Maya Land Rights Commission Heads Training Workshop in Toledo

Years after a court ruling, preliminary discussions on the development of legislative principles on Maya land and associated rights were held during a two-day training in Punta Gorda.  The sessions were facilitated by the Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission and saw the participation of indigenous people, the solicitor general, representatives from the Department of Lands, as well as human rights international experts.  The specialists are affiliated with the Office of International Human Rights Commission at George Washington University.  The chair of the Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission is Lisel Alamilla.

Lisel Alamilla

Lisel Alamilla, Chair, Toledo Maya Land Rights Commission

“This is our second day that we’re having a meeting with indigenous people’s and human rights experts and we’re discussing legislative principles and headings on Maya lands and their associated rights.  It’s really a preliminary discussion with the experts to see what are some of the principles that would be included in legislation that we will be drafting in the near future.  We’re being very ambitious and we hope that the legislation will be completed this year, but as a starting point for us, it’s to bring key officials from the government to participate in this workshop or meeting to make sure that we’re all on the same page and understanding these principles as we move forward.  The idea is to just really build their capacity as we move this forward because it’s important that all of government officials are understanding the basis of the consent order and how you actually make it happen on the ground.  How do you bring it into fruition on the ground, how do you protect Maya customary land rights?”

The training was held at the Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment, TIDE.