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Guatemala
Hurricane Stan 2005 Floods
Info & Ways to Help ---
Like many of you we are sitting in our home (for us in Madison, WI) worrying
about our friends in Guatemala and figuring out what we can do to help. We
are trying to contact our friends and check with groups to find news and what
they are doing to help & what help they need. This is some of what we have
learned and what we are doing in Madison, WI (you can scroll down or click directly on:
GUATEMALA FLOOD NEWS
Reuters News ---
http://www.alertnet.org/db/cp/guatemala.htm Reuters Foundation - Alerts
humanitarians to emergencies. The article "Aid Tipsheet: Aid experts
debunk post-disaster myths" provides some useful insights for those of us
wishing to help
http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/112904062889.htm
BBC ---
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4327546.stm Thoughts in the flood-hit
Guatemalan tourist town of Panajachel, on the shores of Lake Atitlan, are
turning to the future.
Democrary Now ---
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/11/1453224
A live broadcast with pictures and information
on options to help, available on the web.
http://www.atitlan.com
Web site devoted to Lake Atitlan
Area, developed for area tourism, good information on flood and
some way to help. "Travel Guatemala and visit Lake Atitlan,
famous for is natural beauty and colorful Mayan villages.
Atitlan.com is both a guide to hotels and a travel magazine
about ...the most beautiful lake in the world!
The
Hurricane Stan Flood Do you
want to help? Please Visit"
http://www.guatemalapost.com World news compilation of
recent articles on Guatemala and
area.
Prensa Libre ---http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2005/octubre/19/125900.html Guatemala newspaper
(in Spanish). While initial focus was on Lake Atitlan (near tourist center) 953
communities were affected in 14 different Departments (like US states). Many
have still to get aid. The Department of San Marcos was hard hit with over
5,000 homes destroyed. In Guatemala more than 390,000 homes were damaged.
SOME OPTIONS TO HELP
I have heard of these groups, and am
in touch with many, but not all of
them. I know they work in the areas of Lake Atitlan and other parts of
Guatemala hardest hit by the
floods. If you know of others please let me know at
lynn@terraexperience.com .
Maya Traditions: http://www.mayatraditions.com/
This is a fair trade wholesaler that works with several women's groups
around Lake Atitlan. I just heard from Jane Mintz (read
her email here) understand that several of the women that work with
them lost children and had their homes destroyed. They are trying to
find housing immediately for 10 families & others. They
don't have anything on their web site yet - but here is information on
how to help .
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La Casa de Luz, Clinica Maya
-- http://www.terraexperience.com/Medical_Needs.htm Just heard from Cindy Waterman who runs the Clinica Maya
and is working with other medical clinics around Lake Atitlan. They will
be shipping a container of medical, school and other supplies down in
early November and have a list of items they & others need.
For medial needs list & how to donate click (on
Terra Experience web site because they don't have capability to update
the Clinic Website at this time) A critical need also is to
replace the San Marcos water supply that was destroyed by the hurricane.
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Hospitalito Atitlan:
http://www.puebloapueblo.org/index.html ; Good information on
what is happening and needed on their web site! A group that has
been working to rebuild a hospital in Santiago Atitlan. They had just
gotten it up and running this past year, but it was badly damaged by the
mudslide. They are now dealing with the injured and will have to
figure out options for restoring or rebuilding the hospital in the
future. Its easy to donate on-line and they have interesting pictures.
http://www.puebloapueblo.org/donate.html
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Lake Atitlan Environmental Protection Society-
ProLago
http://www.prolagoatitlan.org
or, if down,
http://www.worldlakes.org/lakedetails.asp?lakeid=8522 --- Lake Atitlan is an
incredible gem. Most of the environmental protection
infrastructure (drinking water, sewage treatment plants, recycling
facilities...) were destroyed or heavily damaged in a country that
doesn't have much to begin with..most had been built with international
and grass roots help) I have donated in the past and again today
to ProLago, a non-profit grass roots organization with good community
ties. If you donate to the international lakes organization their web
site is linked to - be sure to say for Lake Attitlan.
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Casa Guatemala -
http://www.casaguatemala.org/ A Chicago based group
that has efforts
underway to help areas in Guatemala, many off the main tourist areas,
where many people's lives were also severely affected by floods & mud.
Casa
Guatemala is an independent, not-for-profit, community-based
organization that has long served the Guatemalan as well as the Latin
American community, in Chicago and the Midwest. Since its inception in
1986, Casa Guatemala has sought to create community for Guatemalans and
Latin Americans who have migrated to this country in search of a safe
haven from political turmoil, war and economic downturns.
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Sharing the Dream ---
http://www.sharingthedream.org/default.htm--- Sharing the Dream in
Guatemala is a project that promotes fair trade with cooperatives and
small businesses in Guatemala. They are committed to providing fair wages
and employment opportunities to low-income artisans. They are
directly working with groups in Santiago Atitlan Area and are organizing
an effort to get help down to their partner organizations.
http://www.sharingthedream.org/partners.htm . They haven't been able
to get their website updated, but Diane Nesselhuf has given me
permission to post their email letters to friends with information on
needs and how to donate.
[Letter #1,
Letter
#2]
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NISGUA --- The Network in Solidarity with the People of
Guatemala (NISGUA) was formed in 1981 to coordinate local activism on
Guatemala in the United States. It was a time when many Mayans in
Guatemala were being killed by government forces. NISGUA's accompaniment
projects and other activities helped protect indigenous rights and make
Americans aware of U.S.'s role in supporting the Guatemalan government's
actions. NISGUA is still a stronge and steady grassroots voice for
responsible U.S. policy in the region. They have put together a list
information about
organizations accepting donations to support communities affected by
hurricane Stan in Guatemala that provides a good broader list of
organizations throughout Guatemala.
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MayaWorks ---
http://www.mayaworks.org A fair
trade NPO "MayaWorks is now accepting donations through our
website and will soon post the communications we are receiving from our
Guatemala staff. We have two artisans who are sisters and have lost
family, house and all belongings. Several others have lost house and
all belongings. All in the Panabaj area"
from Kathleen Morkert
MayaWorks Executive Director
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| Friendship Bridge ---
http://www.friendshipbridge.org --- (A group that provides
microcredit loans in Santiago Atitlan area). "Friendship Bridge
and the people of Guatemala need your help now more than ever.
Hurricane Stan and a torrential rainy season have wreaked havoc on
communities all over Guatemala. Mudslides and massive flooding are
currently affecting our borrowers and the families of our borrowers, as
homes and lives are being swept away. |
Rights Action (Derechos en Accion) ---
http://www.rightsaction.org carries out and supports community
development, environment, emergency relief and human rights work in
Honduras, Guatemala, Chiapas (Mexico), Haiti and elsewhere. For more
information,
www.rightsaction.org.
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New Ulm Parish (MN) -- has a well known Mission in San Lucus
Toliman a village on Lake Atitlan - This is a letter from Father Greg to
the parish giving an overview of the flood in the area-http://www.dnu.org/guatemalanmudslides10-05.pdf
. For more information their overall activities check out
http://www.dnu.org/service/sanlucas.html and
http://www.sanlucasmission.com/Home.htm
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Madison Wisconsin --- A bunch of us in Madison with Guatemala
ties are meeting to figure out ways to raise money for Guatemalans
whose lives have been hurt by the the floods and mudslides. If you are
interested contact Mario Garcia Sierra at
sierrajm79@hotmail.com
or me Lynn Persson at
lynn@terraexperience.com for more information and to get involved.
One option being considered is a fun benefit dinner with good Guatemalan
food and music and fun. Hold Saturday, Nov 19th on your calendar.
We have also just set up a list
serve for people in Madison
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MadisonGuatemala/ This is a group of
people that live in the Madison Wisconsin area and have a common
interest in Guatemala, its people and issues. We initially got together
in October 2005 to coordinate our activities to help our friends in
Guatemala who were affected by the floods and mudslides associated with
Hurricane Stan
 Also
Terra Experience will selling be Divine Chocolate bars at all events and
at Stony Hill Antiques, 2140 Regent St, Madison, WI ,this fall (sorry we
can't mail). All profit from these sales will go to Guatemala
hurricane relief & rebuilding. They are delicious and fair trade. If you would like to do
similar in your community check out Divine's web site at
Divine Chocolate. We also have put together a web page of
information and options to help:
http://www.terraexperience.com/Guatemala_Hurricane_Stan_Information_Help.htm
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