Join me by giving to NISGUA today!

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page for NISGUA! This year, between May 15th and 31st, thanks to a generous group of donors, all contributions received up to $50,000 will be matched dollar for dollar!

I had the privilege of working with NISGUA as an international human rights accompanier in Guatemala from 2018–2019. While there, I walked alongside and learned from Indigenous Xinka land defenders resisting one of the largest silver mines in the world. On a scorching hot day last June, I visited one of several roadside encampments where Xinka communities have maintained a 24/7 presence for over two years, monitoring the roads to prevent machinery and equipment from reaching the mine site until they are consulted about the extractive mega-project on their territory. This mine has poisoned water supplies with arsenic and rattled nearby homes and infrastructure with explosions. However, this March, due to the more immediate threat of COVID-19 to the health and safety of their communities, with great sadness the Xinka resistance made the decision to temporarily disband the encampment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us all. Yet, as with most crises, those who are systematically oppressed are at an even greater risk. The risks go beyond getting sick. We know the impact on immigrant and Indigenous communities globally will be, and already is, grave. In Guatemala, we are seeing increased militarization and transnational corporations taking advantage of the crisis to advance extractive mega-projects. The human rights situation in Guatemala is likely to worsen in the coming months. Thus, the sustainability of NISGUA’s work is of utmost importance. NISGUA remains steadfast in its commitment to 1) stand alongside Guatemalan land and water protectors and genocide survivors who are under threat for their political work, 2) facilitate connections between our partners in Guatemala and movements in the U.S. who are similarly impacted by colonialism, 3) organize campaigns against unjust U.S. foreign policy and corporate violence in Central America, and 4) mobilize people for urgent actions if our partners are threatened or attacked. In the midst of a global pandemic, an internationalist response is crucial.

Right now, NISGUA is:

• Temporarily substituting physical accompaniment with a system of regular phone calls to check-in with partners in Guatemala, analyzing the information received, and uplifting these updates as well as opportunities to take action on social media platforms and beyond.
• Organizing a coalition of over twenty-five Central American and U.S. organizations – NISGUA's most ambitious campaign yet – to stop the unjust Asylum Cooperation Agreements, also known as "safe third country agreements," with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
• Continuing to amplify the voices of partners in Guatemala and facilitate incredible opportunities for political education and horizontal exchange, such as this webinar about Indigenous territory and migration, originally planned as a speaking tour, that ultimately reached over 800 participants!

By making a gift today, you'll ensure the sustainability of NISGUA's work to continue cultivating long-term, transnational relationships grounded in a shared vision for global change. This is a crucial moment and every dollar counts. Join me right now in supporting NISGUA’s work and your contribution will make double the impact!