Paper short abstract:

One Resource, Two Nations: The Binational Peace Park Initiative Straddling across Belize and Guatemala, El Pilar, a designated Archaeological Reserve and Monumento Cultural, is on its way to becoming a bi-national Peace Park and a symbol of cooperation between these countries.

Paper long abstract:

The El Pilar Peace Park Initiative offers the world an inspiring example of how to heal border disputes through mutual management of a cultural and natural resource. The initiative promotes the cooperative management plan of El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna by two nations, Belize and Guatemala, uniting the contiguous protected areas while honoring the planning processes of both nations, crossing political, economic, and cultural boundaries.

On the long-disputed frontier between Belize and Guatemala, an ancient causeway links El Pilar’s Maya monuments on both sides. The discovery of the causeway in 1993 led to a call for the world’s first archaeological peace park, a symbol of collaboration between two countries for the benefit of both nations and future generations.

El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna provides a way to build common ground and work cooperatively on a project that equally affects and concerns both nations, building confidence and trust in each other as they build resources for their countries.

Conservation of the Maya forest and the study and preservation of the Maya culture is important to the entire Maya forest region. With concerns for biodiversity and interest in tourism, El Pilar stands as a beacon for peace and prosperity locally and for the world.