Seeking Peace in Colombia
 

By Bob Evans,
Director of Plowshares Institute

In September I had the privilege to work with a dedicated team of peacemakers in Colombia, the Citizens Commission for Reconciliation, in three conflict transformation workshops in three regions of Colombia.  The Commission, comprised of faculty, professionals and community activists, is organizing broad sectors of civil society groups to demand their constitutional rights for peace, security and equity of public services. At a time when Colombian President Alvaro Uribe appears to be more focused on maintaining control and changing the constitution to allow him a third term as President than on the continued violence and instability within Colombia, the Citizens Commission is Colombia’s best hope for a less corrupt, more transparent and peaceful nation. 

Senator Lieberman of Connecticut visited the Caribbean coast of Colombia where I was working for less than 24 hours in early July and announced that "violence in Colombia has dropped markedly." I discovered during my visit with leaders of the Commission a very different picture. While violence is slightly down in some particular areas, there are still more than 3 million people estimated to be "internally displaced persons" due to the endemic conflicts among the military, paramilitary forces and guerrilla groups such as the FARC. In July the international press gave renewed focus to the challenges in Colombia through coverage of the escape of several prominent multi-year kidnap victims including previous Colombian presidential candidate Betancourt and two Americans. However, a cloud of fear remains in communities throughout Colombia due to continued threat of kidnapping for ransom or prisoner exchange. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of kidnap victims are still being held by armed groups. 

A Connecticut neighbor of mine who served two terms as an Army captain in Afghanistan jokingly said to me prior to my departure that I should wear a sign in Spanish reading, "My family and friends can’t pay the ransom."  In the moment I laughed.  But after living in Colombia for 10 days alongside the courageous members of the Citizens Commission, I understand better the pervasive and palpable fear of being kidnapped or being caught in periodic acts of violence. Over dinner following a conflict transformation workshop, a faculty member from one of the universities sponsoring our workshops shared his experience as a kidnap victim for four months and his struggle to reintegrate following his recent release. Other Commissioners shared their personal challenges in traveling throughout the country due to regional factions and checkpoints on the roads.  Whenever I traveled by car within Colombia, the Commission made sure that I was traveling with one of them, on pre-selected roads and primarily in the day-time. The Citizens Commission is literally putting their lives and their faith on the line for the sake of a new more equitable and peaceful Colombian society. 

The United States can help bring stability to this vulnerable country, but only if our citizens are willing to value human rights and genuine democracy in Colombia over the economic interests of American business and the Colombian elite.  Debates continue within both the United States and Colombia about the passage of the US/Colombian Free Trade Agreement, an agreement comparable to NAFTA. Members of the commission were virtually unanimous in their opposition to this trade agreement on the basis that it would further extend the gap between the majority of poor Colombians and a small business and political elite.

In recent months, some Colombians believed that perhaps society had turned a corner as members of the paramilitaries and guerrilla groups began to demobilize after receiving amnesty and limited financial benefits from the government.  Commanders from many of these groups were successfully prosecuted (although given extremely short prison terms), and individuals who were once affiliated with the paramilitary groups sought to reintegrate within society.  However, when reintegration proved difficult - if not impossible - due to a lack of government support for trauma-healing, reparations, and community building, many of these individuals formed armed “self-protection” groups suspected to be funded by political and business leaders within Colombia.   

These new paramilitary groups extort defenseless Colombians, including poor, indigenous communities such as the Wayuu, one of the groups with whom I had the privilege to meet in September.  More recently, several paramilitary commanders indicated a willingness testify against the Colombian political and business leaders who fund these armed “self-protection” forces.  However, before testifying, these leaders were extradited to the United States on drug charges.  Many members of the Citizens Commission interpret the extradition as collaboration between political and business leaders in Colombia and the current US administration which has heavily funded both the Colombian military and drug intervention programs.

Civil society groups in Colombia need to be empowered to demand the security and equity guaranteed in the 1991 Colombian Constitution. I was honored to help them in this endeavor through both the September workshops and a conference this past April.  Plowshares’ commitment to cultivating peace for a just global community affirms a continued partnership with the Citizens Commission.  The capacity building in conflict transformation and peacebuilding is just the kind of work Plowshares should be doing, and I thank the Plowshares Council Member Churches and individual supporters that make it possible for Plowshares to partner with the Commission at this vital time within Colombian society.  This support covered my travel to and within Colombia; venue, travel and meals for workshop participants; and the printing of the Spanish translation of Peace Skills for workshop participants.