Educación por la Paz, or “EduPaz” (meaning Education for Peace) has been an IDEX partner since 2007. EduPaz originally provided health-related services and economic development to Guatemalan refugees who had fled Mexico during the brutal civil war. In recent years, EduPaz has expanded its work with indigenous Mayan communities in the most remote part of Chiapas, Mexico, to build local economies and promote community-based development.
IDEX supports EduPaz’s programs in economic development and agroecology. These programs focus on microcredit and technical assistance for 40 collectives and community groups. Communities work on projects such as livestock-rearing (as seen in the photo above), growing vegetable crops, and other income-generating activities.
EduPaz was an active participant in the Regional Agroecology Learning Exchange held in Mexico last year.