The Belize Development Trust was created under the 1992 Trust Act of Belize, Central America. Basically, the trust was needed to create a legal entity, to represent the identity needs of groups of volunteers when carrying out projects. The Trust itself functions from the actions of a loose group of about 200 volunteers. A large part of whom monitor, or lurk on the Belize Culture Listserve. These volunteers consist of ordinary people, hoteliers, farmers, fishermen, tourist guides and operators, civil service bureaucrats both in Belize and in Foreign countries, professionals of all types, including electronic engineers, several Community College Deans, Faculty and Chairpersons, University administrators both in Belize and Foreign countries, retired nucleur scientists, mechanical engineers, coastal management experts, forestry experts, environmentalists, NGO's of various stripes and persuasions, politicians of Belizean political parties, newspaper owners/editors, media such as television and radio, lawyers from different countries, and many more occupations. There common interest, is love of Belize the country.

a) The Trust itself has the Belize Electronic Library on the internet, which was created back around 1995 when the internet was still young. The Belize Electonic Library at that time was innovative and the first of it's kind in the world, on the then beginning internet; operated as a private venture Electronic Library outside of US government type data banks. Today in June, 2002; there are thousands of Electronic Libraries of all kinds on the internet around the world. But we can truthfully brag, that Belize was the first in the whole world.

b) The Trust also has an item on the internet, called the Belize Development Issues Reports. These are intended to provoke and instigate debate and communication within Belize about the changes necessary, to see Belize develop as a strong individual democratic nation. Because of the traffic we get on these reports from around the world, we find that scholars and researchers are finding common interests to development problems worldwide, reflected by the needs of Belize. It would be a mistake to take the Development Issues Reports at face value. The intent is to instigate and create dialogue and debate! Often reports are published contrary to common sense. In order to get a reaction from the public, politicians and bureaucrats, to make people THINK, in essence. These Reports have been highly successful and at this date nearly 500 reports have been published. Many of the earlier reports have created an environment that resulted in subsequent legislation, reshuffling of Cabinet policies, international loans and directed lending agencies at appropriate targets.

c) The volunteers contributing to the efforts of the Belize Development Trust are independents and follow their own interests and agendas. The debate can often get lively, insulting and in much deeper depth philosphically, or scientifically than expected. Sometimes a consensus can be reached, but more often it is finally agreed to respect each other's opinions and different take on situations.

d) The volunteers under the umbrella of the list serve and the Trust, also operate an annual Western Caribbean Hurricane Network, through telephone, ham radio and e-mails at their own expense. Our coverage on the local levels in Central America are often superior and more accurate than the National Hurricane Network of the USA out of Miami. This is due to our ability to contact people and get reports live, on the ground within the hurricane itself.

e) Through the volunteers, two hurricanes have culminated in hurricane assistance relief. The first was Hurricane Keith, in which $35,000 USA was collected and donated by credit card donations, to the political representative covering two damaged island communities along the Barrier Reef of Belize. This was San Pedro and Caye Caulker. The recovery in cooperation with NEMO the PUP government Hurricane Team was rapidly accomplished. The second solicited donation campaign was done by volunteers and raised money to assist the Maya Indian communities devastated by Hurricane Iris in the jungle clad foothills of the remote Toledo District of Belize. About 400 pre-starter houses were built by this money, through volunteers doing the managing and organizing within Belize, in remote areas, for needy families whose homes had blown away. In our first effort at Hurricane relief, we got the desired results but were unable to get a satisfactory accounting. In the second instance, we learned from this experience and the money donated and spent was fully accounted for, and the results presented to donors through the listserve. Mennonite Belizean contractors did the work in cooperation with those in need and we had some matching funds donated by the Belizean Red Cross at one time. The primary mover and shaker of this effort was Frank Redmond of Belize through whom donations were channeled, by stateside Trust volunteer, Marty Casado.

f) The primary day to day functions of the Belize Development Trust are done by volunteers, Ray Auxillou, Marty Casado and Silvia Pinzon. These three all live in the USA.

g) Other projects are envisioned, but lack of funds inhibits action. We do need for instance, to translate the nearly 500 Belize Development Issues Reports on the internet into Spanish, as there is a strong need in Latin America on the same issues. For this we require about a $35,000 USA GRANT to pay for professional translation services. We tried the OAS, but the Belmopan Economics Department of the government, Belize representative said no; on behalf of the Regional, Costa Rica OAS office. There may, or may not be, some political jealousy at work here? We also would like to build a Tilapia Fish farm for isolated Mayan communities to provide a source of protein and cash flow, outside of traditional slash and burn agriculture. Donations would be welcome for this envisioned project. So far, we have zilch! But then, have not been pushing the money angle much; it not being our style. Nor do we yet have a clear idea how much it would cost?