The Pearl Company

Opus Mundi Festival opens with two events commemorating: Guatemala: Never Again

Thursday April 24th at 7 pm: an evening of Guatemalan films: When Mountains Tremble and A Haunted Land.

Saturday, April 26 at 7 pm: a commemoration of the memory and work of Guatemalan Bishop Gerardi & the official presentation of the REMHI report, Guatemala: Never Again, candle light vigil and readings.
Saturday, April 26 at 8:30 pm: concert by Guatemalan guitarist, Pedro Montejo
[Photo by: Daniel Hernandes. “So that all will know / Para que todos lo sepan” Cover of “Guatemala: Never Again”]

FREE! Donations accepted, Refreshments available.

Cafe Justicia will also be for sale to support the Campesino Committee of the Highlands, Guatemala.

ORGANIZED BY: The Gerardi Commemoration Committee (Companer@s North-South, Development and Peace, Guatemalan Working Group, Hamilton Friendship Association)
With the generous support of:
Development & Peace
Ontario Public Interest Research Group, McMaster
The Pearl Company.

These events are part of a 10th anniversary commemoration of the Recuperation of Historical Memory (REMHI) Report GUATEMALA: NEVER AGAIN! and the assasination of BISHOP JUAN GERARDI in 1998. Guatemala: Never Again, is a powerful report of the Recuperation of Historical Memory Project (REMHI) which analyzes thousands of testimonies of human rights violation during the 36 year war. On April 24, 1998 Bishop Gerardi publicly presented the report to the national and international community, fingering the Guatemalan military for the vast majority of atrocities. Two days later Bishop Gerardi was bludgeoned to death in his home. His murder was later proven to be orchestrated by Guatemalan military elites.

BACKGROUND:

The Recuperation of Historyical Memory Project began in 1995 as a response to the consequences of nearly 4 decades of war (officially ending in 1996) which violently took some 200,000 lives; 80% of atrocities occurred between 1980-83, targetting Rural Mayan Villages.

The army was able to dictate a general amnesty during peace accords’ negotiations

The REMHI Project was motivated not only by the collective and individual suffering of the Guatemalan people but by the violence that robbed Guatemalans of the right to speak.

According to Bishop Gerardi, REMHI project was about restoring speech to a country that had been polarized and terrorized; it was about documenting war-time atrocities so that the truth would be known and would never happen again. Some 800 promoters were trained to collect testimony throughout the country.

What resulted was a 4-volume, 1400 pages report. Guatemala: Never Again was able to identify 422 of the 600 massacres, most of which occurred between 1981-83. The strategies, mechanisms and meticulous planning of the brutality “surpassed all expectations of horror”, according to REMHI teams. The report goes beyond most conventional truth commissions and actually names names — military units, spy networks and individuals who headed them up.
The presentation of the report on April 24, 1998 was seen as a way of giving the report back to the people. Copies it their entirety and in popular form were distributed to Indigenous, human rights and church groups throughout the country to encourage healing and reconciliation.

Photo by: Daniel Hernandes. “So that all will know / Para que todos lo sepan”
Cover of “Guatemala: Never Again”

When we began this project, we were interested in discovering the truth in order to share it. We were interested in reconstructing the history of pain and death, understanding the reasons for it, the why and the how. We sought to show the human drama and to share with others the sorrow and anguish of the thousands of dead, disappeared, and tortured. We sought to look at the roots of injustice and the absence of values”.
-Juan José Gerardi Conedera

Please join us in commemorating the

Guatemala: Never Again, is a powerful report of the Recuperation of Historical Memory Project (REMHI) which analyzes thousands of testimonies of human rights violation during the 36 year war. On April 24, 1998 Bishop Gerardi publicly presented the report to the national and international community, fingering the Guatemalan military for the vast majority of atrocities. Two days later Bishop Gerardi was bludgeoned to death in his home. His murder was later proven to be orchestrated by Guatemalan military elites.

 

Thurs Apr. 24 and Sat Apr 26 @ 7pm

THE PEARL COMPANY

16 Steven St, Hamilton (near King)

Film Night ~ Thurs. April 24, 7pm – 10:30pm

Join us for a film series on recent Guatemalan history, commemorative words for Bishop Gerardi & all the Guatemalans who broke their silence so the truth would be known.

Vigil, Commemoration & Music ~ Sat. April 26, 7pm -9:30pm

You’re invited to commemorate the memory and work of Guatemalan Bishop Gerardi & the official presentation of the REMHI report, Guatemala: Never Again, candle light vigil and readings.

The evening will close with music with guitarist, Pedro Montejo.

FREE! Donations accepted, Refreshments available.

Cafe Justicia will also be for sale to support the Campesino Committee of the Highlands, Guatemala.

ORGANIZED BY:

The Gerardi Commemoration Committee (Companer@s North-South, Development and Peace, Guatemalan Working Group, Hamilton Friendship Association).

With the generous support of:

Development & Peace

Ontario Public Interest Research Group, McMaster

The Pearl Company.

BACKGROUND:

The Recuperation of Historyical Memory Project began in 1995 as a response to the consequences of nearly 4 decades of war (officially ending in 1996) which violently took some 200,000 lives; 80% of atrocities occurred between 1980-83, targetting Rural Mayan Villages.

The army was able to dictate a general amnesty during peace accords’ negotiations

The REMHI Project was motivated not only by the collective and individual suffering of the Guatemalan people but by the violence that robbed Guatemalans of the right to speak.

According to Bishop Gerardi, REMHI project was about restoring speech to a country that had been polarized and terrorized; it was about documenting war-time atrocities so that the truth would be known and would never happen again. Some 800 promoters were trained to collect testimony throughout the country.

What resulted was a 4-volume, 1400 pages report. Guatemala: Never Again was able to identify 422 of the 600 massacres, most of which occurred between 1981-83. The strategies, mechanisms and meticulous planning of the brutality “surpassed all expectations of horror”, according to REMHI teams. The report goes beyond most conventional truth commissions and actually names names — military units, spy networks and individuals who headed them up.

The presentation of the report on April 24, 1998 was seen as a way of giving the report back to the people. Copies it their entirety and in popular form were distributed to Indigenous, human rights and church groups throughout the country to encourage healing and reconciliation.

Photo by: Daniel Hernandes. “So that all will know / Para que todos lo sepan”

Cover of “Guatemala: Never Again”

“When we began this project, we were interested in discovering the truth in order to share it. We were interested in reconstructing the history of pain and death, understanding the reasons for it, the why and the how. We sought to show the human drama and to share with others the sorrow and anguish of the thousands of dead, disappeared, and tortured. We sought to look at the roots of injustice and the absence of values”.
-Juan José Gerardi Conedera