This has shaped the way that development is regarded in Guatemala's Mayan organizations. While Western countries define development as the satisfaction of human needs and wants, Mayan visions of development incorporate concepts of solidarity and cooperation, not only among individuals, but also between human beings and their surroundings. Notions of an interconnected whole appear throughout Mayan cosmology. The whole is composed of diverse cultures and natural elements. Over the past 20 years, leaders from Mayan communities have created professional grassroots support organizations to better serve their culturally rich and economically poor people with sensitive development assistance.
Many Mayan organizations consider natural biological diversity as important as human diversity.
Beliefs about respect for human and cultural rights are inseparable from the use and conservation of biodiversity. Given this world view, it is no coincidence that most Central American forests and their rich diversity of life remain in areas where native people have maintained greater autonomy and control over their land. The Council of Mayan Organizations of Guatemalan, COMG, is a national association of Mayan organizations. The grassroots support organizations in the COMG are run by Mayans and address issues such as forestry, land tenure, education, and agricultural production. COMG's coordinator recently joined EcoLogic's Advisory Committee and, in the following interview, shared his thoughts about Mayan development and the environment.