Using traditional spiritual connections to recover from violence
Location
Place : El Quiché
Country : Guatemala
Region : Latin America
Hazard
Primary : Armed Social Conflict
Typology of Heritage
Social Practices
Aspect of Disaster Management
Recovery
Summary
The Maya people in Guatemala have suffered from a brutal civil war that lasted for 36 years, and that targeted their indigenous identity, culture, and rights. The Maya have a rich and diverse cosmovision, which guides their relationship with the natural and the spiritual world. They have also used their local knowledge of the environment, agriculture, and medicine to cope and recover from the violence, and to reclaim their ancestral lands and territories