GUATEMALA 4-24
Approach to its Cultures and Ethnic Groups
A Social Sciences Essay in 6 Sections
By Darío Morán
http://galeriadecultura.hi5.com

Section 6
POSITIVE GUATEMALA

signed on December 29th, 1996, were a starting point to a new understanding of the social problems of the twenty four ethnic groups in Guatemala, specially for the Maya with the majority of population.

The observance of international institutions and the concern of the Maya people and in some way of the other three groups, in recognizing that only having more access to education, understanding their different problems , and knowing more of their rich culture would lead them to occupy more spaces in the country´s different fields of action as a democratic nation.

Although many children still desert from the public elementary schools because their parents ask them to work with them- salaries are still too low, many other are trying to let them go.

Besides this still not clear enough situation, GUATEMALA is a colorful country, you just move out from the capital city Guatemala de la Asunción (founded, January 1st. 1776) and your eyes will be immediately captivated by the oustanding views of volcanoes,mountains,lakes, rivers and big valleys, and in and around all of them Alive Cultures formed by hardworking guatemalans.

Varied Cultures which decorate al their daily life activities with their traditions,beliefs and ways of living.
A serious but interesting religious syncretism is observed in the rural area thanks to the monks who after the conquest tried to destroy the faith of the indigenous people, same faith that was mixed by them, with the Caholic dogma and thus we can assess now a very interesting mix which can be called Catholisism Maya but in most of the times transforms into a Mayan Catholisism, sometimes I ask myself these questins : Could the Maya cultural values have survived if the whole population practiced Catholic religion? Could Maya survive modern times practicing a 100% Mayan religion? Lets reflect…