• by IPS Correspondents (san salvador)
• Wednesday, November 16, 1994
• Inter Press Service

SAN SALVADOR, Nov 16 (IPS) - Central American indigenous people are focusing on education and the development of exclusively indigenous media in their aim to make known the importance of ethnic cultures.

Guatemala's indigenous Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu told IPS that the possibility of establishing schools of journalism for indigenous people to have access to "this valuable profession" is being studied.

The transmission of indigenous culture through the press and radio is crucial to uprooting the idea that "indigenous people are not part of society.

"One of our aspirations for the next decade is to achieve not only access to the media, but also to strengthen indigenous communities' radio and press," she added.

As an example of existing efforts, she pointed to the work of the Guatemalan bilingual newspaper 'El Regional' which could become a national-level publication in 1995.

Menchu visited El Salvador to participate in the second Central American planning meeting for the International Indigenous Decade, held Nov. 11-13 in the Sonsonate province, some 60 kilometres from the capital.

Nicaraguan indigenous leader Mirna Cunninghan said the training of indigenous journalists and professionals "is already happening in the region, although at modest levels," and added that the upgrading of existing programmes is being sought.

A pilot project is being carried out in Nicaragua with radio and the press which could be beneficial for the development of indigenous media in Central America, she said.

Menchu said the projects are being implemented by the "Vicente Menchu Foundation" which in 1995 will undertake a study that will encompass Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, where thousands of indigenous peoples took up arms on Jan. 1, demanding social justice.

Despite a lack of studies regarding El Salvador's drastically reduced indigenous population, the difficult task of setting up a radio station is being considered, said the head of the National Indigenous Association, Adrian Esquino Lisco.

In terms of education, indigenous people aim to cut the 50 percent illiteracy rate which plagues their communities, for which it is necessary to systematise the region's various ethnic languages and establish bilingual education that focuses on instilling pride in their own cultures among indigenous people.

According to Cunninghan, the development of exclusively indigenous media would facilitate the tasks of basic education and health care in ethnic communities.

"If indigenous people do not participate in and pay attention to education and other social rights, it will be impossible to avoid new uprisings," said Menchu.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

Where next?

Advertisement