Guatemala:Getting Ready

I leave on Saturday as part of a delegation of the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission: Violence Against Women and the soico-political context of Femicide in Guatemala.

“This is a country where patriarchy dominates on an institutional and familial level.” – Dora Bagley of the Presidential Secretariat on Women

Some of the highlights of the trip with meetings with:

- women from STITCH, Organizers for Social Justice

- Gladys Monterroso, lawyer, University professor, and Secretary General of the Encuentro por Guatemala party, and wife of Human Rights Ombudsman Sergio Morales, was kidnapped in Guatemala City on Wednesday March 25 at 7am and released 13 hours later. She was interrogated and burned with cigarettes on different parts of her body; no ransom was demanded. Her story was covered internationally, including the Washington Post.

- Norma Cruz' Survivors Foundation

- Myrna MAC FOUNDATION, established in 1993 to focus on the elaboration of studies and proposals that promote the fight against impunity, the construction of rule of law in Guatemala and for the consolidation of peace and democracy.

- Rosa Franco, whose daughter Maria Isabel was killed in 2001, at age 16.

- Hilda Morales Trujillo, member of the 'National Womens Office' (ONAM) and the 'Network against Violence against Women' who has spent her life tirelessly defending the rights of women by challenging discriminatory laws and campaigning for change.

- Sandra Moran Reyes, a national leader of the women's movement, director of Women's Sector at Casa Artesana

- Carolina Alvarado and female sex workers

I have added two days to my itinerary to meet with children whose adoptions are in limbo.

I also hope to meet the mothers who children were kidnapped for adoption into the U.S. who await DNA testing.

You do not need to travel to Guatemala to help, PLEASE go to Three Days / Three Daughters to see how you can show your solidarity and raise consciousness and hopefully create some legal help.

I hope you will support them and spread the word to all in your address book as well as church groups, etc.