UCLG Position Paper v_2 (eng)
22/12/09
18:13
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A Compilation of Case Studies
9 Municipal partnership between Herent (Flanders, Belgium) and Nimlaha’kok and Nimlasa’chal (Guatemala) promotes local ownership of development strategies
At the start of the collaboration, the municipal partners in Guatemala elaborated a set of criteria as pre-conditions for a good working partnership with a European municipality, in this case, Herent. An important criterion was to include work with various local communities to avoid limiting the partnership to one single local entity. Another crucial criterion was to support the indigenous group of MayaQ’eqchi’s who seek recognition as a social entity and strive for self-governance. With these criteria in mind, Herent began collaborating with two of Cobán’s micro-regions: Nimlaha’kok and Nimlasa’chal with 7,670 and 4,800 inhabitants, respectively. These are historically, culturally, socially and geographically the most forgotten and isolated areas of Alta Verapaz, and the only ones excluded from regional developmental plans implemented by national and international NGOs. In both micro-regions, poverty is striking and there are problems at all levels. Children leave primary school at an early age to work alongside their parents and help to support the family. Illiteracy is high; access to health care is scarce. The micro-regions themselves consist of 44 and 22 small local communities, respectively, that are living scattered in the hills and valleys. They remained excluded from all development assistance programmes.
Prepared by the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG), September 2009
Local governments have an important role to play in social mobilization, particularly to help poor, excluded and the discriminated people in a process of informing and articulating development priorities at the local and national levels. This case-study illustrates how the international municipal partnership between the Belgian municipality of Herent and the Guatemalan Q’eqchi’ microregions Nimlaha’kok and Nimlasa’chal has helped to strengthen the voice of these micro-regions in the formal local government system that exists within the Guatemalan legal framework, while supporting their claim for indigenous self-governance that is respectful of their cultural identity.
On the other hand, both regions possess diversity in natural resources, have strong leaders and a good community organisation. Furthermore, the Q’eqchi’ in both regions are very aware of the strengths and richness of their own cultural identity. This context contributed fundamentally to Herent’s decision to concentrate its focus on both micro-regions and provides the international municipal partnership with a strong basis.
Background Since 2002 the municipality of Herent, in the Flemish region of Belgium, has been involved in a partnership with the municipality of Cobán, the largest of 15 municipalities of the department (province) of Alta Verapaz in Guatemala. With 160,000 inhabitants, Cobán is divided into six micro-regions that are legally recognised as local entities (Municipal Codex, decree 2002). These six micro-regions account for 317 local communities scattered over the territory. Access to these remote communities is not easy due to the lack of road infrastructure and geography of the area.
The Issue The Government of Guatemala introduced new legislation in 2002 that aims to stimulate the participation of all communities – including indigenous – in local government. The legislation regulates the process of decentralization, recognizing indigenous identity and the right to preserve and strengthen indigenous forms of local authority. Combined with international agreements and declarations (i.e. Convention 169 of the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous People38), the legislation provides the legal framework for the right of self-governance for indigenous peoples. If correctly applied, the framework will
38 This Declaration was adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007.
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