Discrimination is the expression of an attitude towards a group of people (to whom certain features of physical or behavioral natures may be ascribed) that has a negative impact on members belonging to this group. The problem of discrimination can be related to various forms of social identity: ‘race’, ethnicity, class, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability status, and many more. In a population which is divided into a majority of about 60% Ladinos and 40% with Mayan, Xinca or Garifuna ethnic origin, racial and ethnic discrimination is a daily occurrence.
The state legislation has to deal with many deeply rooted institutional and legal discriminatory practices which present many challenges. These include the following issues: the issue of respecting indigenous dress in public facilities and professions; the improvement of access to justice, especially for women as one of the most vulnerable groups; lifting restrictions on the use of indigenous languages in official proceedings; enabling bilingual education; improvement of the access to health care, education and housing services for deprived groups; a more equitable representation of indigenous leaders in political parties, and the creation of legal foundations that give more rights to marginal groups and ensure their inclusion into society as full citizens.
Yet, apart from a proactive state that can provide necessary milestones for the legal and societal inclusion of discriminated groups, the most significant contribution to the process has to be accomplished by individual social actors. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination emphasizes that “…active and positive citizen participation are required to create an intercultural and democratic nation, which through peace-building seeks its own development, recognizes diversity and promotes a culture of respect for the human rights of all Guatemalans.” Furthermore, “efforts must be made to end the dominance over indigenous peoples which has made use of such models as assimilation, standardization, integration, segregation, folklorism and alienation, the ultimate aim of which is to maintain economic, political, sociocultural and spiritual control over indigenous peoples.”
Thus, in PASOC II it has been identified as indispensable to support projects with a specific focus on discriminatory practices, with the aim of contributing to a less discriminative society and a decrease of discriminative practices on a local and national level.