Sandra

I am in my early 30s, a full-time CPTer, a Colombian woman, with a psychology degree from the National University of Colombia. I am Mennonite. I am mestiza (indigenous roots). My family is composed of my mother, my sister, my brother and my pet.

Where have you worked?

Mostly Colombia. I served for a short time in Kenora, Ontario (Canada) and I participated in CPT’s women’s delegation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and then a exploratory trip to northern Uganda (Africa). I also served on CPT’s Steering Committee (board of directors) as a representative of the Peacemaker Corps (CPT field-based members).

How did you get involved?

I participated in the first all-Colombian delegation to the project. After this visit I felt a strong call to work on justice and peace issues. After a time of discernment on the Spirit as an intern on the Colombia project, I decided to listen to this call and follow it.

What attracted you?

I was drawn to CPT’s focus on rural communities affected by the violence, and the importance CPT gives to the human side of the conflict. It is a real challenge for me to see the armed actor and the oppressor as a human being, and not as an enemy.

Why are you doing this work?

We need to support peace and justice initiatives in a concrete way. This includes the spiritual, physical, political and emotional levels. You can see the difference this work makes for the community members, to know that they are not alone.

What does your support community think about your work?

My family and community think that I am following God´s call. It is true. They recognize that there are risks for me as a Colombian working in my own country, but they trust in God´s protection and they are learning even more about our own country and our conflict.

An inspirational story from your work:

The rural communities with whom we work in Colombia are an inspiration. I can go and visit them any time and come back to my home in a big city. But they are always threatened with violence and they stay there in the countryside, in the midst of the conflict, surrounded by armed actors. The community members, who are the ones who most suffer, share everything with us from their lives, as if we are very old and good friends. Their trust in God´s presence is a key point for their resistance and struggle.

What are the most challenging things about this work?

There is a lot of work to do, and very few people to do it. The structure of economical, political and social violence is so big. We need to recognize that we are not able to change everything. Sometimes life together as a team is difficult and it is hard to keep our energy in balance so we can continue to do this work.

What would you tell someone interested in CPT to consider before joining?

CPT is an experience that will impact the rest of your life. You will never see the world in the same way, you will have the opportunity to add a grain of sand for justice and peace. You will be able to see some Seeds of Peace growing up in the middle of terror and devastation. You need to be a Seed of Hope for your people and my people. We are tools for peace, but the real masters of peace are the people resisting violence and devastation every day.

And finally…..

The opportunity to be very close with suffering communities is a powerful and transforming experience. With our diversity of gifts we need to work closely with those who are suffering and resisting, and we need to allow God´s Spirit to flow through us for a better world.