As Dual Storms Hit Central America, AJWS Grantees Work to Keep Communities Safe
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A Global Hunger Emergency
Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine as they continue to endure unspeakable suffering from Russia’s ruthless invasion. As the conflict persists, deadly ripple effects are becoming evident far beyond Ukraine’s borders. Exports of grain, fertilizer and fuel from the region have ground to a halt, accelerating a rising global hunger and economic emergency. …
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Writing the Wrongs: Why Journalists Give Me Hope
A few weeks ago, I woke up to news that filled me with hope. After nearly four decades, justice prevailed for 36 Indigenous Achi women who were raped and tortured by paramilitaries during Guatemala’s civil war. After enduring years of taunts, threats and outright denials, vindication came on January 25 when a tribunal sentenced their …
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A Year After Dual Disasters Hit Guatemala, Communities on the Road to Repair
In early November 2020, Hurricane Eta tore through Guatemala’s Caribbean coast and on to the north-central region of Ixcán, leaving many communities that AJWS supports in tatters. Just two weeks later — communities still reeling from the carnage of Hurricane Eta — disaster struck again when Hurricane Iota slammed into the same areas, leading to even more catastrophic damage. Now, a year after this series of destructive natural …
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Guatemala is Attacking its Independent Judges: The United States Must Do More to Ensure an Independent Judiciary
Statement by AJWS Senior Director of Civil and Political Rights and Advocacy, Tracey Gurd, on the attempts to dismantle an independent judicial system in Guatemala As U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris plans her visit to Guatemala in June, we encourage her to focus on the attacks on the country’s democracy, especially those aimed at Guatemala’s …
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As activists speak out, UDEFEGUA helps them stay safe
This award-winning NGO helps activists stay safe, so they can keep speaking out against injustice. In recent years, activists who defend human rights in Guatemala have faced a rising wave of targeted violence that aims to crush their growing movements for social change. From 2008 to 2011, there were 1,286 reports of attacks against human …
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Youth make strides for reproductive health in Guatemala
In Guatemala, very few young people have access to quality reproductive health care and sexual health education. Only 44 percent of women of reproductive age use any kind of contraceptives. The maternal mortality rate—the proportion of pregnancies that end in the mother’s death—is the second worst in Latin America and is especially high among indigenous …
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