The government has officially withdrawn its appeal and accepted the ruling on communal land rights. We are now shifting our focus to monitoring the implementation process to ensure these protections remain binding for the Maya people.
December 16, 2010
Final supporters
The entire Indigenous population of Belize has depended on the land since time immemorial for food, shelter and clothing, as well as their culture and religious practices. However, in recent generations, that dependency has been under constant threat of unsustainable large scale logging, oil and gas explorers, hydro-electric companies and commercial resort developers
As a consequence of this, the Maya are increasingly faced with the possibly of displacement from their lands and the irrevocable loss of their identity, economic well-being and way of life.
We believe Justice Conteh, an acting representative of the Crown, was correct to assert that the Maya hold communal land rights and enjoy the same Constitutional protections as the rest the country.
Without this protection, the Maya's future as Indigenous Peoples is grim at best.
We also note that these same land rights have been recognized by the Supreme Courts of more than a dozen countries, and meet the standards of international law, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, to which Belize is a signatory.
We further Encourage the Government to accept the Maya's invitation for a peaceful dialogue.
No matter how the Courts have ruled in the past or may rule in the future, dialogue is essential for building a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship with the Maya People.
It is also understood that the Maya do not truely wish to break off from the State or undermine the country's economic security. These are tragic mischaracterizations. Rather, they are seeking only to secure their own future, and preserve their land and way of life for future generations.
Updates
November 15, 2010
The scale of this support has secured us a meeting with the Minister's office to discuss the appeal. We are currently preparing the legal briefs and documentation required to present our case during these upcoming discussions.
Reached 100 supporters
November 15, 2010
6 Comments
Its heartbreaking to see their way of life under attack by big companies. Really hope the gov does the right thing finally.
Keep the land for the people who actually live their. Stop the appeals and just give them their rights!
The government needs to stop ignoring history. These lands belong to the Maya and always have. Treat them with respect for once.
justice for the maya people. they were there long before any of these developers showed up looking for a quick buck.
LEAVE THE MAYA LANDS ALONE. Stop the logging and the oil prospecting right now. It is greed plain and simple.
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The government has officially withdrawn its appeal and accepted the ruling on communal land rights. We are now shifting our focus to monitoring the implementation process to ensure these protections remain binding for the Maya people.
December 16, 2010
Final supporters
The entire Indigenous population of Belize has depended on the land since time immemorial for food, shelter and clothing, as well as their culture and religious practices. However, in recent generations, that dependency has been under constant threat of unsustainable large scale logging, oil and gas explorers, hydro-electric companies and commercial resort developers
As a consequence of this, the Maya are increasingly faced with the possibly of displacement from their lands and the irrevocable loss of their identity, economic well-being and way of life.
We believe Justice Conteh, an acting representative of the Crown, was correct to assert that the Maya hold communal land rights and enjoy the same Constitutional protections as the rest the country.
Without this protection, the Maya's future as Indigenous Peoples is grim at best.
We also note that these same land rights have been recognized by the Supreme Courts of more than a dozen countries, and meet the standards of international law, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, to which Belize is a signatory.
We further Encourage the Government to accept the Maya's invitation for a peaceful dialogue.
No matter how the Courts have ruled in the past or may rule in the future, dialogue is essential for building a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship with the Maya People.
It is also understood that the Maya do not truely wish to break off from the State or undermine the country's economic security. These are tragic mischaracterizations. Rather, they are seeking only to secure their own future, and preserve their land and way of life for future generations.
Updates
November 15, 2010
The scale of this support has secured us a meeting with the Minister's office to discuss the appeal. We are currently preparing the legal briefs and documentation required to present our case during these upcoming discussions.
Reached 100 supporters
November 15, 2010
6 Comments
The Maya people, like other peoples around the world, have the inherent GOD-given rights to be treated as full-fledged and equal human beings, happy and free on their ancestral lands, and to be fully protected from external persecution, injustice, being driven off of their ancestral lands, and cultural degradation and humiliation.
Its heartbreaking to see their way of life under attack by big companies. Really hope the gov does the right thing finally.
Keep the land for the people who actually live their. Stop the appeals and just give them their rights!
The government needs to stop ignoring history. These lands belong to the Maya and always have. Treat them with respect for once.
justice for the maya people. they were there long before any of these developers showed up looking for a quick buck.
LEAVE THE MAYA LANDS ALONE. Stop the logging and the oil prospecting right now. It is greed plain and simple.
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The Maya people, like other peoples around the world, have the inherent GOD-given rights to be treated as full-fledged and equal human beings, happy and free on their ancestral lands, and to be fully protected from external persecution, injustice, being driven off of their ancestral lands, and cultural degradation and humiliation.