By: Meara Donovan, BTS cooperant (2026) “Mira, ¡un perro de Río Negro!” (Look, a Río Negro dog!) “¡Y un palo de Río Negro!” (And a stick from Río Negro!) The students are joking around as our packed van pulls through the gates, inching towards the Chixoy hydroelectric dam and the [...]
By: Meara Donovan, BTS cooperant (2026) At 5:30 a.m., students and teachers began to show up at the New Hope Foundation's (FNE) office in Rabinal. Motorcycle after motorcycle of shockingly un-sleepy teenagers roared up to the huddles of students, teachers, and guests invited to the February 13th ceremony commemorating the [...]
By: Meara Donovan, BTS cooperant (2026) At the New Hope Foundation (FNE), spirituality is ever present. It is not separate, but rather interwoven with every aspect of learning at the Centro Educativo Comunitario Bilingue Intercultural (CECBI). ⁂ This morning, alarm clocks went off at 4:30 a.m. for teachers at the [...]
Anonymity doesn’t really exist here in the way I’ve come to know it growing up in Canadian cities. Rabinal boasts a vibrant sense of community. Sometimes it feels like everyone knows each other, a fact which can be both beautiful and overwhelming. Connecting with one person means connecting with their [...]
As I sit here reflecting on my time in Rabinal with a cup of sweet black coffee in hand listening to the cacophony of roosters, there is one word that comes to mind as emblematic of my experience: curiosity. It’s hard to believe how quickly the 88 days since my [...]
Xinka Parliament (PAPXIGUA): “In the name of life, land and water—the resistance continues." Press release: SANTA ROSA, GT, June 8, 2025 — Today, we commemorate eight years of peaceful resistance by the Xinka People here in Casillas to the Escobal mining project located in San Rafael Las Flores and operated [...]
Maya Achi women come together outside the courthouse. After more than 40 years of struggle, Maya Achí women achieve justice On May 30th, 2025, the Maya Achí women of Rabinal presented themselves for the last time at the Supreme Court of Justice in Guatemala City to hear the [...]
Unpacking the role of the PAC in the Maya Achí Women's case On January 28, 2025, Maya Achí women survivors went to Guatemala City to demand that three ex-civil defense patrolmen (PAC) be held accountable for crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, committed against them during the Internal Armed Conflict. [...]
Maya Achí Women's case continues with witness testimonies On January 28, 2025, Maya Achí women survivors went to Guatemala City to demand that three ex-civil defense patrolmen (PAC) be held accountable for crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, committed against them during the Internal Armed Conflict. The trial is scheduled [...]
Second trial for the Maya Achí Women's case begins On January 28, 2025, Maya Achí women survivors went to Guatemala City to demand that three ex-civil defense patrolmen (PAC) be held accountable for crimes against humanity, including sexual violence, committed against them during the Internal Armed Conflict. The trial [...]
