Christian peacemakers help save lives in Colombia
-20/06/06
Christian peacemakers ñ wh
Christian peacemakers help save lives in Colombia
-20/06/06
Christian peacemakers ñ who include Presbyterians, Mennonites and others ñ are making a positive impact on a conflict-riven Colombian society, according to one of the countryís church leaders.
Just by their presence, for example, 22 American Presbyterian ìaccompaniersî have over the past two years probably saved the lives of many rural Colombians uprooted from their homes by violence, says the Rev Milton Mejia, immediate past executive secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Colombia.
Speaking at the assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, he said that he fears the tense situation in his country will grow even worse in the coming years.
Thatís why Christian peacemaking is a sign of hope, he declared. ìThe accompanier programme has allowed us to affirm weíre one church working for peace.î
Mejia was one of half-a-dozen speakers at a press conference yesterday (19 June 2006) to bring attention to the importance of the accompaniers, many of whom have good to excellent Spanish skills and ìall of whom are brave enough stand with brothers and sisters in danger.î
ìThey asked us for unarmed accompaniers, and we realized we could not say no,î said Anne Bristow, coordinator of Colombian affairs for Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. ìOur accompaniers are learning the price that people must sometimes pay when they speak out for justice. Weíve developed an enormous respect for their courage in the face of arrests and death threats.î
Accompaniers are trained before their tour in Colombia, where they stay four to eight weeks. To date theyíve ranged in age from 23 to 73. Some pay their own way; others are sponsored in part by churches or other groups.
The programme is jointly sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and the Worldwide Ministries Division of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
In addition to recent initiatives by Presbyterians and others, the violence-reduction organisation Christian Peacemaker Teams has operated a project in Colombiaís Magdalena Medio region since 2001.
The teamís presence facilitated the partial return and reestablishment of war-displaced rural civilian communities. It now monitors the human rights conditions necessary for their life with dignity.
Operated by trained CPT Corps members from inside Colombia, and from a number of other countries, the project is based in Barrancabermeja (ìBarrancaî for short), the region¥s unofficial capital. About nine hours north of Bogota by bus, Barranca hosts Colombiaís primary oil refinery. Political and economic control of the area is disputed among official government entities, rightist paramilitaries and leftist guerrillas.
In May 2001, CPT began a near daily presence in communities along and near the OpÛn River, about one hour south and up-river from Barranca. At the time they were almost completely abandoned after successive paramilitary incursions in the year 2000 had precipitated the flight of nearly all of the areaís approximately 200 families. The majority returned home by spring of 2002.
Travelling by motorized canoe, the team maintains a near-daily presence in La Colorada, La Florida and Los Neques, communities whose residents have declared their desire to live free of interference from any the armed groups active in the region. CPTís presence is credited with helping create conditions for the return of displaced families as well as significant reductions in human rights violations.
The Mennonite Church of Colombia and the Colombia Council of Evangelical Churchesí Human Rights Commission invited CPT to Colombia. Members of the then-displaced communities and the Peace and Development Programme of the Magdalena Medio (PDPMM) invited CPT to the Opon communities.
The team violence-reduction work in the city of Barranca has included street patrols, public witness actions and presence in places with a high risk of violence.
Almost 3 million of Colombiaís 42 million people are displaced. They live in camps generally located outside Colombiaís large cities. Many have no access to government services.
Alice Winters, who has worked almost 30 years as a PC (USA) missionary in Colombia, said the accompaniersí presence ìsends the message that [violence] will not go unnoticed. An accompanier I know said he didnít feel like heíd done anything, but just his being there says Americans care. We know whatís going on, and weíre watching.î
The programme demonstrates that ìGod is present and at work, and thereís hope,î Ms Winters said. ìThe violence is a challenge, but it doesnít mean defeat.î
Tim Nafziger, a spokesperson for Christian Peacemaker Teams in the UK, and a recent staff member at the London Mennonite Centre, visited Colombia as part of a CPT delegation recently.
[Also on Ekklesia: Christian peacemakers stay committed to Iraq 19/06/06; Christian Peacemaker Teams’ important work goes on Jun 9, 2006 – Norman Kember talks to CPT UK about his Iraq captivity and beyond; Israelis demolish Palestinian buildings, say Christian peacemakers 08/06/06; Iraq hostage Tom Fox remembered by UK peacemakers 08/06/06; Norman Kember talks about life beyond his Iraq kidnap ordeal 07/06/06; UK Christian Peacemaker Teams meet to plan future 06/06/06; Christian Peacemaker Teams remain in Iraq with new plan; Briefing on Christian Peacemaker Teams; Christian peacemaker Norman Kember to give first major interview to the BBC ; Christian peacemakers can make a difference, Vatican Radio told; Briefing on media accusations against Christian Peacemaker Teams; Archive of comment and features on Christian Peacemaking]
Christian peacemakers help save lives in Colombia
-20/06/06
Christian peacemakers ñ who include Presbyterians, Mennonites and others ñ are making a positive impact on a conflict-riven Colombian society, according to one of the countryís church leaders.
Just by their presence, for example, 22 American Presbyterian ìaccompaniersî have over the past two years probably saved the lives of many rural Colombians uprooted from their homes by violence, says the Rev Milton Mejia, immediate past executive secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Colombia.
Speaking at the assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, he said that he fears the tense situation in his country will grow even worse in the coming years.
Thatís why Christian peacemaking is a sign of hope, he declared. ìThe accompanier programme has allowed us to affirm weíre one church working for peace.î
Mejia was one of half-a-dozen speakers at a press conference yesterday (19 June 2006) to bring attention to the importance of the accompaniers, many of whom have good to excellent Spanish skills and ìall of whom are brave enough stand with brothers and sisters in danger.î
ìThey asked us for unarmed accompaniers, and we realized we could not say no,î said Anne Bristow, coordinator of Colombian affairs for Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. ìOur accompaniers are learning the price that people must sometimes pay when they speak out for justice. Weíve developed an enormous respect for their courage in the face of arrests and death threats.î
Accompaniers are trained before their tour in Colombia, where they stay four to eight weeks. To date theyíve ranged in age from 23 to 73. Some pay their own way; others are sponsored in part by churches or other groups.
The programme is jointly sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and the Worldwide Ministries Division of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
In addition to recent initiatives by Presbyterians and others, the violence-reduction organisation Christian Peacemaker Teams has operated a project in Colombiaís Magdalena Medio region since 2001.
The teamís presence facilitated the partial return and reestablishment of war-displaced rural civilian communities. It now monitors the human rights conditions necessary for their life with dignity.
Operated by trained CPT Corps members from inside Colombia, and from a number of other countries, the project is based in Barrancabermeja (ìBarrancaî for short), the region¥s unofficial capital. About nine hours north of Bogota by bus, Barranca hosts Colombiaís primary oil refinery. Political and economic control of the area is disputed among official government entities, rightist paramilitaries and leftist guerrillas.
In May 2001, CPT began a near daily presence in communities along and near the OpÛn River, about one hour south and up-river from Barranca. At the time they were almost completely abandoned after successive paramilitary incursions in the year 2000 had precipitated the flight of nearly all of the areaís approximately 200 families. The majority returned home by spring of 2002.
Travelling by motorized canoe, the team maintains a near-daily presence in La Colorada, La Florida and Los Neques, communities whose residents have declared their desire to live free of interference from any the armed groups active in the region. CPTís presence is credited with helping create conditions for the return of displaced families as well as significant reductions in human rights violations.
The Mennonite Church of Colombia and the Colombia Council of Evangelical Churchesí Human Rights Commission invited CPT to Colombia. Members of the then-displaced communities and the Peace and Development Programme of the Magdalena Medio (PDPMM) invited CPT to the Opon communities.
The team violence-reduction work in the city of Barranca has included street patrols, public witness actions and presence in places with a high risk of violence.
Almost 3 million of Colombiaís 42 million people are displaced. They live in camps generally located outside Colombiaís large cities. Many have no access to government services.
Alice Winters, who has worked almost 30 years as a PC (USA) missionary in Colombia, said the accompaniersí presence ìsends the message that [violence] will not go unnoticed. An accompanier I know said he didnít feel like heíd done anything, but just his being there says Americans care. We know whatís going on, and weíre watching.î
The programme demonstrates that ìGod is present and at work, and thereís hope,î Ms Winters said. ìThe violence is a challenge, but it doesnít mean defeat.î
Tim Nafziger, a spokesperson for Christian Peacemaker Teams in the UK, and a recent staff member at the London Mennonite Centre, visited Colombia as part of a CPT delegation recently.
[Also on Ekklesia: Christian peacemakers stay committed to Iraq 19/06/06; Christian Peacemaker Teams’ important work goes on Jun 9, 2006 – Norman Kember talks to CPT UK about his Iraq captivity and beyond; Israelis demolish Palestinian buildings, say Christian peacemakers 08/06/06; Iraq hostage Tom Fox remembered by UK peacemakers 08/06/06; Norman Kember talks about life beyond his Iraq kidnap ordeal 07/06/06; UK Christian Peacemaker Teams meet to plan future 06/06/06; Christian Peacemaker Teams remain in Iraq with new plan; Briefing on Christian Peacemaker Teams; Christian peacemaker Norman Kember to give first major interview to the BBC ; Christian peacemakers can make a difference, Vatican Radio told; Briefing on media accusations against Christian Peacemaker Teams; Archive of comment and features on Christian Peacemaking]