On, Wednesday, October 12th, Afro-Colombian IDP leaders and organizations will be gathering in Bogotá in protest of the systematic violence, human rights violations and threats they have faced for simply wanting to live peacefully in their ancestral territories. This “March for Life” will call on the Colombian government to put an end to these abuses and on the U.S. Congress to reject the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
At the exact same time, Congress will vote on the Colombia FTA. Will they hear the voices of these brave Afro-Colombian leaders? Only if you call them today!
Despite opposition from hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of activists like you, President Obama has submitted the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to Congress. Debate is expected to begin as early as Tuesday night and the House and Senate votes on the bill—now called H.R. 3078—is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12th.
But it’s not too late to take action to defeat this harmful trade deal. Tell your members of Congress that you expect them to vote NO:
- Make a phone call. For instructions on how to call your representative and senators, click here. If you want to amplify your voice, invite friends and family over for a phone bank, or order pizza at lunchtime and ask your coworkers to make calls in exchange for a slice. It’s always easier to make a call when everyone around you is doing it.
- Send an email. Click here to use our two-minute form to email your members of Congress and then forward the link to everyone you know!
- Read and share our Huffington Post article. This past week, we outlined the key reasons why we think this FTA will be a bad deal for human rights. Click here to read, “like,” and use this piece to educate your community.
This has been a long, hard battle, but we’re going to keep pushing until the very end because we have heard the voices of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, human rights defenders, union members, small-scale farmers, and the many others who will be devastated by this trade deal. Every day they face threats and attacks because of their work for peace and human rights, but they haven’t given up, so neither are we.
Please do what you can to take a stand for economic justice in these last crucial days!
