About us.
We are a committed network promoting sustainable education and emergent strategy.
The word "Highlands" is more than a topographical description. In the Americas, it has great cultural significance as the location for both ongoing Indigenous resistance; and it also signifies the largest concentrations of First Nations Peoples in the western hemisphere.
Colonial histories have led to entrenched patterns of poverty and dependency in Highland communities of the Americas. We support communities to break these vicious cycles, to achieve agency, independence and prosperity – however this may be defined by these communities.
Highland Support Project was created in 1993 as a response to political violence that was creating an indigenous leadership vacuum in the Highlands of Guatemala. The subsequent dramatic loss of leaders and organizational experience was perpetuating a dependent status for Maya communities. This weakening of individual and community agency was compounded by cultural stresses as great as any since conquest.
We believe transformational change is rooted in lasting relationships.
Our Approach.
Since 1993, our mission has evolved through a growing understanding of the interconnectedness of people, problems and solutions.
Our mission centers around empowering change-makers working diligently to catalyze a transformative shift towards a sustainable culture.
We achieve this by providing technical and material assistance fostering a environment encouraging innovation, progress, and sustainable practices.
Our Theory of Change.
Grassroots experience pushed us from defining the problem as a resource shortage issue to one of local inertia caused by historical, institutional, and policy constraints. Listening to our indigenous partners, we’ve come to understand that life is fundamentally sustained by relationships.
We unite professionals, tillers of the land, indigenous and non-indigenous people, city inhabitants, and those from the countryside for the noble cause of enriching lives. Since our inception, our ethos has been grounded in unwavering respect and authentic collaboration across cultures.
This unique perspective distinguishes us in a world where many simply deliver services, instead of forming dynamic partnerships with people from all walks of life. The beauty in our diversity fuels empowerment, salutes differences, and applauds shared triumphs, epitomizing a unique pathway to collective success.
Meet our community in Guatemala.
