Listserve Post Wednesday, January 30, 2008 05:18 PM
I'm writing from the Richmond, Indiana library right now. Early Monday morning our team flew back to Bogota, and after lunch we divided up to visit 2 embassies. I went to the U.S.A. embassy to meet with their one and ONLY human rights officer in Colombia. It was an interesting conversation. Too short, but we had to leave to get to another meeting w/a human rights organization. We all thought that final meeting was quite helpful in drawing things together and helping us begin thinking about how to present our experiences to our elected officials and others. I still have much to sort out, but it was a nice way to end.
We had an absolutely wonderful, healthy, delicious farewell dinner and spent the evening just having fun together, dancing to drummers in a park, and laughing. 6 of us said good-bye to the others Tuesday morning and headed back to Atlanta. We got
separated in customs, but searched each other out again for our final farewells. Sad to leave them (and very sad to leave the mountains), but nice to get home to people I love!
The temperature was in the 50's in Indianapolis when I arrived yesterday evening to be met by Friends. In downtown Indi. we heard a tornado siren. We got to a contradance hall just before the sheets of rain and high winds arrived. When we left later, the temperature had dropped way down and the high winds were bitter. A bit of a shock for my system!
The contradance was a nice way to come home, with friendly people and nice music to
listen to. My body decided it wasn't ready for spinning around, so I sat down the hall and journaled and listened -- just what I needed! It was a much gentler way to ease back into the U.S.A. than some of my past homecomings.
Today I was back to a minimum of 3 layers on every part of my body for our weekly Wednesday prayer vigil for peace, w/wind-chill factor of 15 below at times, but it's been a very sunny, beautiful day and this afternoon the wind slowed down quite a bit. I appreciated another chance to publicly witness for peace and remind Richmondites that our current reality is not the only possibility.
Thank you SO much for all of your thoughts and prayers and phone calls before I left and e-mail notes to welcome me home! Since I haven't slept much for two weeks, I decided it must be lots of love keeping me going! :) Praise God!
Now, time to go home and cuddle with my dog and cat. :)
Showing posts with label 2008 CPT Delegation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008 CPT Delegation. Show all posts
Monday, July 26, 2010
Third News Post From Colombia
Listerve Post Saturday, January 26, 2008 09:43 PM
We´re back in hot Barrancabermeja. We had our public action this afternoon, focussing on women´s rights and specifically trying to be as visible as possible showing international support for the OFP (Popular Women´s Organization), CPT´s partners here in Barrancabermeja. I can´t say much here... It went well, and I had some good conversations with onlookers.
Our trip to Micoahumado (¨Smoked Monkey¨ -- there´s a story behind the name of the
town) was wonderful!!! Spectacularly beautiful mountain scenery and butterflies, and the community there is amazing and wonderful and welcomed us in with open arms. We took a day trip (over 40 of us) in the back of a truck to a swimming hole in a mountain stream, while several people prepared a traditional lunch for us. I purposely ignored most of the lunch preparation since it included converting the numerous live chickens who traveled in the truck with us into sancocho, a traditional stew. They had an absolutely delicious salad and of course rice for me. We spent the day swimming and talking and eating, and of course riding home in the truck. It may not sound fun to crowd over 40 people plus a motorcycle plus all of the pots and utensils and food plus a bunch of chickens into the back of a truck for a 2-hour ride over what they call roads and what some in our country might call a dirt track (BUMPY), along cliff drop-offs (I´m told, but I was too scrunched to see them), but with this group it was extremely fun. I had a ball! We yelled and laughed together, and have a number of stories which set us all laughing over awkward
situations the bumps got us into.
Our delegation has commented over and over again how people at home think we´re being noble and suffering for the sake of others, while we´re all enjoying ourselves. It is sobering at times when we hear comments like, ¨We´re alive because you´re sitting here.¨
However, accompanying people means living life with people, and the people we´re
accompanying really know how to live! :)
The only down part of the Micoahumado trip was the mosquitoes and ticks. No one else got any. I told my group that my contribution to the team was to be so delectable that the bugs would avoid anyone around me and just choose me. I guess the DEET helped since I wasn´t completely covered in bites, just partially covered. To those of you who convinced me to take malaria med., thanks! It did put me more at ease. Its down side is that I am having trouble sleeping. I have had trouble for the entire time, so am quite sleep deprived now. The mountains and swimming and singing and fun community were wonderful, but signs of little sleep and its effects on my blood sugar are showing in my relations with other team members. Prayers for me to make it through the delegation without becoming completely obnoxious would be appreciated... I was able to take time this morning for prayer, and that helped, plus another Friend led the morning devotion time which included 10 minutes of silence -- much needed and quite helpful! I did warn team members about hypoglycemia at the beginning, and one person has helped remind me to eat more often.
Team members are great! I´ll tell you about some as I have time, and save the rest for later. One married couple brought a guitar with them. They perform music
together and they and I have had lots of fun swapping songs and singing together, plus leading others in song such as the imp round. It´s lots of fun (3-part round). Another on our team is the mother of one of the long-term team members here in Barrancabermeja. She came on a delegation last year, and there was so much information to absorb that she decided to come again. It´s been nice having another team member who knows the area a bit. Her specialty seems to be scouting out good ice cream places. Last night when a few of us went to the park downtown to plot
out our public action, she spotted all of the ice cream places and picked out which ones had the best flavors. A very useful teammate! :) I´ve indulged a couple of times in the two weeks I´ve been here. Not good for blood sugar control but still good for the soul!
The two women I mentioned know almost know Spanish, and the man knew none at the start of the trip, but all three jump right in and converse as best they can. It´s inspiring to watch them interact with the people around us. Quite a few of my teammates have been active in trying to close the School of the Americas, and one woman went to jail for it. One of our partner organizations here gave her an ovation when they heard this, and talked about how she inspired them. She is quiet and gentle and I think the team member I most look up to, someone I want to be like. She radiates kindness. The youngest person in our group is in his early 20´s. He´s from Winnipeg but recently moved to Montreal, so was just starting to learn French and is now speaking French with a Spanish accent (he doesn´t know Spanish). He´s another person who jumps in and acts. He was quiet for a while, but today we appointed him as our ¨choreographer¨-director for our action, and he did a splendid job! He seems to have opened up while here and done new things like leading worship and directing a bunch of older adults and introducing himself in Spanish like a pro. That is all for now. I am running out of time at this internet cafe (closing soon). Monday we fly back to Bogota to meet with embassy officials. On the way we´ll be working out our presentations at the embassies.
[To my monthly meeting, our team prayer time before we headed downtown for our action was the psalm for beginning work, a psalm which you gave me. They very much appreciated it, wanted copies, and asked me to thank you.]
We´re back in hot Barrancabermeja. We had our public action this afternoon, focussing on women´s rights and specifically trying to be as visible as possible showing international support for the OFP (Popular Women´s Organization), CPT´s partners here in Barrancabermeja. I can´t say much here... It went well, and I had some good conversations with onlookers.
Our trip to Micoahumado (¨Smoked Monkey¨ -- there´s a story behind the name of the
town) was wonderful!!! Spectacularly beautiful mountain scenery and butterflies, and the community there is amazing and wonderful and welcomed us in with open arms. We took a day trip (over 40 of us) in the back of a truck to a swimming hole in a mountain stream, while several people prepared a traditional lunch for us. I purposely ignored most of the lunch preparation since it included converting the numerous live chickens who traveled in the truck with us into sancocho, a traditional stew. They had an absolutely delicious salad and of course rice for me. We spent the day swimming and talking and eating, and of course riding home in the truck. It may not sound fun to crowd over 40 people plus a motorcycle plus all of the pots and utensils and food plus a bunch of chickens into the back of a truck for a 2-hour ride over what they call roads and what some in our country might call a dirt track (BUMPY), along cliff drop-offs (I´m told, but I was too scrunched to see them), but with this group it was extremely fun. I had a ball! We yelled and laughed together, and have a number of stories which set us all laughing over awkward
situations the bumps got us into.
Our delegation has commented over and over again how people at home think we´re being noble and suffering for the sake of others, while we´re all enjoying ourselves. It is sobering at times when we hear comments like, ¨We´re alive because you´re sitting here.¨
However, accompanying people means living life with people, and the people we´re
accompanying really know how to live! :)
The only down part of the Micoahumado trip was the mosquitoes and ticks. No one else got any. I told my group that my contribution to the team was to be so delectable that the bugs would avoid anyone around me and just choose me. I guess the DEET helped since I wasn´t completely covered in bites, just partially covered. To those of you who convinced me to take malaria med., thanks! It did put me more at ease. Its down side is that I am having trouble sleeping. I have had trouble for the entire time, so am quite sleep deprived now. The mountains and swimming and singing and fun community were wonderful, but signs of little sleep and its effects on my blood sugar are showing in my relations with other team members. Prayers for me to make it through the delegation without becoming completely obnoxious would be appreciated... I was able to take time this morning for prayer, and that helped, plus another Friend led the morning devotion time which included 10 minutes of silence -- much needed and quite helpful! I did warn team members about hypoglycemia at the beginning, and one person has helped remind me to eat more often.
Team members are great! I´ll tell you about some as I have time, and save the rest for later. One married couple brought a guitar with them. They perform music
together and they and I have had lots of fun swapping songs and singing together, plus leading others in song such as the imp round. It´s lots of fun (3-part round). Another on our team is the mother of one of the long-term team members here in Barrancabermeja. She came on a delegation last year, and there was so much information to absorb that she decided to come again. It´s been nice having another team member who knows the area a bit. Her specialty seems to be scouting out good ice cream places. Last night when a few of us went to the park downtown to plot
out our public action, she spotted all of the ice cream places and picked out which ones had the best flavors. A very useful teammate! :) I´ve indulged a couple of times in the two weeks I´ve been here. Not good for blood sugar control but still good for the soul!
The two women I mentioned know almost know Spanish, and the man knew none at the start of the trip, but all three jump right in and converse as best they can. It´s inspiring to watch them interact with the people around us. Quite a few of my teammates have been active in trying to close the School of the Americas, and one woman went to jail for it. One of our partner organizations here gave her an ovation when they heard this, and talked about how she inspired them. She is quiet and gentle and I think the team member I most look up to, someone I want to be like. She radiates kindness. The youngest person in our group is in his early 20´s. He´s from Winnipeg but recently moved to Montreal, so was just starting to learn French and is now speaking French with a Spanish accent (he doesn´t know Spanish). He´s another person who jumps in and acts. He was quiet for a while, but today we appointed him as our ¨choreographer¨-director for our action, and he did a splendid job! He seems to have opened up while here and done new things like leading worship and directing a bunch of older adults and introducing himself in Spanish like a pro. That is all for now. I am running out of time at this internet cafe (closing soon). Monday we fly back to Bogota to meet with embassy officials. On the way we´ll be working out our presentations at the embassies.
[To my monthly meeting, our team prayer time before we headed downtown for our action was the psalm for beginning work, a psalm which you gave me. They very much appreciated it, wanted copies, and asked me to thank you.]
Second News Post From Colombia
Listserve Post Monday, January 21, 2008 06:21 PM
I´m getting used to internet cafes now. We´re in Barrancabermeja
(arrived yesterday), the major oil city of Colombia and a very important city in many respects. One indication of its strategic importance is that after miles of land with no signs of ¨civilization¨ Barrancabermeja has power lines, oil pipelines to the coast, railroad lines, highways, the river which is a major transportation highway, and more.
I have to say, I love Colombia! I had forgotten how much. I had some bad memories from my time here as a student (28 years ago), and used to refer to my time here as a ¨growing experience.¨I had forgotten all of the things I enjoyed and loved. It´s a beautiful country! I commented calmly last night to a teammate that I´m enjoying the country, and she said it shows, that I look like I´ve found home.
One experience of coming home wherever I travel is meeting Friends (Religious Society of Friends). Saturday night, our last night in Bogota, I went to meet the clerk of Bogota Monthly Meeting and her husband. Most of our team ended up going to a party at our leader´s home, where his girlfriend´s family performed Colombian folk music and dancing. I was very sorry to have missed that, and at the same time I know that visiting the local Friends was what I needed. It was coming home. That´s one thing I love so much about the Religious Society of Friends, that I can meet Friends I´ve never met before and feel relaxed and calmed and treated like family.
As expected, Barrancabermeja is HOT! Actually, our leader told us it´s not as hot as usual, that January is usually referred to as hell and it´s much cooler this week. I´m grateful. I guess it must only be in the 90´s. So far I´m coping. I see this as a test as to whether I could live here for more than a few days. I´m managing to enjoy myself, but looking forward to getting back up into the mountains.
For those of you holding our team and local partners in prayer, here are some activities to be aware of :
Soon we will travel to Micoahumado (in the south of Bolivar province, for those of you who like to look at maps). Today we got to see an example of the type of motorized canoe we´ll travel in. It´s hopefully only about a 6-hour trip, 3 by boat and 3 by truck. I´m responsible for leading worship for the team on Wednesday, as we bump along in the back of a truck. :)
On Saturday our team will do our public action. We have chosen women´s rights as our
theme. Prayers for our partners who plan to join us are encouraged.
On Monday we´ll head back to Bogota, and in the afternoon we´ll divide into two groups to visit the U.S. and Canadian embassies.
I told some of you that I expected to lose weight on this trip. Silly me! Despite lots of walking, we are being fed royally. One of my favorites I remember from my student days are the fried platanos. I also love a common type of red beans (called red balls because of their size). Every time we visit someone, they want to feed us. We´re definitely eating well!
We did get a couple of hours in Bogota to do some sightseeing last week, and took a
cablecar up Monserrate, a hill which looks over Bogota and has a church on the top, plus the stations of the cross on a path along the hillside. I hiked up the hill as a student years ago, but was grateful to take the quick way up and down this time around.
This afternoon we took a couple of hours for a tour around Barrancabermeja with an
university professor... He is extremely knowledgeable about the history (geological, cultural, and political) of the region, and I could have listened to him and talked with him for hours more. Really interesting tour!
One of the things we stopped to see is the Christ of the oil, a HUGE figure of Christ erected by oil workers, made out of oilpipes of course. An indication of how oil is thought of around here!
Oh, another thing I´m enjoying is all of the flowers! Gorgeous!! Some very different than those I saw in Central America, but lots of bright colors and variety. Today I saw some gorgeous colorful birds as well as a very graceful white egret (large) over a lake. As I said, it´s a beautiful country! The oil refinery is not so beautiful, and I´m amazed that quite a diversity of wildlife has managed to survive (including several types of alligators, birds, fish, and mammals).
One of the things we´ve been hearing lots about is the extreme wealth of natural
resources in Colombia. Minerals, biological diversity, and more. The people, of course, are quite a wonderful resource as well. One can see why multinationals are so interested in being here.
That´s about all I can say now. I really am enjoying myself, despite the heat and the serious nature of our mission. I´m so eager to share lots about the trip when I get home!
[To my monthly meeting, your letter of greeting was much appreciated, and partners were pleased and grateful to hear that I represent others who are praying for them.]
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal
violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) USA
I´m getting used to internet cafes now. We´re in Barrancabermeja
(arrived yesterday), the major oil city of Colombia and a very important city in many respects. One indication of its strategic importance is that after miles of land with no signs of ¨civilization¨ Barrancabermeja has power lines, oil pipelines to the coast, railroad lines, highways, the river which is a major transportation highway, and more.
I have to say, I love Colombia! I had forgotten how much. I had some bad memories from my time here as a student (28 years ago), and used to refer to my time here as a ¨growing experience.¨I had forgotten all of the things I enjoyed and loved. It´s a beautiful country! I commented calmly last night to a teammate that I´m enjoying the country, and she said it shows, that I look like I´ve found home.
One experience of coming home wherever I travel is meeting Friends (Religious Society of Friends). Saturday night, our last night in Bogota, I went to meet the clerk of Bogota Monthly Meeting and her husband. Most of our team ended up going to a party at our leader´s home, where his girlfriend´s family performed Colombian folk music and dancing. I was very sorry to have missed that, and at the same time I know that visiting the local Friends was what I needed. It was coming home. That´s one thing I love so much about the Religious Society of Friends, that I can meet Friends I´ve never met before and feel relaxed and calmed and treated like family.
As expected, Barrancabermeja is HOT! Actually, our leader told us it´s not as hot as usual, that January is usually referred to as hell and it´s much cooler this week. I´m grateful. I guess it must only be in the 90´s. So far I´m coping. I see this as a test as to whether I could live here for more than a few days. I´m managing to enjoy myself, but looking forward to getting back up into the mountains.
For those of you holding our team and local partners in prayer, here are some activities to be aware of :
Soon we will travel to Micoahumado (in the south of Bolivar province, for those of you who like to look at maps). Today we got to see an example of the type of motorized canoe we´ll travel in. It´s hopefully only about a 6-hour trip, 3 by boat and 3 by truck. I´m responsible for leading worship for the team on Wednesday, as we bump along in the back of a truck. :)
On Saturday our team will do our public action. We have chosen women´s rights as our
theme. Prayers for our partners who plan to join us are encouraged.
On Monday we´ll head back to Bogota, and in the afternoon we´ll divide into two groups to visit the U.S. and Canadian embassies.
I told some of you that I expected to lose weight on this trip. Silly me! Despite lots of walking, we are being fed royally. One of my favorites I remember from my student days are the fried platanos. I also love a common type of red beans (called red balls because of their size). Every time we visit someone, they want to feed us. We´re definitely eating well!
We did get a couple of hours in Bogota to do some sightseeing last week, and took a
cablecar up Monserrate, a hill which looks over Bogota and has a church on the top, plus the stations of the cross on a path along the hillside. I hiked up the hill as a student years ago, but was grateful to take the quick way up and down this time around.
This afternoon we took a couple of hours for a tour around Barrancabermeja with an
university professor... He is extremely knowledgeable about the history (geological, cultural, and political) of the region, and I could have listened to him and talked with him for hours more. Really interesting tour!
One of the things we stopped to see is the Christ of the oil, a HUGE figure of Christ erected by oil workers, made out of oilpipes of course. An indication of how oil is thought of around here!
Oh, another thing I´m enjoying is all of the flowers! Gorgeous!! Some very different than those I saw in Central America, but lots of bright colors and variety. Today I saw some gorgeous colorful birds as well as a very graceful white egret (large) over a lake. As I said, it´s a beautiful country! The oil refinery is not so beautiful, and I´m amazed that quite a diversity of wildlife has managed to survive (including several types of alligators, birds, fish, and mammals).
One of the things we´ve been hearing lots about is the extreme wealth of natural
resources in Colombia. Minerals, biological diversity, and more. The people, of course, are quite a wonderful resource as well. One can see why multinationals are so interested in being here.
That´s about all I can say now. I really am enjoying myself, despite the heat and the serious nature of our mission. I´m so eager to share lots about the trip when I get home!
[To my monthly meeting, your letter of greeting was much appreciated, and partners were pleased and grateful to hear that I represent others who are praying for them.]
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal
violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) USA
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
First News Post From Colombia
Listserve Post Jan 19 2008, 4:42 pm
Hi everyone! This is my very first time using an internet cafe. One more step into the technological world. I´ll type as long as I have time for, not much.
CPT was correct in saying that our time would be intense, and we´re still in Bogota. We´ve spoken with a variety of peace & human rights workers, adults, children, long-time pacifists and former FARC, ELN, & paras (meaning the guerrilla groups and the paramilitaries), an NGO to ban landmine use (and care for victims), and more. Having read up on this before I came, much of the information I´m getting is not new, yet the impact is. I am also learning a great deal. Reading about torture, and break-ins and robberies of peace & justice offices, and kidnappings, and e-mail threats, is very different than sitting in front of the people directly involved and hearing about it from their mouths, and the effects on the community. Last night I was feeling very convicted that I cared less from reading than from knowing people. Not that I didn´t care in the U.S.A. -- that´s why I´m here. But the fact that unless I have met the people I was not as affected emotionally is not something I´m proud of.
I keep asking people what I should tell people back home. Here are the responses (my paraphrasing) in order of frequency : 1) Colombia is a wonderful place with wonderful people. We are not all about violence and drugs. We want peace and actively work for peace. We are happy, we love jokes, we laugh a lot, we enjoy life. WE HAVE HOPE! It´s a beautiful country. We are rich in resources, not just natural resources of the earth but in Colombia´s people. There is an active peace movement in Colombia. 2) The Free Trade Agreement is horrible for Colombia, very harmful to the peace process, and only rewards the people most responsible for human rights violations and crimes against the people. 3) Issues which are not talked about in the international media, such as the fact that Colombia is the only country in this hemisphere where new landmines are laid daily, and an average of 3 people per day die from landmines (doesn´t count wounded, and those not reported). Currently Colombia is the country with the highest number of landmine injuries in the world. Other issues : Privitization of mines and many other resources. HUGE number of displaced people. Multinational corporation´s influence and responsibility for many problems in the country. 4) People want peace.
There´s more, but I´m short on time. Part of my challenge when I get home will be trying to condense much of what I´ve heard into segments to go with our country´s soundbite mentality. I feel an obligation to give these people voices in our country, and that´s hard to do in 5 to 10 minute talks.
People are extremely generous! The fact is, too, that people are taking great risks and teaching us much. You all, my friends and family, think of me as taking a risk. Others on my team have commented on the same thing. People think we´re the brave ones, yet the really brave ones are the people here, living out peace and living in hope and refusing to give up. CPT´ers would know nothing without our local partners teaching us, telling us what´s useful, what to be cautious of, etc. They´re amazing!
Running short on time. The team is great! Two other Friends (Religious Society of Friends), both from Minnesota, and a variety of others. 1 Colombian, 1 Brit, 1 Canadian, and 6 from U.S.A. 9 in all including Rachel, our liaison with the CPT team in Barrancabermeja.
Please pray for our partners here in Colombia. I have many stories to tell. Thank you all SO much for your support! I carry your support with me.
Tonight (late) I´ll visit Bogota Friends.
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) USA
Hi everyone! This is my very first time using an internet cafe. One more step into the technological world. I´ll type as long as I have time for, not much.
CPT was correct in saying that our time would be intense, and we´re still in Bogota. We´ve spoken with a variety of peace & human rights workers, adults, children, long-time pacifists and former FARC, ELN, & paras (meaning the guerrilla groups and the paramilitaries), an NGO to ban landmine use (and care for victims), and more. Having read up on this before I came, much of the information I´m getting is not new, yet the impact is. I am also learning a great deal. Reading about torture, and break-ins and robberies of peace & justice offices, and kidnappings, and e-mail threats, is very different than sitting in front of the people directly involved and hearing about it from their mouths, and the effects on the community. Last night I was feeling very convicted that I cared less from reading than from knowing people. Not that I didn´t care in the U.S.A. -- that´s why I´m here. But the fact that unless I have met the people I was not as affected emotionally is not something I´m proud of.
I keep asking people what I should tell people back home. Here are the responses (my paraphrasing) in order of frequency : 1) Colombia is a wonderful place with wonderful people. We are not all about violence and drugs. We want peace and actively work for peace. We are happy, we love jokes, we laugh a lot, we enjoy life. WE HAVE HOPE! It´s a beautiful country. We are rich in resources, not just natural resources of the earth but in Colombia´s people. There is an active peace movement in Colombia. 2) The Free Trade Agreement is horrible for Colombia, very harmful to the peace process, and only rewards the people most responsible for human rights violations and crimes against the people. 3) Issues which are not talked about in the international media, such as the fact that Colombia is the only country in this hemisphere where new landmines are laid daily, and an average of 3 people per day die from landmines (doesn´t count wounded, and those not reported). Currently Colombia is the country with the highest number of landmine injuries in the world. Other issues : Privitization of mines and many other resources. HUGE number of displaced people. Multinational corporation´s influence and responsibility for many problems in the country. 4) People want peace.
There´s more, but I´m short on time. Part of my challenge when I get home will be trying to condense much of what I´ve heard into segments to go with our country´s soundbite mentality. I feel an obligation to give these people voices in our country, and that´s hard to do in 5 to 10 minute talks.
People are extremely generous! The fact is, too, that people are taking great risks and teaching us much. You all, my friends and family, think of me as taking a risk. Others on my team have commented on the same thing. People think we´re the brave ones, yet the really brave ones are the people here, living out peace and living in hope and refusing to give up. CPT´ers would know nothing without our local partners teaching us, telling us what´s useful, what to be cautious of, etc. They´re amazing!
Running short on time. The team is great! Two other Friends (Religious Society of Friends), both from Minnesota, and a variety of others. 1 Colombian, 1 Brit, 1 Canadian, and 6 from U.S.A. 9 in all including Rachel, our liaison with the CPT team in Barrancabermeja.
Please pray for our partners here in Colombia. I have many stories to tell. Thank you all SO much for your support! I carry your support with me.
Tonight (late) I´ll visit Bogota Friends.
"Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him."
-- Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) USA
Colombia Churches Statement
Here is some background information for our CPT Delegation.
Listserve Post Sent By Delegation Coordinator : Tuesday, January 15, 2008 3:00 PM
SANCTUARIES OF PEACE - A MESSAGE FROM THE CHURCHES IN COLOMBIA WHERE THE VISION COMES FROM
Historically, Colombia has been one of the world's most violent nations.
This violence, in its multiple manifestations, has affected all sectors of
local, regional, and national life. Today, countless Colombian families
endure the pain of violent conflict without seeing any clear direction to
hope and peace.
Yet in the midst of the complexity, the tears, the misery, the hunger, and
the injustice, many communities have felt the call to solidarity.
Individuals, churches and institutions have been engaging in gatherings for
discernment around this call to solidarity. It is the call of Jesus Christ
to his people to respond to the pain, to the cry of a suffering people, and
to the need for a message and for action which offer alternatives of hope.
In this context the vision of Sanctuaries of Peace emerges from and for the
Church as a proposal for reflection and action.
WHY THIS VISION?
Jesus Christ has shown the world his Gospel of peace, and we have understood it as a Christian alternative to violence. We have understood that we are called "not to the heroic life of strong men and women, but to a community of brothers and sisters in which men and women give testimony to the Lord whose Spirit lives in their midst through life together, through forgiveness and mutual reconciliation, through fraternal admonishment, and through the joyful willingness to share the other person's burdens. It is a community which defines itself in terms of those who give their lives one for the other (I John 3:16)." This call to be a seedbed for a Christian alternative to the violence in our country implies presenting Jesus as the mediator of a new pact among Colombian men and women, and from there to develop and offer as a service the gifts, talents and ministries that we have inherited from our forebears in the faith.
WHAT IS A SANCTUARY OF PEACE
In the Old Testament, the Temple and selected cities were designated as
refuge where people being persecuted could be protected from death, places
where they could receive consolation and encouragement. In the history of
Christianity, there are examples in which this idea has been put into
practice. Here we share what a Sanctuary of Peace could be in Colombia:
It is a people, filled with the Spirit and using their gifts, talents and
ministries, who receive persons affected by the material and spiritual war
in our country, affirming them in the Gospel of peace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and seeking their personal, family, spiritual and social recovery,
and their holistic redemption in God.
It is a message of nonviolence that discerns the times from the perspective of the Gospel and calls to the repentance of the Kingdom. It fosters the formation of people for a peaceful and reconciled life, and for the nonviolent transformation of conflicts. It promotes conscientious objection to military training and practice. And on the basis of these initiatives it rebuilds the social fabric of our country.
It is a physical space or a territory of peace that proclaims itself publicly so and expects to be respected from all violation by force. It makes possible face-to-face encounters among opponents, debates and public discussions, and times of prayer and reflection where all those who wish can feel safe and protected. It is a refuge for people persecuted for their convictions or affected by violence and injustice. It is a place of protection under the care of the community of faith.
WHAT TO DO AS CHURCHES
As churches in Colombia we are considering what needs to be done. We also want to build to build on the worldwide presence of churches and their institutions, and together discern before God and as a church what it means to be a Sanctuary of Peace. Here we offer some possible lines of action for sisters and brothers outside Colombia: Dedicate a Sunday service to Colombian sisters and brothers, and have
periods of prayer and fasting. Collect special offerings and mobilize resources for nonviolent peace efforts being carried out by churches and church institutions in Colombia (II Cor. 8:8).
Sponsor and promote exchanges and links of solidarity among persons from your country and Colombia as a way of broadening the relationships at local church levels (Acts 16:9).
Organize groups of friends of the Colombian peace process and initiate a reflection in the church congregation or other church settings to consider sister relationships among congregations, among young people, among women, among refugees affected by war in different countries, and with other groups which support peace processes in Colombia (Prov. 17:17; II Timothy 1:16-17).
Hold meetings to identify the different dimensions of the social conflict in Colombia and the possible relation to the policies and the social and economic situation of your country.
Support actions that call attention to injustice; gather signatures, inform the public, pressure your government.
Plan opportunities for reflection and action on topics of justice, human rights, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Offer your church facilities to host encounters for recognition, reparation and reconciliation among victims and offenders in your own communities (Rom 5:11, II Cor. 5:18-20).
Offer care and refuge to persons persecuted in violation of their human rights (Num. 35:11-12, Ex. 21:13).
Carry out actions of solidarity to support those Colombians, young and old, who seek nonviolent alternatives to military recruitment for serving their country (Mt 5:38-47).
Obtain up-to-date information and proposals for action from organizations documenting legislation in your country that is pertinent to Colombia. Support your denominational office that witnesses to your government, and seek its orientation for action.
Collaborate with other groups in your country that support the peace process in Colombia (Mt 5:9).
Share this vision with others, church-related and secular.
Send us your ideas for action so that we can share then wilh other churches.
For information:
Centro Cristiano para Justicia, Paz y Acción Noviolenta,
JUSTAPAZ
Avenida (Calle) 32 No. 14-42
Santa Fe de Bogotá. Colombia
e-mail: justa...@colnodo.apc.org
"SANCTUARIES OF PEACE"
A VISION FOR A MESSAGE OF PEACE AND ACTION FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
--a proposal being jointly developed by Colombian churches and their institutions under the guidance of the Spirit to be lived out today and in the new millenium.
AN INVITATION AND A PROMISE
We live in times of danger, and as Christians we are not exempt (Jeremiah 45:1-5, John 16:33). This is an invitation to recognize that God has placed us in Colombia in these times to help, to bring the message and action for salvation (Esther 4:12-13). Our Lord Jesus Christ goes before us, and he invites us to follow him (Hebrews 12:1-3). The promise is that the Lord is with us. The Lord has overcome the world
(John 16:33). The promise is that "in days to come the mountain of the Lord's house will be established.nation shall not lift up sword against nation.and no one shall make them afraid.." (Micah 4).
______________
Christian Peacemaker Teams
PO Box 6508
Chicago, IL 60680-6508
Phone: 773-277-0253, Fax: 773-277-0291
Website: www.cpt.org
Listserve Post Sent By Delegation Coordinator : Tuesday, January 15, 2008 3:00 PM
SANCTUARIES OF PEACE - A MESSAGE FROM THE CHURCHES IN COLOMBIA WHERE THE VISION COMES FROM
Historically, Colombia has been one of the world's most violent nations.
This violence, in its multiple manifestations, has affected all sectors of
local, regional, and national life. Today, countless Colombian families
endure the pain of violent conflict without seeing any clear direction to
hope and peace.
Yet in the midst of the complexity, the tears, the misery, the hunger, and
the injustice, many communities have felt the call to solidarity.
Individuals, churches and institutions have been engaging in gatherings for
discernment around this call to solidarity. It is the call of Jesus Christ
to his people to respond to the pain, to the cry of a suffering people, and
to the need for a message and for action which offer alternatives of hope.
In this context the vision of Sanctuaries of Peace emerges from and for the
Church as a proposal for reflection and action.
WHY THIS VISION?
Jesus Christ has shown the world his Gospel of peace, and we have understood it as a Christian alternative to violence. We have understood that we are called "not to the heroic life of strong men and women, but to a community of brothers and sisters in which men and women give testimony to the Lord whose Spirit lives in their midst through life together, through forgiveness and mutual reconciliation, through fraternal admonishment, and through the joyful willingness to share the other person's burdens. It is a community which defines itself in terms of those who give their lives one for the other (I John 3:16)." This call to be a seedbed for a Christian alternative to the violence in our country implies presenting Jesus as the mediator of a new pact among Colombian men and women, and from there to develop and offer as a service the gifts, talents and ministries that we have inherited from our forebears in the faith.
WHAT IS A SANCTUARY OF PEACE
In the Old Testament, the Temple and selected cities were designated as
refuge where people being persecuted could be protected from death, places
where they could receive consolation and encouragement. In the history of
Christianity, there are examples in which this idea has been put into
practice. Here we share what a Sanctuary of Peace could be in Colombia:
It is a people, filled with the Spirit and using their gifts, talents and
ministries, who receive persons affected by the material and spiritual war
in our country, affirming them in the Gospel of peace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and seeking their personal, family, spiritual and social recovery,
and their holistic redemption in God.
It is a message of nonviolence that discerns the times from the perspective of the Gospel and calls to the repentance of the Kingdom. It fosters the formation of people for a peaceful and reconciled life, and for the nonviolent transformation of conflicts. It promotes conscientious objection to military training and practice. And on the basis of these initiatives it rebuilds the social fabric of our country.
It is a physical space or a territory of peace that proclaims itself publicly so and expects to be respected from all violation by force. It makes possible face-to-face encounters among opponents, debates and public discussions, and times of prayer and reflection where all those who wish can feel safe and protected. It is a refuge for people persecuted for their convictions or affected by violence and injustice. It is a place of protection under the care of the community of faith.
WHAT TO DO AS CHURCHES
As churches in Colombia we are considering what needs to be done. We also want to build to build on the worldwide presence of churches and their institutions, and together discern before God and as a church what it means to be a Sanctuary of Peace. Here we offer some possible lines of action for sisters and brothers outside Colombia: Dedicate a Sunday service to Colombian sisters and brothers, and have
periods of prayer and fasting. Collect special offerings and mobilize resources for nonviolent peace efforts being carried out by churches and church institutions in Colombia (II Cor. 8:8).
Sponsor and promote exchanges and links of solidarity among persons from your country and Colombia as a way of broadening the relationships at local church levels (Acts 16:9).
Organize groups of friends of the Colombian peace process and initiate a reflection in the church congregation or other church settings to consider sister relationships among congregations, among young people, among women, among refugees affected by war in different countries, and with other groups which support peace processes in Colombia (Prov. 17:17; II Timothy 1:16-17).
Hold meetings to identify the different dimensions of the social conflict in Colombia and the possible relation to the policies and the social and economic situation of your country.
Support actions that call attention to injustice; gather signatures, inform the public, pressure your government.
Plan opportunities for reflection and action on topics of justice, human rights, forgiveness and reconciliation.
Offer your church facilities to host encounters for recognition, reparation and reconciliation among victims and offenders in your own communities (Rom 5:11, II Cor. 5:18-20).
Offer care and refuge to persons persecuted in violation of their human rights (Num. 35:11-12, Ex. 21:13).
Carry out actions of solidarity to support those Colombians, young and old, who seek nonviolent alternatives to military recruitment for serving their country (Mt 5:38-47).
Obtain up-to-date information and proposals for action from organizations documenting legislation in your country that is pertinent to Colombia. Support your denominational office that witnesses to your government, and seek its orientation for action.
Collaborate with other groups in your country that support the peace process in Colombia (Mt 5:9).
Share this vision with others, church-related and secular.
Send us your ideas for action so that we can share then wilh other churches.
For information:
Centro Cristiano para Justicia, Paz y Acción Noviolenta,
JUSTAPAZ
Avenida (Calle) 32 No. 14-42
Santa Fe de Bogotá. Colombia
e-mail: justa...@colnodo.apc.org
"SANCTUARIES OF PEACE"
A VISION FOR A MESSAGE OF PEACE AND ACTION FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD
--a proposal being jointly developed by Colombian churches and their institutions under the guidance of the Spirit to be lived out today and in the new millenium.
AN INVITATION AND A PROMISE
We live in times of danger, and as Christians we are not exempt (Jeremiah 45:1-5, John 16:33). This is an invitation to recognize that God has placed us in Colombia in these times to help, to bring the message and action for salvation (Esther 4:12-13). Our Lord Jesus Christ goes before us, and he invites us to follow him (Hebrews 12:1-3). The promise is that the Lord is with us. The Lord has overcome the world
(John 16:33). The promise is that "in days to come the mountain of the Lord's house will be established.nation shall not lift up sword against nation.and no one shall make them afraid.." (Micah 4).
______________
Christian Peacemaker Teams
PO Box 6508
Chicago, IL 60680-6508
Phone: 773-277-0253, Fax: 773-277-0291
Website: www.cpt.org
Peacemaker Delegation Arrives in Bogota
Listerve Post From CPT Delegation Coordinator : Thursday, January 17, 2008 10:15 AM
Peacemaker Delegation Arrives in Bogota
Nine members of a delegation sponsored by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) arrived in Bogota, Colombia yesterday evening. Over the next few days, the delegation will meet with church leaders and people displaced by Colombia's decades-long insurgency-counterinsurgency war, as well as with representatives of human rights organizations. Then the delegates will travel to the industrial city Barrancabermeja and the southern region of Bolivar province, where communities are threatened by the presence of several armed groups.
Members of CPT's January 16-29 Colombia delegation are Susan Lee Barton (Richmond, Indiana), Martin Bates (Salina, Kansas), Mary Benson (Brainerd, Minnesota), Doris Braley (New Brighton, Minnesota), Tyler Braun (Montreal, Quebec), Rachel Cloud (Eudora, Kansas), Paul Mukerji (Birmingham, England), Janie Stein (Salina, Kansas) and Jonathan Stucky (Bogota, Colombia).
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. CPT has had a continuing presence in Colombia since May 2001.
______________
Christian Peacemaker Teams
PO Box 6508
Chicago, IL 60680-6508
Phone: 773-277-0253, Fax: 773-277-0291
Website: www.cpt.org
Peacemaker Delegation Arrives in Bogota
Nine members of a delegation sponsored by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) arrived in Bogota, Colombia yesterday evening. Over the next few days, the delegation will meet with church leaders and people displaced by Colombia's decades-long insurgency-counterinsurgency war, as well as with representatives of human rights organizations. Then the delegates will travel to the industrial city Barrancabermeja and the southern region of Bolivar province, where communities are threatened by the presence of several armed groups.
Members of CPT's January 16-29 Colombia delegation are Susan Lee Barton (Richmond, Indiana), Martin Bates (Salina, Kansas), Mary Benson (Brainerd, Minnesota), Doris Braley (New Brighton, Minnesota), Tyler Braun (Montreal, Quebec), Rachel Cloud (Eudora, Kansas), Paul Mukerji (Birmingham, England), Janie Stein (Salina, Kansas) and Jonathan Stucky (Bogota, Colombia).
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. CPT has had a continuing presence in Colombia since May 2001.
______________
Christian Peacemaker Teams
PO Box 6508
Chicago, IL 60680-6508
Phone: 773-277-0253, Fax: 773-277-0291
Website: www.cpt.org
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