Assessment for Black Karibs in Honduras

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Risk Assessment | Analytic Summary | References

Risk Assessment

The Garifuna of Honduras have only one of the risk factors for rebellion: territorial concentration. They are, therefore, unlikely to engage in violent activity in the near future They are much more likely to engage in protest, as they face significant political and cultural restrictions. Garifuna are a moderately organized ethnic group who face widespread political neglect. Very little is reported on this group, other than the small-scale protests in which they participate in coordination with other ethnic groups. In the late 1990s, the end of Constitutional Article 107 (which had protected their traditional lands from large-scale international developers) spurred several protests, some with as many as 5,000 participants, with sporadic violence reported. Such protests may well continue in the future, depending on how the Honduran government handles this contentious issue. Since 2001, most protests have revolved around land rights. However, movements toward autonomy or toward violent conflict seem unlikely events for the future of this group.

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Analytic Summary

The Garifuna, or Black Karibs, of Honduras originated from St. Vincent Island, where they (as slaves) mixed with native Karib Indians and adopted their culture and the Garifuna language (RACE = 2). Toward the end of the 18th century, the Garifuna began emigrating to the coast of what is now Honduras and began to settle along the coastline in rural villages. Currently, the Garifuna settlements are located around the city of Trujillo and extend from Belize to Nicaragua (GROUPCON = 3).

The Garifuna maintain a religious system that is a mixture of African, Amerindian and Catholic traditions. The Garifuna are concentrated along the Caribbean coast of Honduras and speak Garifuna (a Carib-based Creole), as well as some Spanish and English (LANG = 1). Many Garifuna are educated formally in Spanish and learn the Garifuna language in their towns and homes. There are some restrictions on speaking the Garifuna language; for example, in 2001, the warden of the Tela prison forbade Garifuna prisoners from speaking their native language. Their historical origin and ethnicity also differ from the main of Honduras society; the Black Karibs were not a recognized ethnic group of Honduras until 1975. The Garifuna are distinct from other Hondurans in their social customs (CUSTOM = 1); mostly these differences are manifested in their family and social structures and how they continue to share some of their dialect, dances and religious practices with indigenous people of the Caribbean. They are primarily migratory laborers who supplement their wage labor with agriculture, fishing and hunting.

Due to lack of conveniently located schools and a limited educational program (often schools only go up to third grade), about 70 percent of Garifunas are illiterate or semi-illiterate. Only 10 percent of the Garifunas who finish elementary school continue with school. The rest either emigrate to urban areas or the United States or integrate into community life and eventually forget how to read due to lack of practice. In addition to poverty and lack of education, the Garifuna are subject to poor sanitary conditions throughout most of the area. There is a lack of clinical establishments, basic infrastructure projects, illness prevention programs and nutrition programs. In recent years, malnutrition has affected a reported 78 percent of the children under age twelve. In 2003, there was serious environmental decline because of a quickly spreading disease affecting coconut trees. This economically crippled the Garifuna community because many make their living on coconut products.

The primary problem facing the Garifuna is the increasing pressure by land developers, especially those in the tourist industry. The Garifuna feel the development of their land for the purpose of tourism would threaten their language and lifestyle. At the same time, they recognize that their way of life is being eroded even without the tourism developers, due to many Garifunas migrating to the cities or other countries in search of work. Nevertheless, the Garifuna do not want the Honduran coastal lands sold to hotel and resort developers. Furthermore, they do not want to be attacked by organized criminal groups that are trying to stop their resistance; A human rights activist was murdered in 2002 for his investigation into Garifuna complaints of harassment for their opposition to the developers. They also seek: environmental land protection (many want the Meso-American Reef to be protected by sustainable fishing laws to protect the environment and their community for future generations) (ECGR06= 2); constitutional guarantees for cultural rights; research on Garifuna communities so that government policy can better address existing social inequalities; and equal status (POLGR06 = 1).

In recent years, Honduran security forces have resorted to restrained force against Garifuna. In August 2001, in Colon, police dislodged approximately 1,000 Garifuna residents with tear gas during a land dispute with a landowner. There have been incidences of law enforcement officials dislodging Garifuna people who claim land ownership based on land reform laws or ancestral titles to property. Some security forces that tend to support the local landowners have threatened Garifuna farm cooperatives with dislocation. Members of the Criminal Investigative Division, in 2005, also illegally entered and searched the home of a member of the Fraternal Black Honduran Organization (OFRANEH) (REPNVIOL05 = 3).

There are several groups that represent Garifuna interests. The National Confederation for Autochthonous Peoples of Honduras (CONPAH) has represented over 18,000 Tawnkas, Pech, Tolapan, Lencas, Miskito, and Garifuna peoples, focusing on land rights disputes, education, and health care. OFRANEH—Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña - is organized for the protection of Garifuna culture and language. The Honduran Advisory Council for the Development of Autochthonous Ethnic Groups (CAHDEA) represents Garifuna groups in the protection of civil rights and equal employment opportunities and has recently ratified the ILO (International Labor Organization) treaty which provides ethnic minorities with labor rights protection (GOJPA06 = 2). The Ethnic Community Development Organization (ODECO—Organización de Desarrollo Étnico Comunitario) also represents the Garifuna interests.

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References

Gonzalez, Nancy L. 1988. Sojourners of the Caribbean: Ethnogenesis and Ethnohistory of the Garifuna. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Lexis-Nexis. Various news reports. 1995-2006.

Rudolph, James. 1984. Honduras: A Country Study.

U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Honduras. 2000-2006. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/

World Bank. 6/19/2002. "Implementation of Operational Directive 4.20 on Indigenous Peoples. An Independent Desk Review." Background Paper. http://www.worldbank.org/oed/indigenouspeople/docs/IP1.pdf, accessed: 1/26/2004.

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