Christian Peacemaker Teams
12 August 2010
COLOMBIA ACTION ALERT: Support Summit Against Militarization (full details)
NOTE: The CPTnet Editor apologizes for
the series of Spanish language links at the bottom of this article (one is in English). Readers are invited to search the internet
for materials in their preferred language.
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 or actions in front of consulates and other representatives of
Colombia and/or the United States on August 23rd
– Actions in the streets distributing flyers about the militarization, in
public areas such as bus and train stations, subways etc.
– Pronouncements and videos in support of the people of Colombia and the
Americas
– Calls to your elected representatives to insist that the government cut
military spending and re-allocate those resources to social services and
generate employment.
– Seminars, conferences, book launches, film and video releases and
other cultural events, with the aim of discussing the Summit and raising
awareness of the impact of militarization in the lives of women and other
people groups, and challenging the multinational arms industry and
governments around the world who support wars and conflicts
– Press conferences during the week of the 16th to
the 23rd of August to discuss the Summit in Colombia and the situation of women
and people living in conflict zones.
We ask you to send us an email at americas@marchemondiale.org
with details of the actions and events (type of event and title, location,
date, time, info for contact person). We will organize the information and make
it widely available on the website of the Summit: (https://www.movimientos.org/encuentromujerespueblos/)
and through our movements as well.
In solidarity and struggle!
World March of Women
International Peasant Movement
World Peace Council
Convergencia de los Movimientos y pueblos de las Américas, COMPA
Coordinador Nacional Agrario, CNA
Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia, PCN
Corporación Compromiso
Unión Sindical Obrera, USO
Corporación Colombiana de Teatro
Minga de Resistencia Social y Comunitaria
Women’s Social Movement against War and for Peace:
Consejo Regional
Indígena del Cauca, CRIC; Organización Femenina Popular, OFP; Mujeres de Negro
– OFP Colombia; Colectivo Policarpa Salavarrieta, La Pola, Cundinamarca;
Proceso Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas – CIC-ANUCUR: (Federación de Mujeres
Campesinas de Nariño, Asociación de Mujeres Campesinas de Pradera, Comité de
Mujeres Campesinas de Caldas, Coordinación de Mujeres Campesinas de Atlántico,
Coordinación de Mujeres Campesinas de Sucre); Equipos Cristianos de Acción por
la Paz, ECAP; Resguardo Indígena Cariamomo, Caldas, Risaralda; Programa Mujer
Indígena, CRIC; Pueblo Yanacona; Pueblo Totoroes; Pueblo Coconuco; Pueblo Nasa;
Red de Mujeres de Tiquisio; Pueblo Siapirara; Pueblo Eperara; Resguardo
Indígena Triunfo Cristal Páez; Asociación de Proyectos Alternativos
Comunitarios, APAC; Asociación de Madres Comunitarias del Área Metropolitana de
Bucaramanga; Asociación de Mujeres Productoras de Cárnicos, ASOMUPCAR; Comisión
Interfranciscana de Justicia, Paz y Reverencia con la Creación; Hermanas Nuevas
Esperanzas, Alianza Fraternal de Mujeres; Asociación de Mujeres Fe y Vida,
AMUFEVI; Ciudadanos por la Paz; Hermanas de San Juan Evangelista, Pastoral
Obrera: Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja; Movimiento Juvenil Quinto
Mandamiento; Fundación de Apoyo y Consolidación Social para Desplazados por la
Violencia en Colombia, FUNDESVIC; Colectivo Gioconda Belli y Colectivo El Aquelarre
de Estudiantes de la Universidad Surcolombiana; Constituyente de Betulia,
Santander; Red de Mujeres del Nororiente Colombiano de la Provincia García
Rovira; Asociación de Madres Comunitarias de la Provincia García Rovira;
Asociación de Madres Comunitarias de la Provincia Puerto Wilches; Asociación de
Mujeres Rurales por la Paz y el Progreso, San Gil; Emisoras Comunitarias
Magdalena Medio; Pax Christi-Alemania; Asociación Municipal de Mujeres
Campesinas de Lebrija, AMMUCALE; Asociación Santandereana de Servidores
Públicos, ASTDEMP; Movimiento por la Defensa de los Derechos del Pueblo, MODEP;
Siervas de San José, Bogotá; Liga Estudiantil Autónoma, LEA; Unidad Social
Popular, Girón; Colombia Support Network Madison,WI
the mobilzation
· Graphic material (Spanish language
announcement/poster)
· Multimedia (Spanish language audios,
videos)
· Invitation to participate (English call and event explanation)
· Voz de los Movimientos radio program 45/2010 (Spanish language
radio program, includes interview with Claudia Castellanos, lawyer and activist
of the Women’s Social Movement Against War and For Peace of Colombia, on the
conditions of women who live in areas affected by the country’s armed conflict,
and objectives of the People’s International Summit of the Americas against
Militarization.
· Summit web site (Spanish): https://www.movimientos.org/encuentromujerespueblos/
