Guatemala: An organization called Behrhorst Partners for Development, including whether it assisted indigenous re-integration in Chimaltenango and whether its staff or members have been threatened or harassed, particularly in Guatemala City (1998 to October 2002)

A chronology included on the Website of the Behrhorst Partners for Development (BPD) states that the creation of the organization was inspired by the work of Dr. Carroll Behrhorst who established the Behrhorst Clinic Foundation in 1967 to carry out health and development activities among rural and poor indigenous Mayans in Chimaltenango (Behrhorst Partners for Development n.d.a). In 1995, the US-based Behrhorst Clinic Foundation changed its name to the Behrhorst Partners for Development to reflect its expanding mandate of assisting indigenous people to meet their basic needs (ibid.).

The Website also provides information on the organization's two goals, which are:

– To support sustainable development initiatives that strive to improve the health and well-being of particularly vulnerable sectors of society.

– To promote through experience-based education an understanding of the principles of participatory community development and the conditions under which it is most effective (ibid. n.d.b.).

Their initiatives are carried out in the department of Chimaltenango and address: "poverty, illiteracy and disastrously high rates of infant and maternal death" (ibid.). The BPD have made a five-year commitment to provide the necessary resources to indigenous peoples in Chimaltenango to alleviate the high rate of infant and maternal mortality rates (ibid. n.d.c). The program will help train traditional birth attendees during deliveries to recognize when it is time for women needing emergency care to be brought to the Behrorst Birthing Centre (ibid.). Health promoters will also be trained under the program "to provide basic preventative and curative health care" (ibid.). Ten villages in the district of San Martin Jilotepeque have been identified for the program, which is being coordinated in conjunction with the Fundación Behrhorst Guatemala (ibid.).

In a 10 October 2002 telephone interview, the assistant at the BPD office in Chimaltenango stated that she was unaware of any threats or harassment directed at staff or supporters of the organization. This information was corroborated in another             10 October 2002 telephone interview with the US coordinator of the BPD in Milwaukee.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Behrhorst Partners for Development, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. 10 October 2002. Telephone interview with the office assistant.

Behrhorst Partners for Development, Milwaukee, WI. 10 October 2002. Telephone interview with the US coordinator.

_____. n.d.a. "About Behrhorst Partners for Development." [Accessed 9 Oct. 2002]

_____. n.d.b. "Partnering with the Rural Mayans of Highland Guatemala in their Quest for Health and Well-Being." [Accessed 9 Oct. 2002]

_____. n.d.c. "Improving Maternal and Child Health." [Accessed 9 Oct. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. 1998-2002

LEXIS/NEXIS

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites including:

Amnesty International

Human Rights Watch

Search engines:

Alltheweb.com

Google