Small News There but BIG News Here
In July, the Presbyterian Church (USA) held its biannual General Assembly to offer direction to the church nationally for the next two years. Over the course of the week committees and the assembly itself discussed various issues, some of which made it into the national news (primarily LGBT issues) and others generating a lot of discussion at least within the church (Middle East, church governance, confessional statements). Inevitably, however, some items barely made the radar – lumped in with “peace and justice” or some such moniker, but not really leaving much impression on anyone apart from those who were invested in the topic to begin with.
One of those issues was a little thing about ending the US Military Base Agreement with Colombia.
This overture passed through and became PC(USA) policy with virtually no discussion. While on the one hand this makes me quite pleased, I am also wondering whether many folks knew what they were doing or what this was about. I am also wondering if anyone in the US church is now going to do any of the actions encouraged by the church whether that be prayer or coming here to monitor the bases and their impact. Will anyone even know this happened?
What I can say is that for folks in the church here, this was big news. Any efforts by the US church to support peace in Colombia always gets a lot of attention here. Thank you letters were sent, praises were lifted, and even now the delegation from Chicago Presbytery is getting a lot of feedback about what happened as a result of their efforts to put this question before the General Assembly.
Given that the Colombian/US Base Agreement is now the volleyball of international relations between Venezuela and Colombia, the resolution could not come at a more appropriate time. It came too late to stop the agreement from being signed, but it certainly does not come too late to lobby against it still.
We will write more about the war of words between Colombia and Venezuela, the base agreement, and more, but for now we too offer our thanks to our church for the gift of support to our sisters and brothers here. If we can help you get the word out in your congregations about what happened at GA and how it could effect life here, please let us know. For us, this is pretty big news.
To read the text of the resolution click on the word “more” below.
I Hate Rabbits
There are some days here in which there is little to do. When we first arrived in Colombia we sat in the Barranquilla office reading the newspaper and meeting people but nor really “doing” a lot in the good old US of A sense of the word. We were prepared for this to a degree. We knew that the Accompaniment Program has counseled folks for years that their presence is what is most important, and after our Young Adult Volunteer years, Richard and I really believe that to be true. Still, three years in wicked heat to sit in an office and read the newspaper? Come on…
Ah, the good old days.
It turns out that if there is “not much to do” then you should count your blessings. Part of the reason that the blog has been dormant over the past month is that there have been an abundance of things to do, and when you work with human rights that is rarely a good sign.
Germán, one of our colleagues, has a saying – “Sometimes the rabbit jumps.” I didn’t really know what that meant, but I nodded my head and looked thoughtful. (This is not an uncommon strategy…) However in the past month, I have seen this rabbit in action and let me be clear – I hate rabbits.
Following the situation in San Onofre, the IPC gathered folks together to talk about ways in which we could respond and continue in solidarity with the remaining members of Finca La Alemania who are still “en la lucha” for their land. Part of our efforts included letters from Gradye Parsons, PC(USA)’s Stated Clerk, and Presbyterian Peace Fellowship to the US Ambassador. Richard and I took a trip to Bogotá to get to know that Presbytery better and together with some of its members we went to the Embassy to talk about this case specifically.
Upon our return though the rabiit kept a hoppin’. Individuals and organizations related to the IPC were named in a threat letter from a paramilitary group that was directed to and also threatened the Washington Office on Latin America. These people and groups were targeted for having signed a letter encouraging the US Congress to pass a bill (HR 1224) encouraging the support of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Colombian rights. For that they were named “military objectives for being sell-out sons-of-bitches who are blocking the policies of the Colombian government.” This hit home, not only because we knew some of those named, but also because we participated with several hundred other folks in Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington, DC in April in which we asked our Congress people to support this very same bill.
And in a meeting to discuss this threat, another person mentioned that s/he had recently been accosted near their home for having confronted someone that s/he found out killed their brother several years ago. For that knowlege, and for displaying that knowledge, their life is now in danger. More letters to the Embassy, efforts to get folks to safety, concerns over what to print and what not to print – all of these things have taken up our time and our mental energy in the last few weeks. And, all have made us think about the commitment human rights workers undertake in their efforts to guarantee people’s lives, if not life abundant.
So yeah, I hate rabbits.
***
PS. In reviewing this post my colleague Germán also noted that he was also less than fond of rabbits that jump out of nowhere and could be going anywhere. “Often times they break things and it doesn’t really upset them…or seem to matter to them at all. The worst is that it seems they like to keep us waiting with anxiety for the moment in which they jump and continue destroying good things that have been done with a lot of effort. And yet, it is not that I really hate rabbits, it is that I AM TIRED of them. We need time to think about how to construct spaces in which even the rabbits can take part…but without destroying the good that many people have been doing.”
Ever the philosopher, and as always, well put. Thanks Germán.
San Onofre
Some days you think you know whats going on. Some days, you know you don’t…
Last Thursday, I thought I would have a regular day here in the IPC’s Presbytery offices. But by 10am, I was packing a bag, listening to the story of a murdered Campesino leader, and preparing to go to his funeral. Along with two other pastors from the IPC, we were going to stand in solidarity with Rogelio Martínez Mercado’s family and community as they mourned his violent death and as they cried out for justice.
We were going to San Onofre, a small town near the Carribean Coast, in the deparment (state) of Sucre. The region around San Onofre is primarily held by large landowners now; they mostly raise cattle along with some African Palm. San Onofre is known to Colombians as the site of several mass graves resulting from intense paramilitary activity in this area in the 90′s and early 2000′s. Rogelio and organizations he was working with have been pressing for justice for those killed in those dark times. He was the leader of a group of 52 families that were living and working a farm called La Finca Alemania. They were working to reclaim the land that had been violently stolen from them. The persons behind Rogelio’s murder are not clear, but the threat to the work he and others are doing is.
Funerals are a mixture of public and private. It is a deeply personal time for the family and community of the person lost. Yet here in Colombia funerals are public, often having a procession down a central street. We walked the final kilometers to Rogelio’s funeral in a procession, with the family and friends in very public grief, and with the community gathering in respect and support of a beloved leader. At one point a group of moto-taxis (motorcylists who carry one passenger) led the group, all blowing their horns in salute.
Rogelio’s death has atracted a lot of attention. Rogelio was a community leader, and the work he was leading (of recuperating land that had been stolen from him and others) is very contentious work. While the Colombian governement officially supports displaced campesinos returning to their land, in reality there are many obstacles. Many human rights groups and church organizations, such as the IPC, came to San Onofre to show support for this work. It was an impressive display of solidarity and commitment to the ongoing quest for justice.
Equally impressive were the actions of state actors in San Onofre. When we arrived on Thursday afternoon, the family was having a small prayer service in a house just off the main highway. Several uniformed police came and spoke with the widow. They offered her several things usually offered to victims in these circumstances – protection during the funeral, help with transport, and some money for costs – but there was a catch. She also had to sign a statement holding no persons or entitities of the State responsible for her husband’s murder. When the circumstances are unclear in a murder, it is the state’s responsiblity to investigate and prosecute those responsible, regardless of affilation, rather than seek any exemption from such basic justice.
Also impressive is seeing the apparatus of police power first hand. On that long funeral procession, with hundreds of mourners and a very distraught family, a truck was parked alongside the road with a man filming the procession. After being confronted by mourners, he said he was hired by the police intellegence agency. His defense was striking: ¨But we film all the demonstrations.¨ Here in Colombia films like these often end with the people in them being killed as well.
In contrast, the funeral procession continued on, chanting ¨We believe in life, not in death.¨ Indeed. As the church and other defenders of humans rights continue on here, it is only the hope of life that overcomes death that carries them on. Where death is so present, the Christian story of of an empty tomb, of death overcome, and of a full life in the Spirit become the way of carrying on life and seeking justice.
We do believe in life, not in death. Thanks be to the God of life, who holds us in all of our trials.
I invite you to join in prayer with the family and community of Rogelio Martínez Mercado. We offer prayers for comfort and for memory. We offer prayers for safety and security. We offer prayers for justice and reconcilation. We offer this to the God of all life, who says ¨I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life… I will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.¨
Related news sites:
Lutheran World Relief – http://www.lwr.org/colombia/rogelio/
Associated Press - Land activist killed by gunmen in Colombia
Amnesty International – Condemns the killing of a humans rights defender
Naming the Wonders of God on Pentecost
Yesterday, for Pentecost I had the opportunity to speak at 9th Presbyterian Church here in Baranquilla. The area in which 9th is located is called “La Ceiba” (a type of tree) and one of the three churches in the city located in barrios populares (lower-income neighborhoods). Richard and I like visiting 9th Church a lot. We seem to know a lot of people there, they are always incredibly friendly, and though the music is loud (always, and everywhere) it is good, well-grounded, and a nice mix of upbeat and reflective.
I have found that my preaching style here is a bit different as I try to involve the congregation more in the sermon. Often there are about 50 people in attendance, so it makes less sense to do a sermon that doesn’t include them. And, since I am still pretty wedded to the printed page when I preach in Spanish, I like to have at least a few moments when we all get to talk a little more together. At any rate, though you aren’t hearing any of this, I hope it “translates”…more or less.
“Las Maravillas de Dios”
Good morning brothers and sisters. First, I want to thank you all very much for the opportunity to be here with you at 9th Church on this Pentecost day. I should also tell you right from the start that I am going to need your help during this sermon, so let’s get started right now.
I like this text in Acts a great deal, and I see a lot in it, but I want to know about what you think. What parts of the Pentecost text catches your attention? What parts fascinate you, and why?
Certainly a great focus in this text is in the part where everyone is speaking in different languages, and when I read it, I always think of a dream I have had since I was a kid. When I was a little girl, I loved the television. Each day I sat
in front of the screen watching one program or another, and even more so on Saturday mornings when cartoons came on from early in the morning until lunch time. I especially loved any program that had people with super-powers because it always made me think about what powers I would want to have (as if this were possible). My ideas about what power would be the best power have changed over the years, but one of them has managed to stick at number one for a while.
Before I tell you all what I chose though, I want to hear what you would choose. What power, or better said, what SUPER-power, would you like to have if you could choose any one?
As for me, I want the power of languages. That is, no matter where I go, or what language the people speak, I would love to be able to understand and talk to them in their tongue, as if it were my own. Wouldn’t that be spectacular? Quite frankly, part of what I like about this text in Acts is that exactly that miracle happens on the day of Pentecost.
How interesting and powerful this experience of the Spirit! What a great blessing to celebrate the diversity and communication between different people! I have no doubt that God wants us all to communicate better, and that what has happened in this text can teach us that difference and variety are not anything to fear but rather an opportunity for people to talk to one another in the language of their hearts. There is much to learn from a lesson like that. But it is not what I am really going to talk about so much today.
I do think the message of diversity and celebration is important, but after reading the text again this week what captured my attention was no so much the moment in which all the people were talking but rather in what they all were saying. They weren’t sharing stories about their youth (like I just did) or discussing what they would eat for lunch. Tell me, according to the text, what were the apostles talking about after the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them? [the wonders of God]
Days of Prayer and Action Video
Here is a video of some of the celebrations of the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia that we participated in with the Presbyterian Church here. These events are designed to give people of faith a way to “Face the Displaced” – and to influence public policy in both of our countries towards justice, truth, and the search for peace.
We know that many of you participated in your own ways as well – many, many thanks for your efforts. In the midst of the huge problems of violence, displacement, the drug trade, and widespread violations of human rights, it is a mark of faith to believe that our prayers and actions will be heard, and will change this world. But thankfully, that is the faith with which we have been entrusted.
For more pictures, videos, and other info on the Days of Prayer and Action around the US, visit the Witness for Peace youtube group, and of course, for more resources (its not too late!) visit the Witness For Peace site.
Words I Didn´t Learn in 3rd Grade…
I have been taking Spanish since third grade. I was part of the “wacky, new experiment” with kids in elementary school in North Carolina to see if they could really learn another language so early in their development. Of course now we know that we ought to ply little ones with languages because they are like sponges up until the age of 8 or so, but hey…you have to start somewhere, right?
So, as I was saying, I started learning Spanish in third grade. I will admit that I did not learn a lot that year, or in the years just following. I was taught the numbers and the colors, and how to say “It´s windy” (Hace viento, in case you Chicagoans were wondering) over and over and over again. It was much like starting over each year, but I was able to get an ear for the language and a love for it as well.
As a result, I have had, in many ways, a leg up on Richard in this process. From starting out young to having spent a year in Guatemala with the Young Adult Volunteer Program of the PC(USA), I had the chance to learn and practice Spanish allowing much vocabulary to become second nature. Still, as I have said before on this blog, Spanish is not Spanish is not Spanish, and there are lots of new words and phrases to add to my memory bank simply as a function of living in Colombia versus some other Spanish-speaking country. I expected that, and it has been fun to see what adjustments I need to make.
What I should have expected, but did not, was that the work that we do here would also bring new vocabulary words that they absolutely did not teach me in third grade (or thereafter for that matter). As with any position or field, there is a way of speaking that one has to learn – the lingo, the jargon and such. Having worked in Guatemala with the church and having gone to seminary I was pretty ready for the churchy words that I needed to know in Spanish. What I was not prepared for were these…
- destabilized (desestabilizados) – as in, “My children have been destabilized because we’ve had to move from one place to another so much.”
- gouge out your eyes (arrancarte los ojos) – as in, “I received threats like, ‘Shut up or we will cut off your tongue and gouge out your eyes.’”
- execute (ejecutar) – as in “Later, they picked out the men and executed them.”
- hitmen (sicarios) – as in “I left my office and hitmen fired 4 shots at me.”
- beheaders (mochacabezas) – as in “We had five days to leave, and if not, the beheaders would come in.”
These are phrases from the stories of people who were displaced and who allowed their lives and their faces to be shared with others through the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia this past weekend. They are also not atypical. If you participated in the Days this year, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. And whether you did or not, do not feel your time is over or that you have to stop now. There is always more advocacy to be done on behalf of peace and justice in Colombia.
If you are looking for some ideas, you can let us know. We will keep posting ways for you to be involved through this website as well, and you can always pray – without ceasing in fact. There is not a moment when folks here don´t need it.
No Guts, No Glory
Yesterday Richard and I sat with a group of people from the Presbytery of the North Coast who are planning to participate in the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia this coming Sunday and Monday. Today we got an email from the Executive Secretary, Rev. Diego Higuita, inviting the entire church to participate this weekend along with a liturgy and the link to the Witness for Peace website where the materials for “Face the Displaced” posters are located.
Maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal, but consider…
- The people that agreed to share their faces and stories were displaced because of threats and violence to their lives or the lives of their family members. Their photos are now all over the web.
- The requests we are asking of the US government through the “Face the Displaced” campaign are things like: less military aid and more humanitarian aid to Colombia, stop aerial fumigation, do not support the Colombia Free Trade Agreement as it is currently written, etc. This is not stuff that makes more powerful people in Colombia particularly happy.
- The church here came under threat for the work they do with displaced people because their advocacy is seen as “subversive” and in some way aligned with the guerilla.
So as you think about whether you have the time to participate in the Days activities, the time to make a phone call, the time to stop and say a prayer for the displaced people of Colombia, would you please take into consideration the people here who will take not only the time but also the added risk of doing so and then think again?
(We are glad to see that First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro is also participating in Days! Thanks for letting us know Barbara!)
Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia
Mamie and I have been working with our partners at the Latin American Working Group and Witness for Peace to produce this year´s campaign for Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia. We are excited about all the great resources they have pulled together so that congregations and people can learn about and take action for a more just and peace-oriented US foreign policy towards Colombia. Many thanks to First United Church of Oak Park for their participation in these events. Are you planning on joining in? Let us know! We´d love to thank you too and hear how you are working to give a face to the displaced people of Colombia.
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The National Days of Action for Colombia have begun! As we write you this email, people all across the country are gathering their materials, friends, and families, and are preparing to “face the displaced.” Are you?
Click here for resources from our friends at Witness for Peace:
If this is the first time you’re hearing about it, don’t worry; it’s not too late. Here are four ways you can get involved in the movement to stand with those working for peace in Colombia.
*Feeling creative? Host a ¨Face the Displaced¨ gathering. It’s hard to be apathetic when you’re looking injustice straight in the eye. So this year we’re creating large portraits of forty brave displaced people who have shared their photos and words with us in hopes that it will help us involve our communities in making change in U.S. policies towards Colombia. But in order to be noticed, we need to make a lot of posters–that’s where you come in.
*Want to speak out? Organize a public display in your area. We’ll connect you with the portrait-makers in your city. All you need to do is tap into your network–be it through a student group, a community organization, or just a big group of your friends and family–and pick a good place and time during April to display the posters in a way that will make the public face up to the reality of what our policies are doing in Colombia.
*Are you a person of faith? Hold a prayer service in your congregation where you can display the portraits, tell the stories, and join Colombian churches in praying for peace on Sunday, April 18th. Click here to check out the faith organizing packet filled with information about the displacement crisis as well as sample prayers, sermons, and fliers.
*Make your phone call to Congress during the National Call-In Day on Monday, April 19th. In the days beforehand, we’ll send you the info you’ll need to get your representatives’ phones ringing off the hook and hearing a clear message. All you’ll have to do is get everyone you know to make a call.
We know that any of these activities may seem daunting to take on alone. So that’s why our friends from LAWG will be on call all month to help you plan or to answer any questions that may come up. Just send her an email at
vkritzer@lawg.org – Vanessa Kritzer, Latin American Working Group
Guess Who’s Coming to Advocacy Days?
Okay, so it is probably not going to get made into a movie with Sidney Poitier, but it is still sure to be worth your time….
Ecumenical Advocacy Days March 19-22 Washington DC
A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples
www.advocacydays.org
Richard and I are planning on returning and attending the conference as well as going to the Hill on Monday, so we hope you can join us! Consider this a very tangible way that you too can accompany the church here without taking quite such a long trip. We hope someone from the Iglesia Presbiteriana will be able to come and share as well, so you will be able to meet some of the folks we work with first hand. Hope to see you in Washington!
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