Preparations are well underway in Guatemala City to host a conference and day of action on August 8 and 9, marking the International Day for Indigenous Peoples. The Cultural Survival Guatemala staff is working closely with the National Council for Mayan Organizations, (COMG) the National Council for the Implementation of the Peace Accords (CNAP) and the movement of community radio stations to realize this event. The strategic goal of the meeting is to call attention to the recommendations of various international human rights bodies on the approval of Bill 4087, the Law of Community Media in Guatemala. This law, if enacted, would allow a low-watt radio frequency for non-profit community radio in each of 333 municipalities in Guatemala. Participating in panel discussions will be Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Catalina Botero, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression at the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights, as well as the UN High Commission for Human Rights in Guatemala. The meeting will conclude with a protest and march from the Congress towards the Constitutional Court.
For more information on attending or reporting on the conference, contact Danielle DeLuca, Danielle[at]cs.org
