Belize and Guatemala: Youth for peace

For a day, the spirit of the Adjacency Zone Belize-Guatemala was anything but what might be expected of a territory that has been under dispute for more than a century, as hundreds of Guatemalan and Belizean youth joined in a colorful parade, artistic presentations and other activities that were part of a cultural celebration of peace.

The OAS Peace Fund a program Promoting a Culture of Peace of the Organization of American States, recently held its closing day after six months during which young residents of the Adjacency Zone jointly engaged in workshops on art, theater, music, song, guitar and wind instruments.

“The level of acceptance of the program has been tremendous,” said Mr. Sergio Benítez, Program Officer of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone Belize-Guatemala. Numbers tell part of the story: Benítez said that while 70 students were expected to enroll in the program, the final tally was 348.

The two Central American neighbors are litigating an area of 12,000 square kilometers that Guatemala demands back from Belize. On December 8, 2008, the two countries, acting on the recommendation of OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, signed an agreement to submit to a referendum the decision to ask the International Court of Justice to settle their dispute. The plebiscites will take place simultaneously in both countries on a previously agreed upon date.

The OAS set up an office in the disputed region in 2003 after the Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala signed the “Agreement to Establish a Transition Process and Confidence-Building Measures,” later amended to the “Agreement on a Framework for Negotiations and Confidence-Building Measures between Belize and Guatemala.” Since then, the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone has carried out a series of activities that have substantially eased tensions, including fostering community development, preventing the escalation of conflicts through verification missions, supporting the armed forces and executing community resettlement projects.

The Program Promoting a Culture of Peace is among these efforts. It was carried out in close coordination with the governments of Belize and Guatemala and received the indispensable support of the Federal Republic of Germany.
For youth of the region, who have limited access to entertainment and culture, this Program was like a huge escape valve. Another sign of its enduring success is that some musical and theater groups formed during the period of art instruction will continue to practice independently with the support of professors and with the facilitation of space by the OAS.

The colorful cultural event held at the close of the program was a celebration of the arts and of peace building, and was attended by the Special Representative of the OAS Secretary General for Belize-Guatemala Affairs, Ambassador Raúl Lago; the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Peter Linder; and municipal and military authorities, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and international bodies.
November 19, 2009

More in-depth articles »