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Global Heritage Fund and Key Partners Invest $1.2 Million to Support Mirador Basin Community Development

May 29, 2009

 

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GLOBAL HERITAGE FUND AND KEY PARTNERS INVEST $1.2 MILLION TO SUPPORT MIRADOR BASIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Investment With Key Organizations Establishes Community-Based Tourism in One of Central America’s Largest Natural Wildlife Reserve

May 29, 2009 - Palo Alto, California USA – Global Heritage Fund together with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Multi-Lateral Investment Fund (MIF), the Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (FUNDESA) and the Foundation of Cultural and Natural Maya Patrimony (PACUNAM) today announced a $1.2 million financial investment in the Mirador Community Tourism Development Program.  The funds will provide essential training and community development for more than 300 families living in the gateway communities of the Mirador Basin.

Tourism is a primary source of income for Guatemala, with over 1.6 million visitors and approximately US $1.2 billion in revenues generated in 2007, according to INGUAT, the Institute of Tourism of Guatemala. The Mirador Basin contains the world’s oldest and largest Maya cities from 800BC to AD100 including major archaeological sites and massive ancient highway systems, some over 40 miles long. Located in the El Mirador National Park of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, the site of El Mirador contains the world’s largest pyramid, La Danta.  The Reserve faces serious threats of deforestation and forest fires, looting and poaching, and lack of resources for protection.  It is critical for the survival of the people and the Reserve to identity and support initiatives to improve the opportunities for sustainable income for the local communities.

“Two of the most important prerequisites for successful long-term global heritage protection are community involvement and private-sector leadership,” said Jeff Morgan, Executive Director of Global Heritage Fund. “We are working closely with our partners to protect Mirador’s Mayan cultural sites and provide the critical institutional framework required for the local community to thrive. Pivotal to Mirador’s long-term survival is building economic opportunities that enrich people’s lives as stewards of their cultural heritage, and end the negative destruction of looting, poaching, trafficking and logging.”

The Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES) will be a lead executor of the program providing training for rangers, guiding, and conservation, as well as leading the improvement of trails and access, visitor services and monument conservation and interpretation signage.

Work at Mirador started over 30 years ago as an archaeological and research effort exploring the earliest Maya societies. In the past five years, with the support of GHF, FARES, PACUNAM, AND APANAC, Mirador has grown to one of the region’s largest integrated conservation and community development initiatives.

This year, Guatemala’s President Alvaro Colom declared his support for the “Cuatro Balam” national park and identified Mirador as the cultural heritage centerpiece—covering over 4,000 ancient Maya settlements, temples, pyramids, tombs and observatories. The project is expected to produce thousands of permanent jobs and to increase regional and national income from national and international tourism.

The Guatemalan government is now committing major new investments in park infrastructure, social services, security and park management. President Colom estimates the project will generate thousands of new jobs and will be a critical initiative to stop the destruction of the Maya Biosphere through deforestation, wildlife poaching and looting of artifacts which is destroying the last Maya forests and ancient cities.

About PACUNAM
Since 2006,  9 of Guatemala’s leading corporations (Cementos Progreso, Wal-Mart Centroamérica, Fundación Pantaleón, Cervecería Centroamericana SA, Banco Industrial, Telgua/Claro, Disagro, Blue Oil and Citi Latin America) have united with GHF and FARES to form the Foundation of Cultural and Natural Maya Patrimony (PACUNAM) to support the conservation and sustainable development of the country’s cultural and natural patrimony. PACUNAM looks to become Guatemala’s leading foundation in the preservation of Mayan natural and cultural heritage by combining the efforts of companies, businessmen and individuals. With a long-range planning, its mission includes education, recovery, maintenance, protection and advertising of Mayan natural and cultural heritage, by promoting a responsible, sustainable and profitable Tourism.

About Global Heritage Fund
Global Heritage Fund is an international conservancy dedicated to preserving endangered world heritage sites in developing countries to improve lives of local people. GHF enables successful, long-term preservation of the developing world’s most important archaeological sites and ancient townscapes in developing countries, creating new opportunities for economic growth. To achieve this, Global Heritage Fund deploys a well-proven Preservation by Design methodology: 1) comprehensive master conservation planning, 2) sustained preservation through local community involvement, 3) excellence in scientific conservation, and 4) partnerships and complementary funding. Global Heritage Fund is a registered non-profit international conservancy based in Palo Alto, California.  Web site: www.globalheritagefund.org.

About FARES
The Foundation for Anthropological Research and Environmental Studies (FARES) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), scientific research institution and public charity formed in January 1996 whose primary function is to conduct scientific research on ancient and contemporary societies and associated environments and to utilize this research for development, conservation, and education. FARES is currently working in close collaboration with the government of Guatemala and numerous foundations and institutions throughout the world. The organization employs a comprehensive developmental approach to form a strong, multi-disciplinary, and systematic approach to understanding human behavior and cultural relationships with the environment from both an ancient and contemporary perspective.  Web site: http://www.miradorbasin.com, www.fares-foundation.org

About FUNDESA
The Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (FUNDESA) is a private, nonprofit formed by entrepreneurs in their personal capacity. The organization works to influence the development, sustainable and democratic development in a market economy and rule of law with a purpose and long-term vision on the key issues for development of Guatemalans.

About MIF and IDB
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) is part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and is a major source of non-reimbursable technical assistance for the development of micro and small enterprises in Latin America and the Caribbean.  The organization has a clear mandate: to promote economic growth through the development of the sector private—particularly micro and small enterprises. MIF II goes forward with a renewed focus on poverty reduction. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) provides solutions to development challenges in 26 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, partnering with governments, companies and civil society organizations. The IDB lends money and provides grants. It also offers research, advice and technical assistance to improve key areas like education, poverty reduction and agriculture. Our clients range from central governments to city authorities and small businesses. The Bank also seeks to take a lead role on cross-border issues like trade, infrastructure and energy.