Guatemala April 23, 2012 1:23PM
A seat at the table: Empowering women in land-conflict mediation
Dan Sadowsky
Website, Content and Services Team Manager
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Guatemala's economy depends on agriculture. Yet 70 percent of cultivable land belongs to only 2 percent of the population. Historical inequalities and the lack of official land-registration mechanisms have led to thousands of current property disputes, which sometimes turn violent. Mercy Corps has been at the forefront of a movement to resolve these land conflicts through productive dialogue. Today we’re working to ensure women have a seat at the mediation table.
Guatemala March 15, 2012 2:28PM
Land ownership yields stronger, healthier communities
Liz Hummer
Online Content Manager
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Far from major cities, the residents of Alta Verapaz in Guatemala’s rural northern highlands are dependent on the land to sustain their families and livelihoods. But after years of civil war, their resources have been diminished.
Mercy Corps works with various communities here as they define a new way of life, helping them gain ownership to their land, cultivate new crops, and learn about healthy habits.
Guatemala August 15, 2011 3:16PM
Marching for change
Lindsay Murphy
Communications Associate
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Hundreds of women in Guatemala paraded through the streets of Cobán on March 8 — International Women's Day — with a palpable feeling of pride and hope for the future. This was also a special day for Mercy Corps, as it marked the launch of our Empowering Women’s Leadership in Conflict Resolution project in Guatemala.
For the first time, women are being asked to not only participate in the conversation about land conflict, but to take an active role in resolving a problem that continues to plague their communities.
Guatemala April 3, 2008 12:34AM
Part 1: Owning the Land
Nathan Golon
Independent Filmmaker and Photographer
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Conflicts over land erupted when worldwide prices for coffee plummeted in 2000. Many Guatemalan coffee plantations shut down and forced workers from their homes on the land — leading to violent confrontations between landlords and laid-off workers.
The highest number of these confrontations occurred in Alta Verapaz. That's where Mercy Corps has been working since 2003 with its local partner, the Association of Lawyers for Legal Development, to peacefully resolve conflicts over land through negotiated consensus.
We've established more than 10 mediation centers in the provinces, staffed with trained community volunteer paralegals, and a central mediation centre with legal and surveying services in the departmental capital of Cobán.
As a result, approximately 270 cases have been peacefully negotiated in the first two years, with 142 of those fully resolved. Nuevo Amanacer — the village featured in part one of this two-part video — was one of the first.
After you've finished watching, click here for Part 2: Tilling the Soil.
