Contribute to NISGUA's sustainability today!

Thank you for visiting my May Match campaign page! Below you'll find more information about NISGUA and our work, and a video message from me in which you'll hear more about my connection to NISGUA and why this campaign is so important to me.

This year, thanks to the generous support of several matching donors, from May 15-31, every donation up to $50,000 will be matched dollar for dollar. Thank you for supporting us to ensure the sustainability of this work, including cross-border organizing, digital campaigns, and most importantly, a deep commitment to building and maintaining relationship with our Guatemalan partners!

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Who is NISGUA?

NISGUA accompanies Guatemalan water protectors and genocide survivors who are under threat for their political work. We use physical accompaniment to dissuade violence, facilitate connections between our partners in Guatemala and folks in the U.S. who are similarly impacted by colonialism, organize campaigns against the U.S.'s bloody foreign policy and corporate violence in Central America, and mobilize people for urgent actions if our partners are threatened or attacked.

What will your gift support?

• International accompaniment - We are excited to re-launch our accompaniment program in 2021. Read more here.
• Cross-border organizing - NISGUA facilitates exchange between movements in the U.S. and Guatemala through virtual meetings, webinars, speaking tours, and delegations. Read about our most recent delegation here, or watch the latest webinar, here.
• Campaign development - In order to bring about long-term change, we know that educating our base and speaking truth to power is crucial. Check out our ongoing campaign to stop the safe third country agreements in Central America.
• Relationship-building with Guatemalan partners - Staff and volunteers maintain regular contact with our Guatemalan counterparts who are fighting for justice and defending their territories. What we learn from our partners informs every other strategy we employ. Learn more here.

A note about this moment:

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. The extensive economic damage on immigrant and Indigenous communities in the U.S. and globally will be (are already) 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 our work is of utmost importance. When the immediate crisis subsides, we need to be ready to act.

You can read more about our response to the COVID-19 crisis here.

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A button that was on a blanket in a home where I stayed while in Guatemala.
"Si a la vida, no minería," it reads, meaning "Yes to life, no to mining!

May we continue choosing life,

Meredith