Christian Peacemaker Teams
12 August 2010
COLOMBIA ACTION ALERT: Support Summit Against Militarization
CPT Colombia is calling people to support the Women’s and People’s
International Summit of the Americas Against Militarization (Encuentro
Internacional de Mujeres y Pueblos de las Américas contra la Militarización)
set for 16 to 23 August in Colombia. CPT Colombia has been active in
accompanying the Women’s Social Movement Against War and for Peace, which is
organizing the event. The event will include delegations to different
parts of Colombia to learn about the effects of militarization first
hand; two days of presentations and discussion in Barrancabermeja to build a common strategic agenda with an emphasis
on the military bases; and a vigil against militarization and the presence of
foreign military forces in the territory.
The ongoing military aid from the United States to Colombia, which is the central focus of the Encuentro, has served
to invade indigenous, Afro-Colombian and campesino lands for their strategic
geopolitical location and the natural resources. Fellowship of Reconciliation
recently published the report Military
Assistance and Human Rights in Colombia. The report shows the relationship
between the foreign military presence and violations of human rights in Colombia.
Below is the Encuentro’s Call to Action – with specific actions to support the
vigil outside a military base on the 23 August.
CALL TO ACTION ON AUGUST
23, 2010
DAY OF SOLIDARITY OF WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOMBIA AND
THE AMERICAS IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST MILITARIZATION
Friends,
We are approaching the Women and People’s International Summit of the Americas against Militarization (Encuentro Internacional
de Mujeres y Pueblos de las Américas contra la Militarización), that will
be held in Colombia, between the 16th and 23rd of
August, 2010. The Summit takes place against a backdrop of U.S.
imperialism and repositioning on the continent, which
is visible in the installation of U.S. military bases in Colombia and US
military forces in Panama, the coup in Honduras, threats of coup in
Paraguay, and the military occupation in Haiti exploiting the natural
disaster, among so many other
examples.
In addition, the Summit will take place in a country whose government maintains
a 40-year history of military cooperation with the United States under the
fallacy of the war against drugs, drug trafficking and terrorism. This
has been an excuse for the persecution and stigmatization of social protest and
hides the true economic interests behind the conflict in Colombia: the maintenance of control over Colombian natural
resources, territory, and people.
Between the 16th and 23rd of August, over 1,000 women and men, members of
social, political, and popular movements in Latin America and around the world
will be in Colombia to verify the effects of the militarization through
humanitarian delegations to various regions of the country; to build a common
strategic agenda with an emphasis on the military bases; and on the 23rd of
August they will hold a vigil against militarization and the presence of
foreign military forces in the territory.
We call on all social, political, and popular
movements in Latin America and around the world to be alert and organized for the duration of the
meeting, but in particular on the 23rd of August, an international
day of solidarity with the women and people of Colombia and the Americas in the struggle against militarization.
Activities may take many
forms, including vigils, flyering, pronouncements, video events, lobbying,
seminars, cultural events and press conferences during the week of August
16-23.
