Workshops and Trainings

PAIGH Cartographic and Geospatial Training Workshop

OAS Office in the Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone
June 2011

In June 2011, an expert from the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH) will offer specialized cartographic and geospatial training, as well as on the correct use of advanced GPS equipment to the Belize Defense Forces and the Guatemalan Army. The workshop will take place in the facilities of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone.

The OAS Office in the Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone carries out various activities, of which the verifications, their follow-up and preparation of reports on any incident in the Adjacency Zone (AZ) are not only the most important regular activity but also provide the means to ensure a constant presence among the communities in the area. Their most tangible result is to detect any anomaly or conflict in its early stages, in order to respond immediately and thus prevent an escalation of the conflict that could damage relations between communities and officials, as well as between the two countries.

Some verifications demand a high level of precision in terms of cartography and coordinates reading, particularly in cases where the verification sites are very close to the Adjacency Line. In these cases, the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH) supports the efforts of the OAS/AZ Office by providing experts, training and specialized equipment to ensure the utmost accuracy of the data.

Course on Peace, Democracy and Conflict Resolution

First Course on the OAS: Peace, Democracy and Conflict Resolution, which will take place at OAS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. from September 22-23, 2010, under the auspices of the OAS Peace Fund. The course will be taught by the most senior OAS officials and in-house experts, including former and current heads of key Departments and peace missions. Classes will be limited to the first 50 registrants due to space limitations. To register, please send an email to peacefund@oas.org and indicate the event you are registering for in the subject line.

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Rural Tourism Enterprises as an Income Generator Course

The Course Rural Tourism Enterprises as an Income Generator will take place on August 23-27, 2010, in the Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone under the auspices of the OAS Peace Fund and in coordination with the Young Americas Business Trust (YABT).

Through this initiative, the Peace Fund hopes to help promote development in the Adjacency Zone, strengthen cooperation between Belize and Guatemala and bring the communities along the Adjacency Line closer together.

Course Description

With the decline of international tourism and more customers willing to vacation within their home countries, there are new opportunities for small businesses in the rural tourism sector. The creation of small businesses in the tourism sector in rural communities would have a positive impact and encourage economic growth in the region. The course will address a major consideration needed before initiating a project in rural tourism, which is the planning policies for employment creation that promote investments and new start-ups in peripheral areas. Additionally, these policies should place a strong emphasis on sustainable activities that balance development and the conservation of the environment and local customs.

The objectives of the course include the development of a proposal for the creation of a rural tourism enterprise through the identification of factors and potential opportunities related to tourism development in rural areas.

Binational Meeting of Water Experts

June 8-9, 2010
Esmeraldas River Basin
The OAS Peace Fund will facilitate the first technical binational meeting of water experts from Colombia and Ecuador, who will gather in Quito, Ecuador on June 8 and 9, 2010 to identify project development opportunities and priorities in the area of integrated water resources management in the Esmeraldas River Basin. This is a collaborative effort between the Peace Fund, the Department of Sustainable Development and the Colombia-Ecuador Good Offices Mission (MIB-OAS).

Meeting of Water Authorities

Water Authorities from Costa Rica and Nicaragua will meet in the border area, under the auspices of the Peace Fund, to identify potential joint development activities stemming from the San Juan River Basin Project (OEA-GEF/Pro-Cuenca San Juan). This is a collaborative effort between the Peace Fund and the Department of Sustainable Development.

Seminar on Combating Trafficking of Persons

Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone

“COMBATING TRAFFICKING OF PERSON IN THE BELIZE-GUATEMALA ADJACENCY ZONE”
A CAPACITY BUILDING SEMINAR FOR CUSTOMS, IMMIGRATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY.

The OAS Peace Fund and the Department of Public Security will offer a one and a half day capacity building training for Government Officials from Belize and Guatemala Immigration, Customs, Police, Defence Force, and Civil Society including NGO’s and Churches will be held in the Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone.

The objective of the seminar will be to share information about issues pertaining to Trafficking of Persons.

Several presentations will be made on various aspects of human trafficking, including:

Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons
The Problem and Challenges to Combat Trafficking- Cooperation Mechanisms in the Adjacency Zone
Alternatives to Obtain, Process and Evaluate Information of the Trafficked Victims
Trafficking in Persons, Victims Protection and the Role of Human Rights
The Role of Civil Society: The Guatemalan Perspective and the Protection of Victims
Cooperation Mechanism between Civil Society and Governmental Authorities in the Adjacency Zone: The Belizean Perspective
Bilateral and Regional Mechanisms for the Prevention of Trafficking of Persons

The participants from Belize and Guatemala will make recommendations as to how Government Officials and members of civil society from both countries can work together in the Adjacency Zone to Combat Human Trafficking, including inter agency cooperation for the prevention, protection, and intervention of victim rights and care.

Conflict Prevention and Resolution: Successful Strategies and Practice

On February 23, 2010, OAS Director in the Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone, Miguel Angel Trinidad, invited as guest speaker at Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Seminar on “Conflict Prevention and Resolution: Successful Strategies and Practice” in Vienna, Austria.

The Director of the OAS Office in the Belize-Guatemala Adjacency Zone, Miguel Angel Trinidad was invited to participate as a guest speaker at a seminar organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on February 23, 2010 in Vienna, Austria on “Conflict Prevention and Resolution: Successful Strategies and Practice”. The purpose of the seminar was to provide additional perspectives and ideas on policies and methods of intervention in the conflict cycle that could be of use to the participating States as they consider ways to strengthen OSCE activities in this area. Practitioners with direct experience in early warning, conflict prevention and resolution, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation shared their views on best practices and lessons learned. After the presentations, the audience was invited to pose questions to the panelists and to make brief comments.
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