National Day of Reflection and Action, September 15!

One of the reasons that we come together to celebrate Semana Por La Paz is to show solidarity with our Colombian counterparts. A simple way to share your solidarity is to take pictures of yourself and your community celebrating Semana Por La Paz. Send them to info@peaceincolombia.org and we will share them with Colombians who also participated in the week for peace.

• Set up “Cookies for Calls for Colombia” tables in a public area on the day of action, Thursday, September 15. This could take place at a shopping mall, campus quad, church social hour, etc. Have cell phones available and offer free cookies to those who will call their senators or representative (click here to find out who your representative is). Have plenty of handouts, information (see the Blueprint for a New Colombia Policy), and - of course - cookies. You can find the phone numbers for your member of Congress—both their district and Washington offices—by looking on the web at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov. You can also be connected with your member’s D.C. office by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. It is ok to leave a message for the foreign policy aide after office hours. Click here for sample scripts and information on contacting Congress.
  
  
• Get together with a group of friends for a Semana Por La Paz lunch or coffee. Make calls to Congress from your cell phones at your gathering. Click here for a sample script.
  
  
• Post the Semana Por La Paz message below your email signature: Haz posible la paz, defiende la vida y su dignidad / To make peace possible, defend life and dignity.
  
  
• Hold a vigil for peace in Colombia. Gather friends, community members, church members or students together in the evening to remember those who have been unfairly victimized by the Colombian conflict, and to reflect on the United States’ role in the violence. You may use candles, join in moments of silence or prayer, and/or combine the vigil with a “walk for peace." Click here for more tips on how to organize a successful vigil.
  
  
• Contact the media: Gather a small group together and write letters to the editor of your local paper, compose a letter together and sign it as a group, compose a essay individually or as a group and submit it to the local neighborhood paper, your church newsletter, your favorite online magazine or blog, or other publication.
  
  
• Host house parties and/or public viewings at your church or campus of a video about Colombia. See video suggestions in the resource section.
  
  
• Plan a church or campus study group around a book or document about Colombia. See suggestions for documents in the resource section.
  
  
• Connect with your friends and family for peace! Get in touch with friends and family members around the U.S. and ask them to join you at a named hour of hte day for shared (long-distance) reflection and action for peace.
  
  
• Use sidewalk chalk to display information on Semana Por La Paz around your campus or neighborhood.
  
  
• Play “The Road for Peace in Colombia” game. Children and adults can gain a better understanding of how their help can make a difference for a Colombian child by playing this board game, developed by American Friends Service Committee. Play the game in your Sunday School classes or hold an event where people break up into groups to play the game. You can also do a “life size” version of the game in a public space (great visual)! You can download the game from this Colombia community event website or contact Angie Berryman at Aberryman@afsc.org to order copies of both the board game and the life-sized game.
  
  
• Host a photo display or slide show with photos from Colombia. Witness for Peace returned delegates in your area may be able to put together a slide show from their trip.
  
  
• Plan a “Walk for Peace." Organize a “traditional” community/campus walk with a series of stops along the route that have educational information about Colombia. Suggestions for stops: U.S. corporate interests in Colombia, refugee/immigration centers to highlight the humanitarian crisis of the millions of internally displaced Colombians, local organizations involved in peace efforts/conflict resolution highlighting the nonviolent alternatives of peace communities in Colombia, local churches to emphasize the attacks on church leaders, union offices- or unionized businesses to note the attacks on union leaders, drug treatment centers-or courthouse/schools impacted by drugs to address the need for drug treatment in the U.S. Each stop that you choose might have some fact sheets, perhaps a video playing, or cell phones to make calls to Congress.
  

For Organizers: Here are some suggestions to help you plan local actions and education events to promote peace in Colombia and a better U.S.-Colombia policy. Please feel free to use your imagination in your celebration of Semana Por La Paz; these are just a few suggestions. Even if you have only a few people, there are many creative things you can do in your community to raise awareness and connect with people all over the U.S. and in Colombia. Click here to see some tips for organizing an successful event.