A Voice for Indigenous Peoples

The United Nation's International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples was commemorated on Wednesday 9 August 2006. To coincide with this event, Esras Films and the European Commission have produced a free to air Video report examining the issues facing the Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala. In common with indigenous peoples all over the world, Guatemala's indigenous peoples have a history of injustice and persecution. Today, as many as 5 million people, an estimated 40% of the population, are indigenous Guatemalans. 74% of them live in poverty and they continue to suffer from racial, social, economic and cultural discrimination. Like the 350 million indigenous people worldwide, their human rights are often not respected. The European Union is the largest contributor to development aid in Guatemala and the report looks at how the EU is helping the indigenous population. August 2006 http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/human_rights/ip/index.htm