We regret to report that Jay Johnson, of Panajachel, passed away suddenly on Friday evening. Jay and his wife, Jillian, had lived at the Lake for about a year. The beauty of the Lake led him to an interest in photography and he was a member of the Panajachel photo club. Jay was a concerned citizen of the world and a bright star for all who knew him. Farewell, Jay.
OK, now I know that you have been stowing away all of your old, outdated, nonworking electronic gear because you just don't know what to do with it! Here is your chance! AMSCLAE is holding an Electronics Recycling event on December 7, on Avenida de los Arboles in Panajachel.
A couple of weeks ago we told you about Alex Morritt's book, Glimpses of Guatemala. If you are wondering what to give family relatives and friends this Christmas, help is at hand.
For a limited period only until 13th December 2012, the publisher Blurb is reducing the cost of all their printed books including Glimpses of Guatemala - a poetic & photographic perspective by Alex Morritt by £7 per unit (or the equivalent in US$ ; EUR € or other local currencies).
Just apply the promotional code " SAVE7 " at checkout when you order the book online.
http://www.blurb.co.uk/bookstore/detail/3183261
Last May the first Lake Atitlan Marathon was held at the Lake. This was an amazing event and brought runners from around the world to participate. One of the primary goals of the Marathon was to raise funds for environmental needs around the Lake. The Report for the Marathon Committee came out in September and it shows a profit of Q93, 205.14. The Rotary Club of Northeastern Guatemala City together with several U.S.-based Rotary clubs will contribute an additional Q540,000. The report states that these monies will be contributed to a fund for Todos por el Lago - The Ecological Latrines Project Atitlan. The San Lucas chapter of Todos por el Lago, due to it's extraordinary community participation and career, has been chosen for the first community to receive the benefits of this project. After an evaluation of the project, the decision will be made on launching the program for a total coverage of the lake basin. The project will be management by a team with experience in this area and with HELPS International.
As has been reported previously, black water pollution at the Lake is a major concern and contributes to up to 85% of the pollution. This pollution is not only a health hazard, but contributes significantly to cyanobacteria blooms.
To read the full Lake Atitlan Marathon Committee Report, go to:
http://santacruzlalaguna.weebly.com/lake-atitlan-marathon.html
The next marathon event will be held on Thanksgiving weekend 2013, with the 42k marathon on Saturday November 30th and the 21k half marathon race on Sunday December 1st. 2013. The committee is in need of volunteers, especially in the planning state! Come volunteer for this great event! For updates, visit their website:
http://atitlanmarathon.com.
Some of you may not know about or might want a refresher on what is Todos pro el Lago. Here is an outline description of the movement (first in English then Spanish). There is an Executive Coordination Committee and various local chapters.
The Santa Cruz Todos por el Lago chapter was quite active at one point, actually raising money and coordinating the installation of eco-latrines in Santa Cruz. Due to a lack of financing and cooperation from the muni, the group has languished. We hope this new input from the Lake Atitlan Marathon can revive the energy that once was there. If you are interested participating in the local Santa Cruz chapter, contact me through the CONTACT FORM.
Todos por el Lago (English)
Todos por el Lago is a movement that unites the efforts of many groups, authorities, institutions and individual citizens, without representing any organization or person. It is an apolitical group unaffiliated with any union or staff. Todos por el Lago actively seeks help to restore Lake Atitlan for all. It is an initiative of a group of friends who share their love and commitment to one Atitlán Azul.
Principles that guide the actions:
• Add and not divide. Our actions are focused on actions that bring something to the movement's goals.
• Todos por el Lago includes all who want to help protect and preserve the lake Atitlan Basin: authorities, civil society, young, old, men, women, Kaqchikel, Tzutujil, Quiches, Ladino, gringos, etc.., without distinction.
• Respect for other's knowledge and actions based on the best scientific knowledge available to us.
Targeting actions:
• Involve widely to all stakeholders in the lake, including municipal, departmental and national.
• Communicate with local authorities, hotels and restaurants, community residents, association of boaters, fishermen, weavers, etc.. guides cars, and others.
• Maintain communication with other local committees to share lessons learned and best practices and to publicize the proceedings.
Promote actions:
• systems for wastewater treatment;
• planting green filters (tulle, vetiver, etc) and reforestation in the shore willows and native trees in the basin;
• solid waste management;
• management and soil conservation to prevent erosion;
• replacement of agrochemicals for composting;
• political lobbying and media management;
• environmental education and awareness in communities;
• ongoing monitoring and scientific analysis.
Todos por el Lago manages funds through NGOs or other entities duly accredited under auditing standards and accountability as those in NGOs as Atit'Ala 'and lines of communication with persons known and supported by our members. Funds should be allocated for specific projects, such as the case of the Ecological Latrines Project Atitlán
Actions
Todos por el Lago has spent several years acting in various ways. The most visible actions have been
• during natural disasters like Hurricane Stan when we bring emergency supplies to isolated populations 4-5 days before the state presence in these places do.
• in the first bloom of cyanobacteria, all coordinated by the Lake the first public meetings to report on the situation, contacted scientists, financed and coordinated in conjunction with Friends of Lake logistics Scientific Expedition 2010
• during the public intercambios authorities on systems of wastewater treatment, including Panajachel, on Lake All disagreed with the choice of technology and the operation and maintenance model chosen
• when the municipal of Solola promoted the construction of a slaughterhouse in the vicinity of the municipal capital of Solola that violated the law and that generated numerous environmental and social problems to the residents of San Isidro and basin, all by actively Lake opposed and stopped the project.
Moreover, all the Lake has advanced programs:
• replanting of tulle,
• reforestation
• communal nurseries,
• laundry (batteries) with bathrooms, playgrounds and wetland for water treatment,
• Installation of efficient stoves
• installing water filters in communities around the lake.
Legal Status
All the Lake recently adopted a low profile with the aim of strengthening AMSCLAE giving rightful leadership. AMSCLAE now has a regulation and a legal structure that supported exceptional direct from the Vice President can go directly to the Ministers and mobilize resources to fulfill their role. On the path above and the fact that all the Lake does not handle state funds, was invited to be part of the Executive Coordination AMSCLAE.
It is worth mentioning that all the Lake had been up late last year a movement of informed and engaged citizens for a place on the Executive Coordination was necessary to have legal status. So, given the strategic need to amplify the work so far in advance and the importance of exercising independent oversight actions, we became neighbors in committee and now we are part of the Executive Coordination.
To provide the Committee inscribed neighbors:
• Alberto Rivera Gutierrez, President
• Ivan Azurdia, Vice-President
• Alfred Kaltschmitt, Treasurer
• Maria Isabel Quezada Urruela, Secretary
• Antonio Castañeda Arimany Diego, Vocal
• José María Rivera Tyng, Vocal
Local Committees:
Todos por el Lago works mainly on the initiative of the local committees. At various times there have been committees:
• San Isidro (neighbor of the municipal capital of Solola)
• San Juan La Laguna (Atit'Alá led initiatives
• San Pedro La Laguna
• Santa Cruz La Laguna
• Cerro de Oro
• Panajachel
• San Lucas Toliman (the committee with more projects and more than 60 active members)
These committees are autonomous and define their priorities according to local conditions and the knowledge and belief of its members. The committee chose Atitlán Marathon contribute monies committee San Lucas for their extraordinary career.
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Todos por el Lago (español)
Todos por el lago es un movimiento que une el esfuerzo de muchas agrupaciones, autoridades, instituciones y ciudadanos individuales, sin representar a ninguna organización ni persona, siendo un grupo apolítico sin interés gremial o personal que busca activamente contribuir a recuperar el lago Atitlán para todos. Surge como una iniciativa de un grupo de amigos que comparten su amor y su compromiso con un Atitlán Azul.
Principios que orientan las acciones:
• Sumar y no dividir. Nuestras acciones se centran en acciones que aporten algo a los objetivos del movimiento.
• Todos por el Lago incluye a todos los que quieran contribuir a proteger y conservar el lago y la Cuenca de Atitlán: autoridades, sociedad civil, jóvenes, viejos, hombres, mujeres, kaqchikeles, tzutujiles, quichés, ladinos, gringos, etc., sin distinción alguna.
• Respeto por el saber del otro y acciones basadas en el mejor conocimiento científico a nuestro alcance.
Orientación de las acciones:
• Involucrar ampliamente a todos los actores interesados en el lago, incluyendo a las autoridades municipales, departamentales y nacionales.
• Tener comunicación con autoridades municipales, hoteles y restaurantes, habitantes de las comunidades, asociación de lancheros, pescadores, tejedores, etc. guías de turismos, y otros.
• Mantener comunicación con otros comités locales para compartir las lecciones aprendidas y las mejores prácticas y para dar a conocer lo actuado.
Promover acciones en:
• sistemas de tratamiento de aguas residuales;
• siembra de filtros verdes (tul, vetiver, etc) y reforestación con sauces en las orilla y árboles nativos en la cuenca;
• manejo de desechos sólidos;
• manejo y conservación de suelos para prevenir erosión;
• sustitución de agroquímicos por abonos orgánicos;
• manejo mediático y cabildeo político;
• sensibilización y educación ambiental en las comunidades;
• monitoreo y análisis científico permanente.
Todos por el Lago maneja fondos por medio de ONGs u otras entidades debidamente acreditadas, bajo normas de auditoría y rendición de cuentas como las existentes en ONGs como Atit'Ala' y con líneas de comunicación con personas conocidas y avaladas por nuestros miembros. Los fondos deberán ser entregados para proyectos específicos, como es el caso de el Proyecto de Letrinización Ecológica Atitlán
Acciones:
Todos por el Lago lleva varios años actuando de diversas formas. Las acciones más visibles han sido
• durante los desastres naturales como el huracán Stan cuando llevamos suministros de urgencia a las poblaciones aisladas 4-5 días antes de que el estado hiciera presencia en estos lugares.
• durante el primer florecimiento de cianobacteria, Todos por el Lago coordinó las primeras reuniones públicas para informar sobre la situación, contactó a los científicos, financió y coordinó conjuntamente con Amigos del Lago la logística de la Expedición Científica 2010
• durante los intercmbios públicos con las autoridades sobre los sistemas de tratamiento de aguas servidas, en particular el de Panajachel, Todos por el Lago manifestó su desacuerdo con la opción tecnológica y el modelo de operación y mantenimiento escogidos
• cuando la Municipalida de Sololá promovió la construcción de un matadero en las inmediaciones de la cabecera municipal de Sololá que violaba la ley y que generaba numerosos problemas ambientales y sociales a los vecinos de San Isidro y de la cuenca, Todos por el Lago activamente se opuso y detuvo el proyecto.
De otra parte, Todos por el Lago ha adelantado programas de
• resiembra de tul,
• reforestación,
• viveros comunales,
• lavaderos (pilas) con baños, juegos para niños y humedal para el tratamiento de las aguas,
• instalación de estufas eficientes
• instalación filtros de agua en comunidades alrededor del lago.
Personería Jurídica
Recientemente Todos por el Lago adoptó un bajo perfil con el ánimo de fortalecer AMSCLAE dándole el liderazgo que le corresponde. AMSCLAE tiene ahora un reglamento y una estructura jurídica excepcional que con el respaldo directo de la VicePresidencia puede acudir directamente a los Ministros y movilizar recursos para cumplir con su función. Por la trayectoria arriba mencionada y por el hecho de que Todos por el Lago no maneja fondos de estado, fue invitada a ser parte de la Coordinación Ejecutiva de AMSCLAE.
Vale la pena mencionar que Todos por el Lago había sido hasta finales del año pasado un movimiento de ciudadanos comprometidos e informados y para ocupar un lugar en la Coordinación Ejecutiva era necesario tener personería jurídica. Por eso, dada, la necesidad estratégica de amplificar el trabajo adelantado hasta ahora y la importancia de ejercer una acción fiscalizadora independiente, nos constituimos en Comité de vecinos y ahora somos parte de la Coordinación Ejecutiva.
Para constituir el Comité de vecinos se inscribió
• Alberto Rivera Gutiérrez, Presidente
• Iván Azurdia, Vice-Presidente
• Alfred Kaltschmitt, Tesorero
• María Isabel Quezada Urruela, Secretaria
• Diego Antonio Castañeda Arimany, Vocal
• María José Rivera Tyng, Vocal
Comités locales:
Debo comentar que la organización funciona principalmente a partir de la iniciativa de los comités locales. En diversos momentos ha habido comités en:
• San Isidro (vecino de la cabecera municipal de Sololá)
• San Juan La Laguna (iniciativas lideradas por Atit'Alá
• San Pedro La Laguna
• Santa Cruz La Laguna
• Cerro de Oro
• Panajachel
• San Lucas Tolimán (el comité con más proyectos y con más de 60 miembros activos)
Estos comités son autónomos y definen sus prioridades según las condiciones locales y el saber y entender de sus miembros. El comité de la Maratón de Atitlán optó por aportar los dineros al comité de San Lucas por su extraordinaria trayectoria.
Last week we had a blurb about the Isla Verde Thursday night movie schedule. The film Leolo was mentioned as a film from France. It is actually a film from a Montreal, Quebec, Canada film maker.