Christian Women's Network for Life and Peace

Tomorrow, Sunday November 25th, is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Global Ministries is calling on churches around the world to celebrate this day by praying for the Christian Women's Network for Life and Peace in Colombia {prayer requests}.

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Luz Amanda Valencia, the National Coordinator of the Christian Women's Network, to discuss their courageous work. Here is a brief video from that discussion:



Luz Amanda went on to thank everyone that has been, and will be, praying for the Christian Women's Network for Life and Peace in Colombia. Unfortunately, I managed to not capture that portion on video.

I too thank you for your prayers and actions for the victims of violence in Colombia, and the many religious leaders who work tirelessly for an end to the conflict.

Voices of Displacement

"About 3.8 million people – out of a population of 40 million – have been displaced within Colombia by armed conflict and human rights violations..." Statistics like this are shocking if you let them penetrate your soul and face the enormity of human suffering they imply. However, many of us find it hard to put a face with those statistics. I urge you to check out the IDP Voices website and listen to first hand accounts of displacement in Colombia.

Demobilized Paramilitaries Recruited in Sincelejo

In my July 23rd post I spoke of anecdotal (and personal) evidence about a surge in demobilized paramilitary crimes here in Sincelejo. The news of murders continues to be a common fixture in the El Meridiano (Sincelejo’s daily newspaper), and the city council has instructed the police to enforce a new measure prohibiting motorcyclists from carrying passengers after 9:00 p.m. (in response to hired assassins’ preferred “motorcycle drive-by” method of killing).

Sunday’s online version of El Tiempo (Colombia’s most read newspaper) carried an article about the re-recruitment of demobilized paramilitaries in Sincelejo. El Meridiano ran a similar article on Monday. Below is a translation of most of the El Tiempo article.

Demobilized AUC [paramilitaries] in Sincelejo continue committing crimes while receiving benefits from the Government.

That is what Éver Feria Tovar, the municipal human rights ombudsman is saying, after receiving complaints from demobilized paramilitaries who stated that several of their colleagues are forming new [armed] groups.

“They have people coming to recruit them and create illegal armed groups. They are offering them one million pesos [about $500] a month. Many of them have joined these armed groups, despite the fact that they are still receiving benefits from the government [for having demobilized],” stated Tovar.

"The easiest ones to recruit are the ones that didn’t get their benefits in a timely fashion and who have a family to support as well as those who are unsatisfied with the government aid.

“Despite the government aid they still have unmet needs. Because of that and their insecure financial and social situation they are forced to take this lucrative offer. Initially they were being offered 600,000 pesos a month but the offer has now gone up to a million pesos,” stated Tovar.

He added that the National Inspector General’s office already had received this complaint because it had been lodged with one of their delegates who was in Sucre three months ago.

Yet he also made it clear that he has not presented this complaint in an official way to the police, the Attorney General (Fiscalía) or the regional offices of the Administrative Security Department (DAS).

“Unfortunately some authorities are turning a blind eye to the existence of these groups, but they are really there. It may be that the authorities in charge of public safety are ignoring this because they have to report that things are calm,” affirmed Tovar.

When asked to comment Colonel Jorge Andrés Rodríguez Borbón Chief of Police in Sucre stated that they had not received a formal complaint from the municipal human rights ombudsman’s office and that they had no knowledge of the existence of any new paramilitary groups.

“We work to keep order in the city and whenever we catch a demobilized [paramilitary] who has committed a crime we turn them over to the appropriate authorities. Besides, the number of demobilized who have committed new crimes is low. In Sucre we have about 700 demobilized [paramilitaries]. Last year we arrested 44 and so far this year we have arrested 14 for committing different crimes,” stated officer Borbón.

News of the Weird

Before starting this blog, I promised a friend I would update it minimally once every two weeks... In fact, I hope to do better than that. I know it's already been more than two weeks since my last update. I'm working one a more substantive piece at the moment about some of what we're up to here on the Atlantic coast. So in the meantime... here's one of those stories that despite a serious undertone brings a smile to my face.

One of the lead stories in today's press is of the latest "narco-submarine." Apparently it is of the homemade variety, had four crew-members aboard and room for up to four tons of cocaine. It was caught off the Pacific coast, headed north.

This is at least the third narco-submarine found in Colombia since 2005. As a friend said, "Imagine how many of these things must be out there if they've found three of them!"

Birth of the Citizens' Reconciliation Commission

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Psalm 85:10

Last week (July 18-19), a group of 25 Colombian civil society leaders from the provinces of Córdoba, Sucre and Bolívar gathered at the University of Cartagena to strategize on how to face the issues surrounding reconciliation on Colombia's Atlantic coast.

You might ask:
Isn't there an on-going civil war in Colombia?
Yes.
Doesn't reconciliation usually happen after the fighting has stopped?
Yes, but...

Paramilitary Demobilization
Just over two years ago, President Alvaro Uribe signed the "Justice and Peace Law" (also known as Law 975) to oversee the demobilization of one of Colombia's illegal armed groups, the paramilitaries (also known as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia-AUC). [Overview of Colombian armed groups] This law has been controversial from the very beginning, seen as but a slap on the wrist for the perpetrators of some of Colombia's most horrendous crimes. Check out Smoke and Mirrors for Human Rights Watch's critique of the initial Justice and Peace law.

Despite some improvements (imposed by Colombia's Constitutional Court), history is proving the law's critics to be right. The Organization of American States Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP-OEA) published a report earlier this month which highlighted the re-arming of demobilized paramilitaries across Colombia [map/analysis]. Almost daily I learn of the latest victims of “re-armed” or “new” paramilitary violence. Just two weekends ago, here in Sincelejo - a city of about 250,000 inhabitants - there were five murders in three days, mostly attributed to demobilized paramilitaries.

Another important aspect of the Justice and Peace law is that it mandated the creation of the National Commission for Reparations and Reconciliation, to oversee the reincorporation of demobilized paramilitaries into society as well as ensure their victims' rights to reparations.

A primary concern with regards to the National Comission at this point is that after two years of an eight year mandate, not a single victim has received reparations. Of course this pales in comparison to the larger concerns that the entire demobilization process is proving itself ineffective in punishing the perpetrators and in in dismantling the paramilitary criminal structures.

This week, a process that already seemed to be moving painstakingly slow, is coming dangerously close to grinding to a halt. Today’s news has centered around a group of demobilized paramilitary leaders who are refusing to testify, essentially challenging the will the Colombian government to enforce the conditions under which they demobilized. Currently, President Uribe is facing off with the supreme court over the legal status of the paramilitaries’ crimes in a confrontation that has many here fearful the whole process could collapse.

Last Friday at the inauguration of the latest legislative session, Nancy Patricia Gutiérrez – President of the Colombian Senate, whose party is part of President Uribe’s ruling coalition and typically seen as an Uribe ally – unequivocally stated her concerns over the implementation of the Justice and Peace law:

It is worrying that in two years only sixty of the nearly 2,800 [paramilitaries] covered by the "Justice and Peace" law have [testified]. At this rate how long will it take to hear all of them? If it continues like this, there will be nobody left to give reparations, or to make peace.

Responses
Colombia has many different organizations that do amazing work for victims' rights despite facing incredible risks, too many to list here. In June of 2005, just days after the Justice and Peace Law was signed, a new coalition comprised of many of these organizations came into being, the National Victims Movement. The National Victims Movement has taken the lead in the struggle for truth, justice and reparations as the basis for reconciliation with paramilitaries in Colombia. They have also taken a clear stance rejecting the Justice and Peace law and the National Commission of Reparations and Reconciliation which it created. This is a controversial position that not all Colombian peace and human rights’ NGOs have taken. There continues to be much debate about how best to work for truth, justice, reparations and reconciliation at this time.

At this point you might ask:
Is there any way forward?
That’s what we’re trying to figure out.

The Role of the Church
Last year Fundación Social published a major survey of Colombians’ Perceptions and Opinions of Justice, Truth, Reparations and Reconciliation [75 page pdf]. On a question that asked what institutions would be most important in achieving reconciliation in Colombia, 70% said “the church,” making it by far the most common response.

Churches here on the Atlantic coast are proactively stepping up to that call. Given the complex scenario for reconciliation in Colombia outlined above, we know it won’t be easy. But we are calling on all who will respond to come together and discuss how to move forward towards reconciliation in these difficult times.

So far we have organized workshops on reconciliation facilitated by the staff of Fundación Social in Córdoba, Sucre and Bolívar, that brought together not just religious leaders (both protestant and Catholic) but also civil society leaders of all stripes, including victim’s organizations. The goal of these workshops is to build trust, strengthen the networks of organizations, communities and churches working for peace, to learn about how reconciliation has happened in places such as Guatemala, South Africa and Peru, and to begin to discuss what true reconciliation, one that is respectful of victims’ rights, might look like in Colombia.

Citizens’ Reconciliation Commission
Last week’s meeting in Cartagena brought together delegates from each of the three previous workshops to discuss next steps. We were also joined by staff of the International Center for Transitional Justice and a member of Peru’s Truth Commission. Those gathered decided that there was a need for a new movement from the grassroots and that they would call themselves the Citizens’ Reconciliation Commission. They were clear that the role of the Commission was to work for truth, justice, reparations and reconciliation, that is should lean towards making proposals more than standing in protest, and that it should be in dialogue with victims, victimizers, the state and the National Commission for Reparations and Reconciliation.


Members of the Citizens’ Reconciliation Commission are moving forward in two complimentary directions. Some are returning to their communities to replicate the workshops and deepen the discussions with their communities, while others are working to organize workshops in the other five Atlantic coast provinces.

So let the word go out that despite the difficulties Colombians are continuing to proclaim that “steadfast love and faithfulness” are still alive here, and that one day “righteousness and peace will kiss.”

FARC Murders Two Pastors in Southern Colombia...

Joel Cruz García and José Humberto Mendez, R.I.P.
This past Saturday I heard the terrible news that protestant pastors Joel Cruz García (age 27), and José Humberto Mendez (age 65) had been murdered by the FARC guerrilla in the community of La Legiosa, Huila in southern Colombia. Pastor Jorge Arturo Giraldo of the Colombian Council of Protestant Churches (CEDECOL), called on all Christians to "pray and support in any way that you can Yuvy Andrea Oyola (pastor Cruz García's widow) and their daughter of just a few months of age."

Retaliation? Religious Intolerance?
Joel and José Humberto were murdered the night of July 5th, the same day millions of Colombians marched in protest against kidnapping as a tool of war (a practice most commonly associated with the FARC). Some believe that their murders were in retaliation for protestant churches' support of the march. Others have pointed to the long-standing difficult relations between the FARC and protestant churches (as well as the Catholic Church), and feel that this is yet another case of religious intolerance.

Patterns of Violence and Displacement
Over the past four years, some 150 protestant pastors have been killed in Colombia, and some 400 churches have been shut down or displaced by violence. "Right now our number one concern is supporting the families of these two pastors and their churches. Events like this can often cause displacement," stated Ricardo Esquivia, president of the Peace Commission (CRVP) of the Colombian Council of Protestant Churches.

Responses
Yesterday, El Tiempo - Colombia's main daily newspaper - reported that Christians went to Plaza Murillo Toro, in Ibagué (capital of Huila department) to publicly protest the murders of Cruz García and Mendez. El Tiempo also reported that those present expressed fear that these murders could signal a return to the repression protestant churches suffered in that region in 1999 and 2000 when several pastors were murdered and entire churches displaced.

Please pray for the families and churches of pastors Joel Cruz García and José Humberto Mendez as well as for the courage and wisdom of all of Colombia´s leaders (Protestant, Catholic, and secular) at this time.

An Update/Reflection on the Break-in at Justapaz

For the past 10 days I've been attending the General Synod of the United Church of Christ (UCC - who turned 50 this year), and taking a two-week course on the history, theology and polity of the UCC. I will write more about this wonderful experience later. For now I wanted to pass along an update and reflection about the break-in and theft at Justapaz that was the focus of my first post 12 days ago. Thank you Janna, for your testimony to the "power of the Holy Spirit within transformed believers to deny fear its victory."

A Sad Way to Start

I would have preferred to launch Colombia Calling with something more uplifting, but this one hit close to home...

Two days ago, the offices of Justapaz, a Colombian Mennonite justice and peace organization, were broken into in what appears to be a politically motivated attack. Justapaz jointly documents and publishes A Prophetic Call, which documents human rights abuses against protestant churches and church members, jointly with the Commission for Restoration, Life and Peace (with whom I work).

I hope to use this blog to send out periodic updates on my work and my life in Colombia... my understanding of what God is calling me to at this time... and occasionally, such as today, a call to action!

Blessings and peace,
Michael

Justapaz

CENTRO CRISTIANO DE JUSTICIA, PAZ Y ACCION NOVIOLENTA

Urgent Action June 14, 2007

The Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action, Justapaz, which is a program of the Mennonite Church of Colombia, reports that before dawn on the 14^th of June, 2007, its office was broken into and two computers were stolen. These computers contained sensitive information on people and churches that are active in work for peace and human dignity, and on people from churches that are victims and witnesses to human rights violations. The perpetrators of this criminal act apparently entered through the roof in the rear of the building before 3 am and tore out the wiring of the alarm system, although the alarm went off. They passed by 9 other computers, telephones, a safe, etc., and removed two specific computers located at the other end of the office. They also broke into the desk of the coordinator for a program for protection of persons at risk. Eye-witnesses in the neighborhood reported that soon after the time of the break-in, police officers stopped two men carrying a computer, at the intersection of Calle 33-A and Avenida Caracas, near the office, but as of yet there is no information as to whether they are still being held or whether the police retrieved the computer. Police officers came to the office in response to the security alarm; however, the Crime Scene Investigation Unit of the Attorney General’s Office (Cuerpo Tecnico de Investigacion de la Fiscalia General de la Nacion) did not arrive until 5-1/2 hours after they were alerted. After the CSI officer examined the scene, he indicated there were no fingerprints and suggested that the responsible party had used gloves or wiped off the fingerprints, and therefore there was no point in a specialist gathering that information.

This attack occurred 12 days after the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s office, which provides international accompaniment to the Comunidad de Paz of San José de Apartado, was broken into and a computer was stolen. Similarly, in January of this year (2007), the office of the Permanent Assembly of Civil Society for Peace was broken into and one computer was taken, which contained sensitive information on participants and organizations, photographs, and documentation of their activities. This attack against Justapaz repeats a pattern of human rights violations which give evidence that the perpetrators have precise knowledge of the office and use sophisticated procedures to gain access to specific information, which in turn puts people, organizations, and churches at risk. It is significant that this is the first time that a church is subjected to this type of attack in relation to its work for peace, human rights and the safety of victims and potential witnesses to human rights violations. This violation takes place in the context of the governmental policy of ‘democratic security’, and of the reluctance of US Congress to approve the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia, in part because of doubts about the Colombian government’s human rights record.

The Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action, Justapaz, which is a program of the Mennonite Church of Colombia promotes initiatives in nonviolence, conflict resolution, peace education and action, and the documentation of human rights violations suffered by churches as well as church activities for life with dignity. In carrying out its work, Justapaz supports the activities of Mennonite churches, other churches, and social and community organizations working for human rights and peace.

Justapaz and the Mennonite Church of Colombia reaffirm their commitment to nonviolence, justice and peace, which they understand as part of their calling to follow Jesus and to work for God’s vision of a society that resolves its differences nonviolently, guarantees the right to life with dignity for all, protects the victims and the general population against all armed action, and promotes solutions to the armed conflict within a framework of truth, justice, the call to repentance, reparation and reconciliation.

Requested actions:

· Call on the Colombian authorities to:

o Take all appropriate steps to identify and prosecute the persons who committed this act and those that sponsored its planning and execution.

o Take a clear stance against this crime and in support of the work of organizations and churches for human rights, peace and social initiatives, and to take all necessary steps to be in full compliance with the applicable provisions of the Colombian Constitution and of the international conventions which Colombia has signed.

o Implement appropriate measures for the full protection of freedom of worship and for the absolute respect of church sites and places of worship.

· Call on the governments of other countries to communicate with the Colombian government the aforementioned actions, and that these governments make human rights requirements a central consideration in determining assistance and/or agreements with the Colombian government.

· As churches, organizations, government officials and individuals, reaffirm the commitment to working for nonviolent solutions to the armed conflict; to giving priority attention to persons, families, churches and organizations that have been victimized; to promoting judicial processes that identify and hold fully responsible those persons that have violated or contributed to the violation of human rights, that promote the full dismantling of the structures of corruption and violence, and that contribute to processes of repentance and reparation a that lead to change and reconciliation; and to the enactment of public policies that give priority to investment in education, healthcare, housing and other areas that contribute to conditions of life with dignity for all.

· As people and communities of faith, pray for strength and clarity to stand firm in the commitment to God’s vision for a society characterized by nonviolence, peace and human dignity. Pray, also, for those responsible for this attack, that they will turn themselves in, repair the damage, and change their lives.

Send communications to:

In the US:

Chargé d’ Affaires Milton Drucker

United States Embassy Bogotá

Calle 22D-Bis # 47-51
Bogotá, D.C.

Tel: (571) 315-0811

Fax: (571) 315-2171 / 2190

E-mail: AmbassadorB@state.gov

Jonathan D. Farrar
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Department of State

Phone: 202-647-2590 Fax: 202-647-5283
with copy to Jennie Muñoz, Program Officer, at the same numbers

Contact information for Members of the U.S. Congress can be found at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov

In Canada:

Mr. Matthew Levin

Ambassador to Colombia

Carrera 7 #115-33 A.A.53531

Bogotá, Colombia

Fax: (57)-1-657-9912

Matthew.Levin@international.gc.ca


Peter MacKay,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6 8
(613) 992-6022
MacKay.S@parl.gc.ca

Ms. Christine Climenhage,
Desk Officer: Colombia, Ecuador, Caribbean, Central America and Andean
Region Division
Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Dr.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
(613) 995-1541
Christine.climenhage@international.gc.ca

Stewart Wheeler,

Counsellor (Political) Canadian Embassy, General Relations,

Fax: (57-1) 657-9910

E-mail: bogota@international.gc.ca

Sample letter to the State Department (US) and Foreign Affairs Office (Canada) and to the US and Canadian Embassies in Colombia

June 2007

Dear ________,

I am writing today to express my deep concern for the security and safety of the Justapaz staff, their regional partners, including local churches, due to an apparently politically motivated robbery in the early morning of Thursday, June 14, 2007. Justapaz is the Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action and is a program of the Colombian Mennonite Church.

Just before 3am unknown assailants broke into the Justapaz office, disabled the alarm system and proceeded to steal two computers with extremely sensitive human rights information. The assailants were apparently focused on these computers with sensitive information on human rights cases and local churches working for peace as they left other items of value behind including eight other computers, a fax machine and the organization’s safe. All evidence suggests that this was a politically motivated crime. The Justapaz staff, their partners and local churches could be at increased risk due to this attack.

This attack comes in the wake of a series of similar attacks against national and international human rights organizations and suggests an alarming pattern. Less than two weeks ago the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s Bogotá office was similarly attacked, with a computer with sensitive information regarding their work with the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community stolen. In the past year similar actions were carried out against the Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz and the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES).

Therefore, I respectfully ask you to contact the appropriate Colombian government officials, including the President, Vice-President and the Ministry of Defense, asking them to:

· Take any and all steps necessary to identify and prosecute the material and intellectual authors of these crimes.

· Take a clear and public position rejecting these crimes and for respect for organizations and churches working for human rights, peace and community organization while fully applying the constitutional guarantees regarding these groups and activities as well as those in international treaties of which Colombia is a signatory.

· Take measures to guarantee the right to religious freedom and the absolute respect for church buildings.

Sincerely,

Name

City, State

Country

Sample letter to members of Congress or Parliament:

June 2007

Dear ________,

I am writing today to express my deep concern for the security and safety of the JUSTAPAZ staff, their regional partners, including local churches due to an apparently politically motivated robbery in the early morning of Thursday, June 14, 2007. Justapaz is the Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action and is a program of the Colombian Mennonite Church.

Just before 3 a.m. unknown assailants broke into the JUSTAPAZ office, disabled the alarm system and proceeded to steal two computers with extremely sensitive human rights information. The assailants were apparently focused on these computers with sensitive information on human rights cases and local churches working for peace as they left other items of value behind including eight other computers, a fax machine and the organization’s safe. All evidence suggests that this was a politically motivated crime. The JUSTAPAZ staff, their partners and local churches could be at increased risk due to this attack.

This attack comes in the wake of a series of similar attacks against national and international human rights organizations and suggests an alarming pattern. Less than two weeks ago the Fellowship of Reconciliation’s Bogotá office was similarly attacked, with a computer with sensitive information regarding their work with the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community stolen. In the past year similar actions were carried out against the Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz and the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES).

Therefore, I respectfully ask you to contact the Colombian Embassy and the State Department / Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the Colombian government:

· Take any and all steps necessary to identify and prosecute the material and intellectual authors of these crimes.

· Take a clear and public position rejecting these crimes and for respect for organizations and churches working for human rights, peace and community organization while fully applying the constitutional guarantees regarding these groups and activities as well as those in international treaties of which Colombia is a signatory.

· Take measures to guarantee the right to religious freedom and the absolute respect for church buildings.

Sincerely,

Name

City, State

Country