She is Permanent Representative of Guatemala to UNESCO Executive Council, with Portfolios in the PFII: Economic and Social Development; in Education; in Culture; and in Gender and Women’s Issues. She has a Lincence in Educational Administration.
Otilia Lux de Coti – Guatemala
The (UN) Council of the Permanent Forum of Indigenous Peoples’ ten elected, for a three-year term, the following members by acclamation, beginning on January 1, 2005:
Eduardo Aguiar de Almeida (Brazil), Yuri Boychenko (Russian Federation), Njuma Ekundanayo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), William Ralph Joey Langeveldt (South Africa), Otilia Lux de Coti (Guatemala), Ida Nicolaisen (Denmark) and Qin Xiaomei (China). (Read more here, and also here).
She says at an UN press conference on 23 May, 2003: « Indigenous participants proposed more recommendations than denouncements. The Permanent Forum has two principle challenges. The first is to make our recommendations addressed to States and cooperating agencies a reality; the representatives of the Indigenous Peoples of the world have repeatedly said they want to see themselves reflected in the policies that affect them…we all want to see the work of the Permanent Forum receive funding and support. We applaud the joint work of Indigenous Peoples, UN agencies and States. » Otilia Lux de Coti, of Maya Kiche ancestry, emphasizes the collective vision. « In twenty years we want to see this contribute to the alleviation of poverty and eliminate discrimination and move forward to building just and democratic societies. »
And she continues in spanish: « Referente al Foro Permanente y los expertos miembros, Otilia esta convencida de que « tengamos suficiente capacidad de interceder entre los Pueblos Indigenas, las agencias de la ONU y los Estados. » (Read more on Dialogue … ).
She said during an UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (May 2004): « all indigenous peoples had their own language and shared the same blood, as well as history. Culture was spelled out through a prism of their values, beliefs, shared practices, and perception of life. Development must involve the participation of all and become a reality through programmes aimed at stemming cultural genocide. Education was vital for indigenous peoples, who should work from the reservoir of their own culture and build the future with their identity intact. She stressed that no culture could exist without education, and that education must be based on culture ». (Read the whole discussion on Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues).
Her professional career: She is Member of the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues; PermanentRepresentative of Guatemala to UNESCO Executive Council; Minister of Culture and Sports in Guatemala from 2000 to 2004; Member of the Commission for the Historical Investigation on the Violation of Human Rights and Acts of Violence in Guatemala from 1997 to 1999; Officer of Educational Projects for the International Development Agency AID/G, 1983 to 1999.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: She is a Member of several Boards of Directors, among them, the following:
Political Association of Maya Women MOLOJ; Educational Central American Committee; ERCA/AED Washington; Foro for SocialEquity BID/W Washington; FUNDADESC/G; Democratic Political Participation PPD/G. (Read more on UN ESA).
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