by Lisa Bonds, Lutheran World Relief
on February 03, 2010
We thought you should hear this story from Lisa Bonds, with our partner
Lutheran World Relief in Colombia. See LWR’s blog on Colombia and other
topics by clicking here.
“I joined my Lutheran World Relief colleagues and Rosario Montoya, the
Director of Fundacion Infancia Feliz, in a visit to the ‘ Finca la
Alemania,’ the German farm… As we drove to the farm, Rosario briefed us
on the farm's history and the people who had recently returned to the
farm after having been displaced by one of the most feared paramilitary
leaders, called ‘ the Chain,’ in the state of Cordoba...
by Lisa Haugaard
on November 17, 2009
In every province of Colombia, women long to know what happened to
their husbands, to their daughters, to their sons. Children want to
know what happened to their fathers, to their mothers.
Even Colombia’s associations of families of the disappeared have long
estimated that at most the disappeared totaled 15,000. And many did
not believe the toll was so high.
But as forensic teams are conducting exhumations following the partial
paramilitary demobilization, prosecutors are interviewing paramilitary
leaders, Colombia’s National Search Commission is soliciting
information from the victims, and victims are organizing to know the
truth, the scale of the human catastrophe is slowly being unveiled.
|
by Lisa Haugaard & Vanessa Kritzer
on January 14, 2010
Did you have a restful holiday? We hope you did because now that the
new year is here we're going to be putting you back to work in pushing
for real change in U.S. policies towards Colombia.
As we pointed out in a recent blog post reflecting on " Obama's First Year,"
although the administration promised us a foreign policy that would
bring us hope and change, Colombia policy is still falling far short.
Giving Colombia a free pass on the human rights conditions, signing
military base agreements, continuing high levels of military aid—these
actions are a bitter disappointment. Yet we have seen some good signs,
especially when President Obama raised real concerns about human rights
and democracy when Colombian President Uribe came to visit the White
House. This year, no excuses: We want our government to use both words and deeds to say that respect for human rights does matter.
by Vanessa Kritzer
on November 17, 2009
We have a real challenge with the Obama Administration. President Obama gets that we need to work together with the rest of the world. That’s great. But his administration hasn’t found its voice on human rights and backed up its words with action. They think that by mentioning more about human rights than the Bush Administration did, it is enough. So far, they haven’t been willing to actually change U.S. policy to support victims of violence in places like Mexico and Colombia, even though they must do so if they want to become part of the solution, not the problem.
Read more »
|
by Lisa Haugaard and Vanessa Kritzer
on November 18, 2009
Have you called yet?
Last week, we told you about the letter on Colombia that's circulating
in Congress and what you can do to help. We've had a good start, but we
still need more action from grassroots activists like you and the
people in your community.
Please take two minutes right now to give your representative a call.
Here's How:
Read more »
by Adam Isacson, Center for International Policy
on November 10, 2009
On Friday, November 6th, the U.S. government finally released its estimate of how much coca was cultivated in Colombia in 2008. The result is the first reduction in coca-growing since 2002-2003, a significant drop from 167,000 hectares measured in 2007 to 119,000 hectares in 2008. (A hectare is equal to 2.47 acres.) This brings the U.S. government’s coca cultivation estimate to its lowest level since 2004. (The U.S. government has not yet released 2008 coca data for Peru and Bolivia.)
This matches a downward 2007-2008 trend – though not the number of hectares – that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime announced ( PDF) back in June.
A reduction in coca cultivation is good news. But what caused it?
|
Action Center
