A Mayan spiritual ceremony was held last Saturday, April 2nd, to celebrate the initiation of a new network of pilot radios stations broadcasting in rural communities of Guatemala. The day marked the 12th B’atz, a day which holds high levels of energy and represents strength in new beginnings. Nineteen Mayan priests and priestesses from the community radio station La X Musical in Cajola, Quetzaltenango participated in the ceremony. A Mayan ceremony begins and ends with prayers facing the four cardinal directions. A bonfire was built with offerings from the priests and community radio volunteers, including candles, sugar, corn of different colors, eggs, herbs, traditional incense known as copal, and pine wood. Participants of the workshop were blessed individually with agua de florida. The priests asked the Mayan spirits, or Nahuales, to have the congressmen move quickly to pass the Bill 4087 of the Law of Community Media. They prayed that the network of radios grows stronger everyday, and prayed for unity, endurance and wisdom for leaders of the community radio movement, the Guatemala Radio Project staff, and the entire Cultural Survival team. Materials to hold the event were funded by a Cultural Survival donor.
