Amicus Foundation




When the Mayan civilization reached its zenith during the Classical Period from about 300 AD to 900 AD, there were at least 100 cities, the largest having a population of about 100,000 people. In 800 AD, Tikal, one of the Mayan cities best known to us, had a population of 50,000 people and extended through an area covering 50 square miles.

Welcome to the Amicus Foundation web site. We are a small foundation working in Guatemala since August 2000. We have registered charitable status with the Canada Revenue Agency. Please feel free to browse and learn about our programs and the organizations we work with in Guatemala. The organizations we are partnered with are all involved in education, in one form or another. Through education comes awareness, and with awareness comes change. We are working at the grassroots level, so change is slow, but it is also profound. In most of the communities where we work, there is no other international presence.

If there is one important Guatemalan issue of interest to most Canadians, it is the mining issue. Canada is a world leader in mining, and Canadian companies are leading the assault on Guatemalan communities. Please check out some of the links in the Campaigns section, and plug into what Rights Action and Mining Watch are organizing. We support their work wholeheartedly.

If you are interested in making a donation to Amicus Foundation, rest assured that we pride ourselves in keeping administrative costs well below Canada Revenue Agency recommendations. Any donation you make will go directly to our Guatemalan programs. You may also wish to check our Scholarships section. Some of our Guatemalan partner organizations offer scholarships to young people in the communities where they are based. We will be glad to facilitate a direct scholarship for a student in need with any funds you may wish to donate.