In Guatemala, Mayan Ixil youth are taking bold steps to reclaim their identity. They are confronting sociopolitical challenges and forging a path toward the future they want to see. Over the past four years, AFSC has been supporting their efforts through a civic-political training diploma program, working alongside the Chemol Txumb'al (“Weaving Knowledge”) youth network.
As the national program coordinator for AFSC in Guatemala, I have witnessed a remarkable transformation among young Mayan Ixil leaders. This diploma course is more than just an educational initiative. It is a powerful tool for cultural preservation, community empowerment, and resistance. The program brings together Mayan Ixil youth so they can reflect on the sociopolitical reality they face, develop tools for analysis, and strengthen their political agency.
Our work comes at a critical time for the Ixil people. Over the decades, Western influence has significantly impacted Ixil identity and traditional ways of life. From the Spanish invasion to the recent internal armed conflict—during which the Ixil were victims of genocide—the community has faced numerous challenges. The Ixil people have faced the appropriation of large lands for the planting and export of coffee by the country's elites. Little by little, the same corporations that exported coffee opened the doors to other foreign investment projects to create hydroelectric plants—displacing and criminalizing communities in the process.
Evangelical religion was introduced to Guatemala. Although it served as a palliative to the violence, it also eroded some traditional forms of resistance—and made it easier for outside interests to introduce new corporate projects in Ixil territories. The advance of such extractive projects has a direct link with the weakening of the Ixil fabric and identity.
The diploma course seeks to reflect on these problems, starting with the political principle of reivindicación de la identidad ixil (“the reclamation of Ixil identity”). AFSC has supported Chemol Txumb'al in the planning, design, and development of the diploma modules. The program covers a wide range of topics, including the history of the Ixil Mayan people and the meaning of Tichajil Tenam ("people's life" or "good living") and the functioning of the western state and government.
We also address issues such as migration. Over the years, thousands of young people have made the difficult decision to migrate to the United States and adapt to the development model that has been imposed on them for decades. This exodus has also further weakened Ixil society and resistance to extractive projects.
The impact of the civic-political diploma program has been truly inspiring. Over time, dozens of young people have deepened their understanding of their roots and the historical struggles of their grandparents and parents, the problems they face today, and the ways in which they can organize themselves to take action.
“The resistance that our grandfathers had is not mentioned in any education center,” one participant said. “We need to reclaim all these topics of our history, our culture, our way of life, the way we think. That is why it's so important for young people to get involved.”
These young leaders are already applying what they’ve learned through the program for the benefit of their communities. Some participants have decided to join AFSC-supported projects to recover ancestral practices, including cultivating community gardens, medicinal plants, and native Melipona bees to produce honey. Others have embraced Mayan ceremonial activities that promote and strengthen Ixil identity and worldview.
Through this program, we hope to maintain a space for young people to continue meeting, claim their Ixil roots, and join community initiatives that promote the well-being of the Ixil people. By equipping young people with knowledge of their history, rights, and potential for change, we're nurturing a new generation of Ixil leaders committed to the " Tichajil Tenam" (the well-being of the Ixil people).
To learn more about the program, watch the video above.
