcorp Inc., Hudbay Minerals, Radius Gold and Tahoe Resources.
3. Screening of the Award Winning Film, Defensora, withEngineers Without Borders Chapter of McMaster University on November 20, 2014. “A deeply moving testimony to incredible courage in the face of wanton brutality and a shining tribute to the human search for justice.” Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians. “Defensora” is a new film about the Mayan Qeqchi people's struggle in Eastern Guatemala to reclaim their ancestral lands, to promote community development and environmental well-being, and to seek justice, both in Canadian and Guatemalan courts, for the murder, shootings and rapes committed against them by Canadian mining companies (particularly Hudbay Minerals) in Guatemala.
4. Canadian Mining Injustice With Grahame Russell, Director of Rights Action: Thursday, November 27, 2014 @ 7:30 PM @ John Hopkins Engineering, Room A114, McMaster University. Grahame discussed the impunity with which Canadian resource extraction companies operate around the world,leaving a legacy of environmental, health and human rights violations and the ongoing work across Canada to hold our companies, investors and government accountable for these harms. Grahame is a non-practicing Canadian lawyer, author, adjunct professor at the University of Northern British Columbia and, since 1995, director of Rights Action: info@rightsaction.org, www.rightsaction.org
5. Justice Coffee. Wednesday, April 8th @ 12:30 pm -1:30 pm, MUSC 230. Professional barista, Jordan from the Food for Thought Working Group of OPIRG McMaster demonstrated how to make a great cup of coffee. 15 people came to sample the coffee and Carolyn presented the story of Cafe Justicia and the CCDA Peasant Farmers association.
6. Cafe Justicia Project: We are keeping busy with the coffee project to support CCDA (Guatemala) Thanks to the PIG grant we are roasting locally and raising funds and awareness about social justice in Guatemala. This is a great example of Solidarity Trade. T his will be on going ...

Connect with Guatemalan Solidarity at http://www.opirg.ca/group/guatemalan-solidarity