Getting Involved: Resources for Lutherans

(Back to Lutheran resources page) (Go to Day of Action)

An invitation to take action for Colombia
from Lutheran World Relief

TAKE ACTION
With our knowledge of the trials facing our Colombian brothers and sisters, we are well positioned to act in solidarity with their efforts toward peace. We can be a voice for the Peace Sanctuary Churches in the United States. There are several ways that we can help:

PRAY FOR THE PEACE SANCTUARY CHURCHES
Pray for the safety of leaders of the Peace Sanctuary Churches and communities as they confront armed groups in their efforts to build peaceful relationships. Pray also that these communities are able to continue the good works that they have begun, bringing hope to the displaced and victimized in Colombia. Pray that the stories of these courageous communities touch the lives of Americans, and motivate politicians to change U.S. policy toward Colombia.

SPREAD THE WORD!
Make a commitment to yourself that you will share the stories of the Peace Sanctuary Churches with at least three people. Choose three people among your coworkers, friends, and family members. Offer each of them the opportunity to learn more by attending a Sal y Luz event, visiting the LWR website, or watching the "Blessed Are the Peacemakers" DVD. Remember: the first step toward taking action is raising awareness of the challenges facing our Colombian brothers and sisters.

CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: REQUEST SUPPORT FOR PEACE IN COLOMBIA
This is our time to use our voices for peace and speak to Congress on behalf of our Colombian brothers and sisters. We can ask Congress to recognize local peace building efforts in Colombia and encourage the U.S. government and the international community to support them. Despite the fact that Colombia is home to the third largest population of internally displaced persons (IDP) in the world and is home to the worst humanitarian crisis in our hemisphere, we know there is strong hope for peace. Right now the best way to help is by sharing this positive message of hope with our members of Congress.

Included are three concrete requests you can make for members of Congress:
1. Introduce a sense of Congress resolution expressing support for local peacebuilding efforts in Colombia
2. Offer a "one minute" speech on current peace talks (with the ELN guerrillas) and a humanitarian prisoner exchange (with the FARC guerrillas)
3. Make changes to the Fiscal Year 2007 Plan Colombia Package (ACI)

Thank you for your prayers and acts of solidarity! Find additional information on the May 22 Day of Action page.

CALL-IN TIPS

• Locate your member of Congress at www.house.gov. You can call the office numbers listed on their web page, or call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and they will connect you to the right office.
• It is okay to leave a message. Remember to speak slowly, say where you are from, and leave a callback number.
• You do not have to be an expert to call Congress! Congressional staff handle many issues; just from your interest in Colombia you probably know more than they do on the issue. Your call helps the staff identify key issues to work on and respond to.

SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS WHEN CALLING YOUR CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE
Introduce yourself; state where you are from, and whether you represent a group. The following talking points are to assist you, but remember to speak from your heart! Your member of Congress wants to hear what you care about.

1) "I am very concerned about the humanitarian crisis facing over three million internally displaced persons affected by conflict in Colombia. I hope to see the U.S. Congress recognize the Colombia Steering Committee's resolution to support community organizations, women's groups, churches, and Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities that reject violence and work for peace and conflict resolution at the local level."
2) "After hearing from churches, community leaders and other Colombians who are striving for peace in this war-torn nation, I believe that local peace-building efforts have great ethical value. They oppose the logic of violence, and even under the severe and hostile conditions of rural Colombia, local peacemakers maintain the principles of non-violence."
3) "These local peace efforts make crucial contributions to peace and democracy in Colombia, and their successes building peace should inform the U.S. policy making process in Washington, D.C."
Thank the staff person and leave them with your contact information (this is especially important if you are leaving a message).

CONCRETE REQUESTS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

RAISING AWARENESS IN CONGRESS

One of the easiest actions a Senator or Representative can take is to bring up Colombia on the floor and make statements about actions that have been taken, are being taken, or that could be taken in the future.

Call your representative and ask him or her to:

• Introduce a sense of Congress resolution expressing support for local peacebuilding efforts in Colombia being undertaken by the Peace Sanctuary Churches and other courageous, nonviolent churches and communities throughout the country (see the attached proposed language for that resolution). If you have questions, please contact Luis Gilberto Murillo at lmurillo[at]lwr.org or 202-547-6242.
  
  
• Offer a "one minute" speech, encouraging efforts for the exploratory peace talks taking place between the Government of Colombia and the ELN (National Liberation Army) guerrillas, and encouragement for the Government of Colombia to continue efforts to achieve a humanitarian exchange of prisoners with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrillas as a first step toward broader peace negotiations.
  
  
• MAKE CHANGES TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2007 PLAN COLOMBIA PACKAGE (ACI)
  Call your representative and ask her or him to:
  " Include new conditions on FY07 aid to Colombia
  In addition to last year's conditions, members of Congress should add a provision that: "the Government of Colombia has established a system to identify lands obtained through violence and to return properties to internally displaced persons; and has increased efforts to provide durable solutions for IDPs."
  
  
• Retain the existing aerial spraying conditions and insist on greater emphasis on alternative development. Members of Congress should make clear to the State Department that alternative development programs should be expanded and manual eradication encouraged. The existing aerial spraying conditions should be retained, adding a provision to discourage spraying of alternative development projects like those of the Colombian organic coffee cooperative COSURCA. United States and Colombian government agencies should prevent fumigation of alternative development programs.
  
  
• Increase funding for long-term solutions for IDPs and assure that funding for demobilization for FY06-07 does NOT come from programs for victims, particularly IDP funding. Some five million hectares of land changed hands as people fled threats and violence. Rather than simply being displaced by conflict, many Colombians were forced to flee as part of a deliberate strategy, primarily by paramilitaries, to obtain their land. Large tracts of land have ended up in the hands of paramilitary drug lords. By law, demobilized paramilitaries are supposed to reveal their possession of, and return to the rightful owners, illegally gained assets, but little land has been returned during this process. As the Colombian government and international donors invest in reintegrating paramilitary ex-combatants in the countryside, donors may be investing in land obtained by violence. There is no functional mechanism to return land to even a small percentage of the three million IDPs. Members of Congress should urge the Agency for International Development (USAID) to increase its funding to vulnerable populations, specifying that this is intended to find long-term solutions for IDP populations. Also, they should urge USAID to carefully check land titles to ensure U.S. aid is not invested in projects on land obtained by violence. Urge USAID to consult with IDPs and their representative associations to ensure needs assessments are accurate and programs are effective.

Go to Day of Action

Back to Days of Prayer & Action page