Sunday
October 26, 2008

Pete Sears’ music video ‘‘Guatemala’’ welcomed the audience and the three speakers who provided glimpses of Guatemala’s centuries of Human Rights abuses.

        Genaro Calel, a native Guatemalan who found his way to the United States, added a special touch to the speeches -- giving a Mayan blessing from his Mayan religion.

     Genaro shared that the Mayans were once self-sufficient, living on their lands without intervention from the outside world. Yet, because of the years of suppression, the impoverished Maya struggle daily amidst the rich resources others claim in their native land.

       A weaver, Genaro learned his skill in the United States. Yet, this special skill connects him to his homeland reknown for its weavers. As a weaver, and a member of the International Mayan League, he seeks fair prices for woven goods.

      His remarks on fair prices were echoed by an audience member, and a representative of Mayan Hands. That organization shares his concern over Fair Trade prices. Their website, Mayan Hands, has a page with shocking facts that highlight Calel Genaro’s concerns. It tells us, ‘‘Earning a fair return for their work empowers [the Guatemalan women weavers] to feed their families, send their children to school and harbor hopes for a better future. ...Too often, they sell their products for less than it costs them to make them.’’ Without Fair Trade prices these women earn as little as $3 and $4 a month.

Later in the day, Genaro shared the colorful and enjoyable culture of his country with attendees:
• First, he became involved in displaying Guatemalan crafts and textiles for sale. The crafts sold that day benefitted Mayan women weavers, and offset Group 361’s expenses in hosting the Guatamalan event to share the country’s human rights story.
  
• Second, after the buffet dinner, Calel Genaro joined Carmen Contento’s group and their demonstrations of Mayan dancing.

       Early in life, Lucio Pérez Reynozo became a refugee. He was a child when the infamous period of violence against the Mayans took his father from him. Quiche Mayan, he and the rest of his family escaped Guatemala’s government driven genocide in the 1980’s.

       By speaking in Albany, NY, Lucio was revisiting the area of his college days. As a graduate of the College of St. Rose, he earned his J.D. degree from the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, and then began a career as an activist and lawyer.

       In his work and other endeavors, Lucio has maintained his connections to the people of his native country. He organized the first Mayan conference in the United States; and, has led delegations from the U.S. to his native Guatemala. Since 2006, Lucio Pérez Reynozo has been the Miami Area program director for the American Friends’ Services Committee, Immigrant Services. In that role, he represents immigrants and refugees in immigration and asylum hearings, which involve appearances before the Board of Immigration Appeals. Prior to his work with AFSC, he was the director of the Guatemalan Maya Cultural Center in Lake Worth, FL.

       Asked about forgiveness for those who took his father’s life, he said that forgiveness depends on one’s religious perspective.

       Lucio graciously answered questions after the speeches, as you can see in the photo on the left. Lucio is on the left.

       Lucio joined Calel in the dance demonstrations during the festive finale of the day’s events.