20 Years Weaving Knowledge and Action 

By UUSC Staff on June 4, 2025

“The resistance of centuries makes us strong,” says Juan José Hurtado, Executive Director of Asociación Pop No’j (APN). APN organizes, trains, and supports indigenous Maya people in Guatemala. The organization’s work is guided by and promotes ancestral wisdom and values, embodying the resistance of centuries in all its initiatives.  

On June 8, APN celebrates its 20^th anniversary. For two decades, the organization has reintegrated Maya youth following deportation from the United States, supported families of people who have disappeared in migration, trained community members to work in agriculture, and much more.  

From June 4 through June 23, APN will run a celebratory campaign to raise awareness of the organization and its work. These dates are significant in the Maya calendar and serve as a reminder that, “Time is circular, wise and full of learning,” APN says. The campaign, titled “20 Años Tejiendo Conocimientos y Acciones” or “20 Years Weaving Knowledge and Actions,” will run for 20 days. The number 20 has a profound meaning in Maya culture, as there are 20 nawales and 20 years in a Katún.  

Check out some of the highlights of APN’s programming, and then join the campaign to celebrate the organization this June:  

• In 2024, 81 Maya youth and their families received comprehensive support as they reintegrated into their communities following deportation.  

• In the past year, 27 families of people who disappeared in migration received direct support and assistance in the search for their loved ones.  

• 139 key stakeholders in the Mam Area and Huista Region received training on migration justice in 2024.  

• APN taught 86 elementary school students and 15 teens about climate change and adaptation measures through the collaborative development of community gardens.  

• The organization coordinated and partnered with 10 civil society organizations and 11 state organizations to take action on climate justice and promote agroecology.  

Join Asociación Pop No’j in celebrating and spreading awareness about this urgent work. Share the campaign on your social media. UUSC is proud to champion APN’s work, and you can help sustain their efforts by donating here.  

Asociación Pop No’j embodies the resistance of centuries and that lineage of resistance inspires innovation and creativity. We at UUSC are grateful to celebrate this milestone anniversary and learn from APN’s strategy and values.