What would happen if Christians devoted the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war?

COLOMBIA: “Tell us where we are supposed to go”; 196 families near Barrancabermeja displaced again.

February 4th, 2010
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Over the last four months, 196 families have occupied an area called Villa Dignidad on the outskirts of Barrancabermeja in search of better living conditions.  These families were all unemployed and had no means of paying rent.  In December 2009, police evicted them, but they returned within a few days.

 

Following a stand-off with police on 15 January 2010, representatives from the community, social organizations, including Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), and the municipal government met and agreed that to postpone the eviction process until the 19th – 22nd of that month in order to give people time to look for solutions that would permit a voluntary exit and provide security for the community.  On 21 January, the families and city representatives signed an agreement specifying that families would leave voluntarily, and the municipality would provide new land for them to live on.

 

On the following day, three members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) witnessed most of the community dismantling their homes and preparing to leave their familiar surroundings, with no clear idea of where they were supposed to go.  Tearful men and women asked CPTers, “Tell us where we are supposed to go.  We have children, and we don’t know anyone here in Barranca. 

About CPT

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) arose from a call in 1984 for Christians to devote the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war.

The original vision has grown, deepened, and become more challenging as we struggle to embody an inclusive, ecumenical, and diverse community of God's love.

Enlisting the whole church in an organized, nonviolent alternative to war, today CPT places violence-reduction teams in crisis situations and militarized areas around the world at the invitation of local peace and human rights workers. CPT embraces the vision of unarmed intervention waged by committed peacemakers ready to risk injury and death in bold attempts to transform lethal conflict through the nonviolent power of God’s truth and love.

CPT understands violence to be rooted in systemic structures of oppression. CPT is committed to undoing oppressions as part of our violence reduction work, starting within our own organization.