It’s April and you know what that means…
the National Days of Action for Colombia have arrived!
How will you get involved?
This year, we’re focusing our efforts on sending a simple message: everyone deserves a place to call home.
Every week in Colombia last year, more than 2,250 people were violently pushed off their lands and left homeless. Now Colombia has the largest internal displacement crisis in the world, but we’re still worried that President Obama won’t even acknowledge it when he is in Cartagena, Colombia for the Summit of the Americas on April 14th.
To ensure that he hears our message and speaks out, we are organizing thousands of people across the United States to advocate for changes in U.S. policy that will support a negotiated peace and an end to the displacement crisis in Colombia.
We’ve come up with more ways than ever for you and your community to participate in our 7th Annual National Days of Action for Peace in Colombia. So whether you can dedicate a little or a lot of time, we hope you’ll put your hand in somehow.
CREATE — Organize a gathering with your family and friends to help us create 5,200 paper houses to represent Colombia’s 5.2 million internally displaced people’s desire to return home. These “homes” will be delivered to the White House with our call for aid for the displaced. For instructions, check out our organizer’s packet here and watch our “how to” video here.
DEMONSTRATE — Stage a rally, host a movie screening, or put up A Place to Call Home display in a central place. Just send Vanessa an email ( vkritzer@lawg.org )and we’ll get in touch to brainstorm the best action for you to educate your whole community in a public event!
LOBBY — Push our government to make better policies by sending postcards to President Obama from everyone in your community (they’re free—just click here to order some!) and signing our petition to Congress asking them to stop funding the war and increase aid for displaced people and refugees.
If you’re a faith-based advocate, dedicate a worship service this month to reflection and prayer for peace in Colombia. Just check out our faith-based organizing materials!
If you’re celebrating Passover, our partners at Witness for Peace have worked with Afro-Colombian activist Daira Quiñones to create a beautiful Haggadah for a solidarity seder with Colombia. Click here to take a look and start planning your own solidarity seder!
Now more than ever, Colombia’s displaced families, brave peace communities and human rights defenders need our support. To get involved, check out our official organizer packet or simply contact Vanessa at vkritzer@lawg.org to plan how you can lend a helping hand at this critical moment.
We look forward to working with you!
