"We could not have done it without the solid support of President Berger who has visited Counterpart projects and seen the enormous value to rural communities offered by sustainable tourism," said LeLaulu.
"Our
teams were enormously energized by the visits of President Berger to see for
himself how well people in remote locations are doing," he continued.
With several U.S. universities, Counterpart implements its 'ethical
archaeology' approach which aims to ensure Maya communities are fully
integrated into the restoration of archaeological sites and the
conservation of their natural and cultural patrimony.
"For too long the Maya have been excluded from the uncovering of their
magnificent history, so thanks to visionary archaeologists like Dr. Arthur
Demarest – who coined the phrase 'ethical archaeology' and developed the
original program with Counterpart and the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) – local Maya communities are now more involved
with archaeological restoration and tourism," said Raymond Chavez,
Counterpart’s Vice President for Environment and Communications
programs.
The
training of Maya women and men to the doctorate level is a key element of the
ethical archeology approach championed by Dr. Demarest.
Last week, President Berger hosted Counterpart, National Geographic Society,
ANACAFE – an alliance representing 75,000 producers and which promotes
Guatemalan coffees – Guatemala's Tourism Institute and US Ambassador James
Derham at the magnificent National Palace in the center of the capital for the
signing of the 'Geotourism Charter' designed to ensure that tourism enhances
and improves the destinations in the Central American nation.
Coined by Jonathan B. Tourtellot, the National Geographic Society's Director
of Sustainable Destinations, Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or
enhances the geographical character of a place – its environment, culture,
aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.
President Berger lauded the work of Counterpart, National Geographic and USAID
over the years and welcomed the creation of the Guatemalan Geotourism Alliance
which includes ANACAFE.
"Tourism is the world's largest and fastest growing industry," said
LeLaulu.
"Coffee
is the world's second largest commodity after oil. So it makes sense for us to
look at incorporating Guatemala's storied coffee producing destinations into
the development of sustainable tourism in the country," he said.
With support from USAID and under the leadership of Mario Del Cid, Counterpart
works with local community tourism programs throughout Guatemala with special
emphasis in the Peten region which has the largest number of ancient Maya
archeological sites.
In
addition to sustainable tourism, Counterpart also helps rural communities
further diversify their economies with high value crops such as
cacao, vanilla, and cardamom, the aromatic seeds of a tropical forest plant much
sought after in the Middle Eastern and Asian spice trade.
Since 1965, Counterpart has given people a voice in their own future through
smart partnerships, offering options and access to tools for sustained social,
economic and environmental development.
Operating on five continents, Counterpart is supported by the generosity of its corporate and individual donors, foundations, host countries, multilateral institutions and several U.S. government agencies.
