The last year was one of renewed connection, hard-won progress, and steadfast solidarity in both Guatemala and Canada. From standing with our partners facing criminalization and displacement, to celebrating community victories against destructive Canadian mining projects, to welcoming so many guests to the Maritimes, 2025 reminded us what collective strength [...]
Presence as resistance: Connecting service learning with global change Every year, students in the Department of Global Development Studies at St. Mary’s University (SMU) participate in an experiential learning initiative connected to the “Fair Trade and Free Trade” course taught by Dr. Gavin Fridell. This involves volunteering at the Halifax [...]
We're so excited to share the BTS 2024 Year in Review, celebrating our accomplishments and recognizing the incredible contributions of our partners, staff, cooperants, interns, volunteer committees, and donors! The report also provides an overview of the Guatemalan context, including a summary of the Arevalo administration's actions during the first [...]
We're so excited to share the BTS 2023 Year in Review, celebrating our accomplishments and recognizing the incredible contributions of our partners, staff, cooperants, interns, volunteer committees, and donors! The report also provides an overview of the Guatemalan context, including the historic, Indigenous-led, pro-democracy protests and includes updates from all [...]
Guatemala will hold elections on June 25. With none of the presidential candidates likely to receive the necessary majority to win outright, runoffs for president will almost inevitably be held in August. Candidates Blocked Several significant presidential contenders have been excluded from the race. Popular presidential candidate, Thelma Cabrera, was [...]
Statement of Solidarity with Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network The Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network expresses its solidarity with Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc following the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the federally-mandated residential school located in Kamloops, British Columbia. We stand in solidarity with First [...]
By: Maria Reyes, Consultant for communications support for the SAGE project The Indigenous and small-scale farmers of Jalapa, Jutiapa and Santa Rosa have historically had to face adverse contexts such as discrimination, poverty and extractive projects. In these contexts people have always fought collectively and in these times of a [...]
BTS joined 300+ organizations in releasing a statement which denounces the four ways multinational #mining companies are profiting from the #COVID19 pandemic, at the expense of people and planet. Read the statement and full list of signatories below. The mining industry is one of the most polluting, deadly, and destructive [...]
We ask that you write letters to the Government of Guatemala and the Canadian Embassy to Guatemala by Friday, May 8th calling on officials to defend the rights of the most vulnerable in their response to COVID-19.
The Xinka Parliament and the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) support and stand in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders, who are resisting the incursion of the Coastal Gaslink (CGL) pipeline on their unceded territory. We - Xinka people and Xinka Parliament in Guatemala - have been engaged in a [...]
