Amicus Foundation -- Our Partners -- The Mesoamerican Centre for Sustainable Human Rights Action (CEMAS)




While Europe still slumbered in the midst of the Dark Ages, the Mayan people had charted the heavens, evolved the only true writing system native to the Americas and were masters of mathematics and calendrics. They were able to construct vast cities with an astonishing degree of architectural perfection and variety.

CEMAS •
HIJOS •
Mayalan •
Women Facilitators of Nuevo Horizonte •
Peten Alliance for Life and Peace •

The Mesoamerican Centre for Sustainable Human Rights Action (CEMAS)

CEMAS is a Guatemalan NGO that is developing region-specific institution-building and networking programs in consultation and partnership with grassroots Guatemalan human rights organizations.

Throughout the Mesoamerican region the civilian population, in particular, indigenous communities, women, and populations internally displaced due to violence and/or poverty, has been disproportionately affected in terms of loss of life, livelihood, land and customs, by such conflicts. Furthermore the continued existence of structural inequality at a national and regional level has ensured that these groups remain both economically and socially marginalized.

The human rights movement in Central America was largely formed as a civilian response to government inaction in the face of the circumstances outlined above, primarily as means of protecting and promoting the human rights of the most disadvantaged sections of society.

The experience of the Mesoamerican Centre for Sustainable Human Rights Action (CEMAS) suggests that despite enjoying the active support of their constituent communities and benefiting from the work of committed activists, the majority of these groups experience long-term organizational instability due to lack of training and organizational experience. CEMAS programs address these weaknesses by providing training and accompaniment to these grassroots human rights organizations.