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Action Alerts
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Introduction

When Guatemalan civil society actors – such as human rights workers, environmental advocates, labor leaders, or gender and sexuality rights promoters – who strive for a more open, democratic, and equitable society, encounter intimidation or violence due to their efforts, activists in the U.S. can help by responding rapidly via phone, fax, email, or mail and letting the appropriate authorities know the international community is watching.

In these situations, NISGUA prepares or circulates Action Alerts (sometimes called Urgent Actions). An Action Alert includes a written description of the event; suggested wording for letters or phone calls; and the names, addresses, emails, and phone and fax numbers of appropriate U.S. and Guatemalan officials to contact. NISGUA distributes these Action Alerts via email and through our website. To receive these Actions Alerts via email, please sign up at http://lists.riseup.net/www/arc/nisgua or contact us at organizer[AT]nisgua.org. To view past Action Alerts online, click here. To take action now, click here.

It is always preferable to send or fax personal letters, on letterhead if possible, directly to Guatemala.  If you experience difficulties faxing, try at night or early in the morning.  The automatic dial on fax machines often operates too quickly for lines in Guatemala, so it’s also best to dial the fax number manually; when you receive a tone, press start to send your fax.

Similarly, keep in mind that our own public officials give more weight to letters than any other form of communication, other than personal visits to congressional offices. To learn more about how to best contact your representatives, click here.

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