V. Justification

• Starting approximately in 1990 forward, the Guatemalan society has experimented with various transitions at the political level requiring action to strengthen positive changes, while confronting and diminishing their negative effects. Among these transitions we mention the most salient:
  1. 1996 saw the end of four decades of war with the signing of the peace accord. We intend to leave behind a long and bitter past of military dictatorship, political violence, and the exclusion of all types. This is a favorable opportunity to transition from war to peace and from dictatorship and authoritarianism to incipient and weak new democracy. It is a challenge for the city to pursue concretely the concealed powerful social and economic structures that continue in effect.
  2. The transition from military authoritarianism to a participative civil society.
  3. The transition from a central economic state to a market economy as part of neoliberalism. This transition concerns the city that has become a factory of poor people.
• The war that Guatemala lived during 36 years requires the presence and actions of the Christians to construct the new nation. Reconstruction of the new society, to combat poverty, strengthens brotherly reconciliation and a culture of peace and brotherhood.
  
  The report Guatemala, Never More, gives a sad account of 150 thousand deaths, 50 thousand missing persons, 1 million internal displaced persons, 100 thousand refugees and 200 thousand orphan children. Three out of four victims of war were indigenous people. Consequently, Guatemala enters the new century lagging behind greatly.
  
  
• In education, four of every ten Guatemalans don't know how to read and write. In the rural areas, six of every ten don't know how to read and write and 80% of these are women. Guatemala has the lowest indices of literacy in all of Latin America.
  
  In primary education, according to the National Inquiry of Revenues and Family Spending (ENIEPAM) of 1998, attendance at this level is 56%. This signifies a tremendous lack of attendance and a high drop out rate. The causes are poverty, unemployment of the fathers, emigration and entrance to the workforce at an early age for the children.
  
  There is a lack of attendance in secondary education for those who have completed their primary education.
  
  
• Health status of the communities is especially by the reality that 80% of the children suffer from malnutrition along with 70% of the women. The major illnesses are diarrhea, parasites, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, chronic malnutrition, malaria, measles and others. All are preventable with training and counseling to the mothers and their families.
• Lack of land: In the communities, families of eight members possess from 1 to 15 cuerdas of land. (About one-tenth of an acre to two acres.)
• Agriculture: Lack technical training and capital resources to make changes in the production of agriculture.
  
  In the production of coffee, 80% of the farmers produce from 80 to 300 pounds of coffee grapes per cuerda which measures about 625 square yards.
  
  When the groups who have been trained by CESSMAQ are tested, they now produce 900 to 1,700 pounds of quality coffee in the same unit of land.
  
  A lack of diversification of cultivation and markets for the agricultural production.
  
  High costs of production and low prices of the agricultural products.
  
  100% of the men of the communities are farmers and depend solely on this activity to generate revenues for survival.
  
  Lack of technical alternatives for production that will not adversely affect the environment.
  
  
• Employment: Population growth and the establishment of new families reduce the quantity of available land for agricultural purposes, which generates unemployment and emigration to other provinces in search of work.
  
  The men, women, youth and children, emigrate to the plantations to work to obtain other economic resources, where they can earn between Q18 to Q20 (US $2.00 to $3.25) per day. This is during harvest time that lasts approximately 45 days. When it is not harvest time, some of the men are employed 1 to 3 days per week with a salary of Q15 to Q18, and have a family of eight to support. Those that don't obtain work, cut firewood and sell it in the neighboring towns that need it or they dedicate their time to maintaining their coffee fields.
  
  
• The women are employed by the plantations and their salary is inferior as compared to the men's salary even though they do the same work. Their salaries are between Q8 and Q12 per day.
• There are approximately 90 days per year, when there is no work available, which dramatically affects their income and their capacity to save money. During these times when there is no work, they use the money earned during the times there is work. This results in a lack of economic resources to improve their home, health, clothing, education, recreation and other necessities.
  
  The groups that have benefited from agricultural training by CESSMAQ, today produce quality coffee in major quantities. They have had the opportunity to improve their quality of life and serve as role models to those that have not received training from CESSMAQ.
  
  
• Youth and Children
  1. Because of the poverty in the communities, children as young as 5 years of age work. The children help their parents in the agricultural work in their own plots of land and the work the parents realize in the plantations. This limits the physical, intellectual and spiritual development, which the children deserve. They suffer from malnutrition, many don't go to school, and there is a high drop out rate.
     
     The boys and girls have never had vacation bible school where they can learn about God and His word. The churches aren't able to pay special attention to this. They don't have Sunday school for the children or youth. This is a crisis of spiritual poverty.
     
     
  2. The youth of the communities that are involved in this plan are unemployed. Their work consists of helping their father in the cultivation of coffee in their small plots of land. Pushed by their necessities, they emigrate to the big cities in search of work. Sadly, they don't find work because they are not qualified, aren't prepared, they are illiterate, or just have an elementary education. Elementary education is not enough to hold a job. These youth work for subservient wages, then return to their respective communities frustrated and many are not happy with community life. They don't want to work in agriculture. In many cases, they return with negative behaviors such as alcoholism, drugs and gang violence.
  3. 98% of the young people live unmotivated, isolated and distant from the problems and necessities of their community and family. There is a need for motivating, organizing and forming leaders with a vision of the present and the future, who are involved in the actions and processes of their community to create structures and conditions for a just society.
     
     There is also no interest in spiritual development, material or intellectual. Years of poverty and marginalization have created a conformist mentality, dependent, individualistic and alienated. It is a challenge to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God this group.
     
     
  4. There are no opportunities to continue with the secondary (junior high) education and professional education.
  5. There are no alternatives to learning and training for jobs.
  6. At the national level, the Guatemalan population is young: 44% is less than 14 years old and 65% is less than 25 years old in a population of approximately 12 million in an under developed country.
  7. There is no leadership.
  8. The youth are scattered.
• Ecclesiastical Situation
  1. There is wealth in churches and denominations; however, they lack unity because of the diversity of doctrine. There exists antagonism that tears the unity and encourages the loss or lack of a mission and vision for the church.
  2. There is a lack of leadership development.
  3. The churches and their respective messages are foreign to the communal reality.
  4. There is excessive doctrinal fervor.
• Environment
  1. There is no environmental education.
  2. Poverty and unemployment lead to deforestation.
  3. At a national level, deforestation accounts for 90 million acres of forest per year. The UNAB (National Forest Institute) only reforested 8 million acres.