New Stage for Peace in Guatemala
Guatemala - The National Fund for Peace (FONAPAZ)
begins a new stage in political life in
Guatemala alter signing a collaboration
agreement with the Accion Ciudadana Group.
During this new period of the institution,
attached to the Presidency of the Republic,
intends to "collaborate in the construction
of peace through a concept of integral work
and social cohesion" through a complete
reorganization, the agreement reveals.
With this program, it adds, priority will be
given to projects to achieve a better
coverage of the needs of the population.
Another objective is significantly reducing
non governmental organizations "as a measure
to allot and unify Social Funds to prevent
duplicity of functions and unnecessary
expenses."
This will make FONAPAZ a more efficient and
transparent institution, it adds.
Assisting as witness of honor, was President
Alvaro Colom who recalled the years when he
was at the head of that institution created
on June 28 1991 as a Social Fund of
Emergency.
He pointed out that this institution
collaborated intensely in achieving peace
during the internal war in Guatemala but
later "when I learned what it had become I
almost had a professional attack," he added,
without going into details.
However, he added, now "it is a brave and
strong effort, expressing appreciation of
Accion Ciudadana as a guarantee of
transparency,"
Through this reorganizations "FONAPAZ"
becomes a financial branch of the Council of
Social Cohesion to build a peace that we
have not achieved in Guatemala," he
explained referring to the climate of
insecurity prevalent in the nation.
"It fulfilled a first mission that was
during the war, now we want it to
collaborate in this new stage," expressed
the president.
The reason for this Fund in its foundation
was to develop projects to eradicate
poverty, even extreme poverty and was one of
the pillars on which it relied during the
last stages of the Peace Agreements signed
in 1998.
For its part, Accion Ciudadana is the named
Guatemala International Transparency chapter
to design and implement policies related to
those of FONAPAZ. |
