20 February 2007Take Action! February 21 National Call-in and rally in Washington [0]
Congressional Call-In Day [0] TOMORROW, Wednesday, February 21, 2007, on the second anniversary of the massacre. This "Wake-Up Call" to Washington is urging Members of Congress to change the course of U.S. policy in Colombia from one that gives a blank check to the Colombian armed forces to one that stands up for human rights and social and economic aid.
FOR also joins Amnesty International and other organizations for a "Wake-up Call Rally for a new Colombia policy" [0] in Washington D.C. on February 21st at noon. The new Democratic majority needs to hear from the grassroots that the failed policy in Colombia that's caused so much suffering must change.
The Call-In and Rally take place on the second anniversary of the massacre in San José in which eight community members were killed, including three children and a co-founder of the community. According to witnesses, Army troops committed the killings. Tomorrow also community members and FOR team members in Colombia will travel to the remote mountain massacre site in Colombia to honor those killed. In Spain, events commemorating the massacre will be held in a dozen cities.
Please help us honor the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó and strengthen the nonviolent movement to end militarism in Colombia! Your phone call takes five minutes. For a suggested message when you call, clikc here [0].
Learning about your Representative
An important part of a successful conversation with your Member of Congress on Colombia policy is doing your homework. Here are some key places to get the information you need to know the history and background of your legislator:
* Congressional Scorecard on Colombia [1] (Latin America Working Group)
* Congress.org [2], a comprehensive source of information on Congress
In related news, the Town of Fairfax, California has passed a resolution urging the decrease of U.S. military aid to Colombia. Perhaps your city or town could do the same! Click here [2] for a copy of the resolution, and contact FOR for more information.
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Pfeffer International Peace Prize [3]. Interestingly, last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, received FOR's 1994 Pfeffer award.
FOR adds its voice to all those congratulating both the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó and ACIN of Northern Cauca for this distinguished honor! To learn more about the AFSC nomination, Click here [4].
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LA Times article. [5]
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read the full appeal here [5]
In Colombia the percentage of youth who reach higher education is very small. This is in part due to the growing influence of the neoliberal model that has made this fundamental right a consumer good, subject to the growing gap between the rich and poor, which has meant that quality education has become a privilege.
On May 19, 2006, the Colombian armed forces sent higher education institutions a statement in which they asked for collaboration in fulfilling the 1993 law that establishes obligatory military service for males between 18 and 50. Now, each new student must resolve the obligations of military service before being admitted, regardless of what the student thinks about being required to serve in order to enroll, or what they think about the political regime that the military defends, or about the legitimacy of the military and in general the state?s forces of coercion that operate throughout the country.
Given this situation, a friend Daniel and I have decided to reclaim our right to conscientious objection and to not be excluded from an education system because of our ethical, moral and conscientious convictions. In this we join many young activists in conscientious objector groups in MedellÃn and other cities who have had to once more reclaim their right to non-cooperate with the militarism imposed on Colombian society. For us this implies separating ourselves in order to construct a more just society that respects the rights of its people.
Read more here [5]
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her blog [6]
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More information about the [6].
Save the date:
August delegation to take place August 4-18, 2007. Participants will visit various Colombian peace movements, including the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, the Medellin Youth Network, Antioquia Peasant Association, meet with Colombian and US officials, and more. Cost is $1400 from Bogotá. Participation will include a four-week on-line course before traveling to Colombia. For more information/applications, contact: FOR, forcolombia@igc.org, 415-495-6334.
Training for new Colombia Team Members:
We will train our next round of Colombia Peace Presence volunteers this August. Application deadline is May 31st; info and application available here [6]. If you know someone with a passion for supporting nonviolent initiatives of Colombians and respect for their rights, speaks Spanish and English, is prepared to live and work in Colombia for a year (in Bogotá or in rural San José), has good judgement and works well in a group - maybe you are this person! - please forward this information to him, her, them.
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