What does GHRC mean in COMMISSIONS

The Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) is a non-profit, grassroots organization working to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous peoples in Guatemala by supporting their struggle for justice and self-determination. GHRC documents human rights violations, supports local leaders, advocates for policy changes, provides humanitarian aid, and works to build international solidarity.

The GHRC works to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous peoples in Guatemala through documentation of human rights violations, support of local leaders, advocacy for policy changes, providing humanitarian aid, and building international solidarity.

The GHRC documents human rights violations by interviewing witnesses of abuse and survivors of violence; collecting firsthand accounts from victims; conducting investigations into government-sponsored abuses; monitoring military activities; and tracking current events. The information gathered is then used to publicize findings through press releases, reports, social media postings, conferences and other forms of public outreach.

The GHRC provides capacity building trainings to strengthen Indigenous leadership in different regions throughout Guatemala. These trainings focus on topics such as self-governance structures and convenyancing customary law as well as legal instruments that protect land tenure systems. Furthermore, GHRC also assists with grant writing projects designed to strengthen organizational capacity development programs in place at local communities.

The GHRC works with governments around the world to address root causes of violence in Indigenous communities or injustice done by government actors - this could be poverty alleviation measures or legislative reforms. For example, GHRC has worked closely with Guatemalan officials to pass laws that strengthen protections for land rights and seek justice for victims of state repression during past military campaigns against Mayan people in the 70s–80s civil war period.

Through various fundraising initiatives such as crowd funding campaigns or large donor partnerships – GHRC has been able coordinate relief support for communities suffering from extreme drought crisis or environmental destruction due corporate exports operations – like mining or oil extraction contexts. Additionally they also provide emergency sheltering support—this often includes building new housing units during natural disasters or addressing food insecurity gaps within higher populated cities like Quetzaltenango.