Projects: Women's book on Civil War
"Threads Breaking the Silence"
Maya Women tell their War Testimonies Through Embroideries. The inception of this book goes back to 1999 when I talked with a group called "Communities of the Population in Resistance-Sierra" in the small village of Santa Clara, Chajul, El Quiché. I wanted to do something to help the women. This special group of 30 Maya women hid in the mountains of Chajul, El Quiché, for 14 years, during the 36-year-old civil war until
peace accords were signed in 1996.
My thoughts were to help the Maya women earn some money through the making of embroideries. The women decided that they wanted to express their feelings about the war through their embroideries. Scholarship students interviewed the women about their embroideries and the final result is this book that was put together with love for these courageous women. The book is in english and spanish so that the women can share their stories with their children and other Spanish speaking people. Their book will always be part of the history of Guatemala. Foundations for Education (Cimientos de Educación) paid for the publication of the book and built a house for all the women of Santa Clara. The rest of the proceeds from the book are put back into Foundations for Education.
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| The hanging of children | Caos |
How to purchase the book:
The book is $15.00 USD plus postage. Contact the following people:USA - Sheila Malcolm: [email protected]
Canada - Geoff Haszard: [email protected]
Send comments to Ramelle Gonzales:
[email protected]
Foundations for Education, P.O.Box 669004 A-343, Miami Springs, FL 33266