In the light of the misinformation circulating about our work and presence in Guatemala in the context of the march that took place in Guatemala City on the 12th of October, SweFOR as a nonviolent organisation would like to stress our rejection of all forms of violence and the acts of violence that took place during the march.
The Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR) is a Swedish nonviolent organization working for peace, justice, a world without violence and a sustainable way of life.
Within the framework of our Peace Service programme, SweFOR accompanies human rights defenders in Guatemala, Colombia and Mexico to provide them with protection and amplify their space of action. The activities are based on international law, international human rights law, and the basic principles of nonviolence: non-interference and impartiality.
In accordance with these principles, our presence in Guatemala is based on the request of Guatemalan organisations and individuals from civil society. As a foreign organisation with foreign staff, we respect the laws and structures of the host country. In Guatemala, we are legally registered with governmental bodies in accordance with the laws in force, recognising the mandate, function and authority of state institutions. In accordance with these principles, we do not finance either the monitored organisations or their activities to which we provide international accompaniment.
We reject violence in all its forms and have chosen international accompaniment as a non-violent method of protection. Based on our mission, nonviolence is both the end and the means and we only collaborate with organisations that share these values of nonviolence. In this regard, as it is against one of our fundamental principles, we strongly reject the acts of violence that took place in connection with the demonstration on 12 October 2021.
Stockholm, 22 October 2021 Rechazo a la violencia, Comunicado 20211022