Fomento para el Desarrollo Integral

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Rural Libraries

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Rural Libraries Program

Background:
Libraries constitute an important part of the development of a society, especially in improving the quality of life of the individuals who utilize them. Libraries are banks that guard written knowledge, thus relating to changes in the past, present and future of our societies. We believe that it is the right of all Guatemalans to have access to such a service. In Guatemala, the majority of existing libraries are facilitated by either a state agency or a private businesses, such as the Bank of Guatemala (el Banco de Guatemala) and its libraries.

Justification:
We are finding that the scarcity, or the nonexistence, of access to textbooks and books for research is a grave problem for students and their communities in general. A culture of reading does not exist in urban and rural areas, indicating that the education of the newer generations will be of a lower caliber.

After Guatemala was conquered, education was made exclusively available for only a certain part of the society. The indigenous ethnic groups were abandoned and stripped of their right to education. Subsequent governments also did not consider this an important matter, thus continuing to deny the rural areas of this right.

The Internal Armed Conflict, which lasted from the '60s until the '90s, caused a regression in the development of education in rural areas. This is especially true in the Highlands region, where the conflict had the greatest presence.

Recent governments have tried to promote education at all levels, giving priority to the fight against illiteracy. However, the results are yet to be perceived.

Via our programs, we wish to involve the society in the growth of education via participation in civil programs and providing support for the programs that already exist, thus encouraging both governmental and non-governmental organizations.

We envision a developmental organization that, via the provision of urban and rural libraries, will help in the growth of education in areas that need it most. This means complementing and supporting the schools and educational programs that already exist and fostering a culture of reading.

Phone:
+(502) 5774-7235

Email:
fdiguate(at)gmail.com

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