Religious Leaders Working for Development and Peace

Building Peace and Development in the Midst of Conflict:
An Innovative Ecumenical Model in Colombia

Speaking tour summary:

From October 4 - 11, 2006, three representatives from the "Network for Development and Peace Foundation of Montes de María" (Fundación Red Desarrollo y Paz de los Montes de María) will travel to Washington, DC (Oct. 4-6), Chicago, IL (Oct. 7-9), and New York, NY (Oct. 10-11), to share their experience of peace building and local economic development with the U.S. public and with policymakers.

For more information on organizing meetings or attending public events in your area, please contact Heather Hanson, US Office on Colombia at 202- 232-8090, or by email at heather_hanson[at]usofficeoncolombia.org.

The Network for Development and Peace Foundation model:

The Foundation has created an innovative model for protecting civilian lives and addressing the economic root causes of the internal armed conflict in Colombia. Through active ecumenical collaboration, the Foundation has built a strong network of civil society, business, academic and governmental groups that are all involved in strengthening local organizing efforts, building human capacity, rebuilding social relationships, strengthening democratic participation, and promoting sustainable economic development. At a time when many argue that adequate security conditions are a precondition for economic and social development, the Foundation model provides a viable alternative for addressing Colombia's humanitarian crisis NOW.

Montes de María, where the Foundation develops their programs, is one of Colombia's most conflictive regions. It includes 16 municipalities from the Departments of Bolívar and Sucre, and has been a key battleground for internal armed groups since the 1980s, in large part due to the strategic importance of the area as a major transportation route for weapons, drugs, and illegal contraband. Nearly a dozen different armed actors operate in the zone, which contains over 35% of the internally displaced persons in Colombia. Paramilitaries have carried out terrible massacres in the region: 38 farmers killed with machetes and chainsaws the 16th of February, 2000 (El Salado); 15 farmers killed with machetes and clubs the 16-17th of October 2000 (Macayepo), and 27 farmers killed with rocks and clubs on January 17, 2001 (Chengue). Within this context, the Foundation has been working hand-in-hand with local populations who suffer the impacts of the conflict directly: women, children, indigenous, Afro-Colombian and other marginalized populations. Their inspirational model offers hope for all those engaged in seeking peace, human rights, and humanitarian support for the people of Colombia.

Tour participants:

Bishop Nel Beltran has been Bishop of the Diocese of Sincelejo since 1992. Bishop Beltran is a Member of the Colombian Episcopal Conference's Social Pastoral Commission and Advisory Bishop for the Colombian Catholic Church's Migration Department. Bishop Beltran participated in the peace processes between the Colombian government and the ELN guerrilla group the past, and has been named to the National Commission on Reparation and Reconciliation (Comisión Nacional de Reparación y Reconciliación - CNRR). Bishop Beltran is President of the Network for Development and Peace Foundation of Montes de María.

Father Rafael Castillo is the Executive Director of the Foundation. Over the past decade, he has worked tirelessly on behalf of those most vulnerable to the impacts of the social and armed conflict in Colombia, including active work with the displaced. As a Catholic Priest he was responsible for managing attention to internally displaced persons in the Cartagena area from 1997-2002. During this time he also served as Executive Secretary of the Facilitating Commission for Peace of the Department of Bolívar. He has participated actively in humanitarian commissions in the Bajo Atrato region, and to the massacre sites in El Salado and Chengue. He has written and presented widely on peace, armed conflict, and displacement in Colombia, and has been active in international education and advocacy efforts.

Ricardo Esquivia was the founding Director of the Mennonite Church organization Justapaz, which began over 15 years ago, and is presently the Director of Sembrandopaz. He has worked with the Evangelical Council of Colombia (CEDECOL), helping to found and build their Commission for Restoration, Life and Peace, which works with 1,300 promoters in 100 municipalities. He was also a founding member of the Permanente Civil Society Assembly for Peace. He represents all Protestant and non-Catholic faith groups on the National Peace Council. Mr. Esquivia, a lawyer, has participated in dialogues with illegal armed groups such as the FARC, the ELN, and the AUC, as well as in dialogues with members of the Colombian Armed Forces. He was awarded the 2005 Peacemaker in Action Award of the Tannenbaum Center for Religious Understanding, and has served as a member of the Church World Service Education and Advocacy Program Committee since 2003. He is a founding member of the Network for Development and Peace Foundation of Montes de María.

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