UUCA International Ministry
Partners for Accompaniers in Guatemala (PAG)

… Each time a man…. strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and these ripples crossing each other from a million different centers of energy…, build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." -- Robert Kennedy

WHO WE ARE

UUCA, in collaboration with the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala - NISGUA, established Partners for Accompaniers in Guatemala (PAG) in 2007. As a Sponsoring Community, we strive to improve the quality of life for Guatemala's indigenous Mayans as they rebuild from the genocide and broad scale devastation of the 36-year civil war and for Central American immigrants living in Buckingham, an Arlington neighborhood 6 blocks from UUCA.

For a historical summary of Guatemala, go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala#1944_to_Present

IN 2007, PAG

supports a human rights accompanier in Rabinal, a region that experienced the worst of the war in the 1970's - 1980's,
strives to educate the congregation about Guatemala social and economic justice issues, the Mayan people, and immigration reform,
supports the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA, see www.ghrc-usa.org and NISGUA,
has an advocacy group to bring pressure on human rights issues as well as for immigrants living in/around Arlington, collaborated with the UUSC JustJourney program to send a delegration to Rabinal in February 2008. See www.uusc.org/justjourneys
works with Hispanic immigrants served by Arlington's Buckingham Outreach Center, which promotes self-sufficiency and 'community belonging'.

PAG also works with Hispanic immigrants served by Arlington's Buckingham Outreach Center. The Center promotes self-sufficiency and 'community belonging'.

actively practices a philosophy of services recipients 'giving back' to the community
serves 500 people weekly, primarily from bolivia, Guatemala, Peru, and Argentina.
offers English and computer classes
provides services such as survival information, health fairs, festivals, and the county's police academy
provides tutors to help with homework

In 2007, our collaboration with Buckingham immigrants resulted in

an adult educational series where immigarants told their stories, and participants studied the many aspects of immigration reform
a community potluck with Mayan dancers and folk dance instruction that drew over 100
installation of donated computers in 12-15 homes and computer training.
small conversation groups "You help me with English - I'll help you with Spanish"

If you would like to join our cadre of volunteers, please contact Wendy DeMegret.

OUR HUMAN RIGHTS ACCOMPANIER IN GUATEMALA

"Your presence lets us do the work that we need to do, and not always be afraid. There are so many people who don't want to see justice here, who don't want to see healing, The work is ours, it is our country, it is for us to do, but you open the space for us to do that work. We need your presence."
-- Genocide Case Witness from the Ixcan

WHAT IS ACCOMPANIMENT?

In 1999, the United Nations Commission for Historical Clarification concluded that state armed forces and related paramilitary groups were responsible for 93% of the 200,000 civilian deaths, acts of genocide toward the Mayan people, forced 1 million to flee, and destroyed 400+ indigenous villages that occurred during the civil war. In 1993, those who had fled began to return. Facing grave danger from paramilitary bands, they asked for protection from the international community. Groups in the U.S. and elsewhere responded with trained non-Guatemalan observers to accompany these people. Most requests for accompaniers now come from witnesses at genocide trials, massacre exhumation teams, legal teams, labor unions and human rights organizations. NISGUA's 12 Sponsoring Communities and groups from 10 countries provided 265 accompaniers during 2000-2005. About 50 accompaniers are currently in Guatemala.

TAD HINNENKAMP - UUCA ACCOMPANIER

Tad is from Albert Lea, Minn. While attending St. Olaf College, he spent a semester abroad in Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and Palestine. He stayed on in Palestine for several months living with a Palestinian family to personally experience the difficulties of their lives. In 2000, he went with a group taking medical supplies to Iraq to people suffering from sanctions against Saddam Hussein. After a year with AmeriCorps and work with Latino youth in the public schools, Tad went to Guatemala at his own expense to learn Spanish. Seeing first hand the desperate plight of Mayan campesinos, he felt a call to work as an accompanier.

Please read some excerpts from Tad's October 2007 letter to us:

"It's 5:30 a.m. I awake snug in my sleeping bag, which rests on a stack of empty coffee sacks covering a cold cement floor. I crawl out and groggily walk over to my cell phone alarm, tripping over my backpack along the way. It's still dark and cold as I rummage through my backpack to find my sweatshirt and something to eat. I am happy with bread and left-over black beans. My partner and I have 10 more families to visit today in Chichupac, and it will be a busy day due to a string of important meetings in the community clinic, the site of the brutal January 8, 1982 army massacre. We gobble down our food, drink some water, and pack the essentials: water, snacks, petty cash, camera, tape recorder, rain jacket, letters of support, and food for families we will be eating with."

And so begins the day as they prepare to check on the families they monitor. The people they visit are genocide witnesses who families and communities suffered in the 1980s. Their community is in the same area as that of former Armed Civilian Patrol (PAC) members who were conscripted as participants in the massacres by the army.

"Maria and Nicolas (not their real names) are an elderly couple who tell me of fleeing to the mountains (in 1982) and starving there for two entire years without a house, cooked food, or a change of clothes. I hear of the death of loved ones and of their life under military rule after accepting an amnesty plan by the government. They also tell me (of) death threats that Chichupac received when they started the genocide cases (against former military dictators) some seven years ago. As I thank them for their story, they, in turn, thank me for my presence: 'We are no longer scared since the accompaniers started coming,' says Nicolas. 'We no longer receive the death threats like before. The army leaves us alone.'"

Tad concludes his letter with:

"I do feel that our presence does allow the space for communities to organize and struggle for the betterment of their conditions and for the long road to justice. We shall see what the long, slow road to justice brings in the near future in Guatemala."

For more information about Tad, contact Mimi Farrar-Dixon.

Read other letters from Tad - see list at right.

Tad's latest letter, dated May 7, 2008

ADVOCACY

"It is possible that you can do but very little. It is important that you do that little." --Gandhi

PAG advocates for justice, by responding to human rights abuses and by urging those in a position to influence policy and practice both here and abroad to take action to end those abuses. A group has begun to meet to talk about how to organize advocacy efforts effectively. We need your help! If you would like to be part of this group, or would like to be included in the larger group of people willing to be part of the advocacy network, please contact Will Russell.

PAG NEEDS YOUR TIME, TALENTS, AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

PAG's work in Guatemala and here at home exists only with your support. We ask that you contact one of the PAG members mentioned above to talk about volunteering your time and talents.

If you are able to donate financially, please remember that accompaniers give one year of their lives in Guatemala. Most are in their 20's or early 30's. PAG supports Tad with a $300/mo. stipend, health insurance and medical treatment and shots, a portion of his international airfare, Mayan language training, and a re-entry stipend of $500, and administrative costs for NISGUA, His 1-year tour is up in April 2008.

All in all, $9500 is needed for one year of support. Your donation of $25, $170, or $750 would support Tad's replacement for one day, one week, or one month, respectively!

To make a tax-deductible donation, please either bring a check to UUCA at a Sunday service or mail to UUCA at the address below. Make check to UUCA putting "PAG" in the memo line, For more information, contact Chris or John Sutton.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
4444 Arlington Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22204
e-mail: uuca@uucava.org

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Join the UUCA-PAG YAHOO! Group

Volunteer time & talents - contact:
Chris & John Sutton -
Project Coordinators

Mimi Farrar-Dixon - Accompanier

Will Russell -
Advocacy

Wendy DeMegret -
Buckingham Liaison

Newsletter
Partner Noticias

Tad's Letters