2020 JIAPICH Finalist- NGO Impacto of Mexico

NGO Impacto was created in order to reduce poverty and inequality in Mexico beginning with the state of Chiapas. The main focus is to increase incomes for people living in the communities of the Highlands of Chiapas. NGO Impacto work in economic sectors that are relevant to the local economy, as well as in priority areas like education, gender equity and social communication, in order to improve quality of life of the people living in these communities. Impacto creates the links between those who produce the goods and conscientious consumers, thus generating sustainable development in the state of Chiapas. The main objective of our Textile Program is to promote the integral development of the Mayan women artisans. To do this, we have a team specialized in different areas that facilitates human development, technical production and business development. IMPACTO is educating, creating awareness, and promoting the protection of intangible heritage of Mayan communities in Mexico. They are leading protocols that m

The Nan Pa’ch ceremony of Guatemala

“La Paach” is a word derived from pre-Hispanic origins of Guatemala. It is currently listed among the Urgent Safeguarding list since 2013. The four main essential components to the Nan Pa’ch ceremony of Guatemala are the following: The lords of the Pagon, The Parlimentos or God mothers, Assembly of elders, and the dance of the Paach. The ceremony is a corn-veneration ritual held in San Pedro Sacatepéquez, San Marcos in Guatemala for the purpose of good harvest. The ritual highlights the close connections that the people of San Pedros have with nature. The gatherers and participants pray in the Mam language as well as the ceremonial corncobs. The participants are mainly older farmers, both men and women who are pillars of their community. The Paach ceremony strengthens the identity of the community of San Pedro and its knowledge and respect for nature and its conservation. The transmission process is both oral and practical, with a group leader instructing new members at workshops and children accompanying the

Symbol of Costa Rican Hardwork: Las Carretas

Las Carretas is the national pride of Costa Rica. The Spanish whom brought their design to incorporate them into the Costa Rican coffee transport first introduced these Costa Rican Oxcarts. The original oxcarts did not work well in the terrain and climate of the new land. A native design aesthetically and functionally were needed to fit its environment. As the oxcarts became more adapted to Costa Rica, they took on their own identity. The families would make colorful designs of their surroundings onto the oxcarts making them unique. It became a status symbol among families distinguishing them according to their elaborate design and functions of the oxcarts. Las Carretas flourished in the 19th and parts of 20th century. The strong oxen would carry coffee, the Costa Rican national export, into unpaved roads and mountainous terrains. Although the invention of motor based vehicles would eventually take over the transportation, it became a symbol of hard work and the embodiment of the Costa Rican lifestyle. It app