A Symbol of Peace
...Building peace requires that we start by weaving a fabric out of the threads of equality, justice, participatory democracy, and respect for the rights of all peoples and cultures; we must establish intercultural relations that will promote harmonious coexistence through cultural pluralism.
-Rigoberta Menchú
"Peace Accords to Be Signed Today." from Prensa Libre, a Guatemalan newspaper; Source: Our Culture is Our Resistance, 1996
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Throughout all her work, Rigoberta Menchú's ultimate goal has been to bring peace and reconciliation to the people of Guatemala. She played a major role in passing the Peace Accords of 1996 that brought an end to the Civil War.
The signing of the "Firm and Lasting Peace Agreement" by the Guatemalan president and leader of the URNG; Source: Fundación Princesa de Asturias
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Excerpt from "Agreement on a firm and lasting peace"; Source: United Nations Peacemaker
"'Her [Menchú's] voice is the symbol of the struggle of our Maya people of Guatemala for peace and development...Rigoberta Menchú's struggle is an expression of the resistance of all Mayans, and is a contribution to the construction of a new society in which neither Mayans nor any other people will be marginalized or neglected.'"
-Arturo Arias; from The Rigoberta Menchú Controversy
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She was appointed the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Goodwill Ambassador in 1996, in order "to promote the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and the preservation of indigenous culture." (Unesco.org) She remains a model of inspiration for Guatemalan indigenous, and represents hope for a brighter future of peace. |
Menchú during a working session at the UNESCO Headquarters; Source: Unesco.org
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"I may die tomorrow, or the day after. I will not be here forever, like the eternal things on earth, but I will always be a sign of time that will remain in our Mayan memory. I am very conscious of this. A lot of people will remember me when I am dead. They'll remember the good things and the mistakes I made, for that is how the history of mankind is made up."
-Rigoberta Menchú; excerpted from Crossing Borders
Menchú on a presidential campaign; Source: Associated Press, 2007
Although her presence is temporary,
Menchú's foundations and supporters will carry on her life's work--securing human rights for
all, and changing Guatemala into a community where ladinos and indígenas [indigenous people], men
and women, guerrillas and civilians, may finally live in peace.