Development under Fire: The Playa Grande Colonization Project in Guatemala

Dennis, Philip A.; Elbow, Gary S.; Heller, Peter

doi:10.17730/humo.47.1.n56810035n665762

Cited by 12 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Church-sponsored and spontaneous migration began in the late 1960s and continued through the mid-1970s (CEIDEC, 1990;Garst, 1993;Manz, 1988). State-organized and USAID-funded migrants made their way to the Ixca¨n in the early 1980s, paradoxically, at a time when violence peaked in the region (Dennis et al, 1988).…”

Section: Land Population and Poverty In Ixca¨nmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of Ixca¨n lies below 400 m above sea level; much of the land, however, is hilly with steep karst slopes. Average temperature ranges between 258 C and 288 C and annual precipitation is between 1500 mm and 5000 mm (Dennis et al, 1988;Garst, 1993;Municipio de Ixca¨n, 1995). The thin rainforest soils are extremely susceptible to erosion upon removal of vegetation.…”

Section: Land Population and Poverty In Ixca¨nmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Electrifying Rural Guatemala: Central Policy and Rural Reality

Taylor

2005

Environ Plann C Gov Policy

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Towards the end of the 20th century Guatemala embarked on an ambitious rural electrification plan: central planners in the Ministry of Energy and Mines hope to connect 90% of homes to the national electricity grid by 2004. Energy for the increased demand comes from floating power plants anchored in Guatemala's Pacific port, a new coal-fired power plant, and numerous small-scale hydroelectric plants. So far, rural electrification, in terms of connected households, has proceeded to plan. However, the success of the rural electrification program belies energy realities and the development needs of rural Guatemala. Data from in-depth interviews and household surveys in Ixcán, Guatemala, show that rural residents prefer other forms of development—like the introduction of potable water, or improved schooling. Electricity, farmers state, only provides rural families with a few hours of light at night because they cannot afford to pay for appliances or for increased consumption of electricity. Fieldwork in rural areas also reveals that the introduction of electricity will not change patterns of firewood consumption; firewood is the basic survival fuel for most rural Guatemalans. Development funds may be better spent on locally run and organized forestry initiatives to ensure reliable sources of firewood for the future.

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Section: Land Population and Poverty In Ixca¨nmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Land Population and Poverty In Ixca¨nmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrifying Rural Guatemala: Central Policy and Rural Reality

Taylor

2005

Environ Plann C Gov Policy

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show abstract

“…What I am recounting is an example of a state's terrorism against its own citizens; a state in which the military was trained and supported by the United States. In 1984, I was a member of an applied research team hired by the United States Agency for International Development (Dennis, Elbow, and Heller 1988). Our team was hired to evaluate the Playa Grande agricultural colonization program for landless Mayan peasants.…”

Section: Where a Knowledge Of Human Universals Might Leadmentioning

confidence: 99%