Colombian churches document their suffering and their hope
JUSTAPAZ, Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action and the Restoration, Life and Peace Commission of the Evangelical Council of Colombia (CEDECOL) are pleased to release the human rights report: COLOMBIAN CHURCHES DOCUMENT THEIR SUFFERING AND THEIR HOPE
JUSTAPAZ, Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action and the Restoration, Life and Peace Commission of the Evangelical Council of Colombia (CEDECOL) are pleased to release the human rights report: COLOMBIAN CHURCHES DOCUMENT THEIR SUFFERING AND THEIR HOPE
Justapaz-the Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Direct Action, and the Restoration, Life and Peace Commission of the Evangelical Council of Colombia (CEDECOL), released the second edition of “A Prophetic Call: Colombian Churches Document Their Suffering and Their Hope,” which synthesizes the sociopolitical violence suffered by evangelical and Protestant churches in the context of the ongoing armed conflict in Colombia.
This second report documents violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed against evangelicals and Protestants in Colombia. It also highlights several significant social and peace building initiatives undertaken by these communities as contributions towards a non-military solution to the armed conflict.
The information compiled in the report is based on field-work carried out by coordinators of the Documentation and Advocacy Program and regional team members. These program volunteers were trained to gather essential data on each case in their community, the biblical basis for documentation and advocacy, and accompaniment of traumatized victims. They interviewed war victims, pastors and church members to register violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. This primary source information was centralized in Justapaz where program staff reviewed and corroborated the reports with secondary sources and, lastly, registered the accounts in a specialized database.
During the report period of 2006, 16 homicides of people related to churches around the country were registered. One hundred and forty-seven people received threats, 103 men, women and children were forcibly displaced from their homes, and a significant number of people were victims of torture, threats, and attacks on civilian goods. The various parties to the conflict-guerrilla, paramilitary and State armed forces-are responsible for these human rights violations committed against members of more than 21 different churches and denominations.
This report offers testimonies and highlights the right of churches to participate in government processes to promote peace, as provided for in the Colombian Constitution. To address the underlying factors that both cause and allow this unacceptable violence to continue, the churches call for targeted changes in Colombian, U.S., Canadian and European policy. The report also spells out internal initiatives needed to restore Colombia’s social fabric and hope for cooperative development.
The production of this report was possible thanks to the support of international church agencies that support this ministry: Mennonite Central Committee, Christian Solidarity, Diakonia-Swedish Ecumenical Action, Kairos Canada and Church World Service.
The Central Atlantic Conference and the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ have had a long relationship with the Restoration, Life and Peace Commission of the Council of Evangelical Churches of Colombia (CEDECOL). Last April Global Ministries, the common witness of Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ, and the Division of Overseas Ministries, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) commissioned missionary Michael Joseph to serve with the Restoration, Life and Peace Commission of CEDECOL.
The press released was prepared by Janna Hunter-Bowman, Justapaz Documentation and Advocacy Program Coordinator. To have more information, please visit Justapaz bilingual website at: http://www.justapaz.com/
Esta disponible como un pfd en la pagina web de Justapaz. Ver el informe en español 
aca. Ver el informe en ingles aca.
Bogotá, Septiembre 2007. Durante el periodo del informe del 2006 se documentaron 16 homicidios, 147 amenazas de muerte, 103 casos de desplazamiento, así como intentos de homicidio, torturas y otras violaciones a los derechos humanos de hombres, mujeres y niños. Todos los grupos armados involucrados en el conflicto cometieron estas violaciones, sufridas por más de 21 iglesias cristianas evangélicas y protestantes en Colombia. También, se encuentran descritas varias iniciativas de paz implementadas por las iglesias como aporte a la restauración del tejido social colombiano, siendo el fundamento principal su fe cristiana y la esperanza en procesos organizativos participativos.Por otra parte, el informe también presenta los factores que causan y permiten la inaceptable violencia que continúa, las iglesias piden cambios específicos en las políticas de Colombia, Estados Unidos, Canadá y Europa asi como recomendaciones para la sociedad civil. La información compilada en el informe está basada en el trabajo de campo llevado a cabo por miembros del programa de Documentación e Incidencia Política de la Comisión de Restauración, Vida y Paz de CEDECOL y Justapaz.
Los invitamos a compartir los testimonios detallados en este informe, y a responder desde donde se encuentre.
- A orar por las victimas, los victimarios y por aquellos que trabajan por la paz.
- Incidir – hablar la verdad a los gobernantes compartiendo las recomendaciones incluidas en el informe para nutrir las semillas de paz ya sembradas, en el campo de la fe, con valentía y sacrificio en medio de la violencia.
Jenny Neme, Directora – Justapaz Ricardo Esquivia, Director – Comisión de Paz, CEDECOL Janna Hunter-Bowman, Coordinadora de Programa, Documentación para la Incidencia Política – Justapaz Pedro Acosta, Coordinador de Programa, Incidencia Política, Comisión de Paz, CEDECOL