San José de Apartadó
"Cacao (Cocoa)"
"When I first got here I liked it but I thought: there is nothing here, just jungle. It was a lot of work. The first crop we had was corn because it takes only three months. We had to buy everything else in town, even the yucca (traditional root vegetable). At that time there was no road, so we had to go down on mule or horse and that took all day. Now there is a road and we are able to sell the avocado, cocoa, and primitivo (baby bananas). We use the money to buy what we can't grow ourselves like salt, panela (raw sugar), and cooking oil."
Photo copyright Jutta Meier-Wiedenbach
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"Rigoberto's Grave"
"They made them kneel down and they all did, except for Rigoberto. He was sitting on a rock, and then they shot them at point blank range. After they killed the six men, some people wanted to displace because we were scared, but we didn't want to leave the bodies. We decided that even if the paras came back to kill us, we would stay. We took turns watching over the bodies all night and for the next few days. By the time the investigators came, we couldn¹t even recognize who they were anymore, they were so swollen. I only knew Rigoberto because he had thick, curly hair."
Photo copyright Carin Anderson
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"Playing Pool"
Fun and games are part of life in the Peace Community alcohol isn't. "We decided to not sell or consume alcohol, because in the past, conflicts would come up because of alcohol and sometimes become violent. Then the armed groups would take that as an excuse to come and "solve" the problems."
Photo copyright John Lindsay-Poland
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La Balsita Community of Life and Work
"Juntos Together"
Families are splintered through displacement. This couple was separated during the chaos of the 1997m assacre. For several months, neither knew if the other had survived. Now, they work together again to rebuild their lives, caring for five children who still live at home, plus two grandchildren.
Photo copyright Betty Udesen
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"Nesting"
New houses are constructed in estilo urban city style, in four blocks of small apartments. Members of the Balsita Community of Life & Work didn't live with shared walls before the 1997 displacement. The families had their own farms and homes. Now, they live together as a community for safety.
Photo copyright Betty Udesen
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"Daddy's Kiss"
Community women attended the birth of this child. The nearest medical services are six hours away by boat, a prohibitively expensive trip that must be arranged well in advance. At present, human rights groups provide weekly transportation in and out of the community.
Photo copyright Betty Udesen