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| SOLIDARITY
WITH THE COLOMBIAN WOMEN Letter in Support of 14 February |
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This is a sample letter. If you live outside the European Union, you could change it to send to the members of your government, political representatives and your ambassador in Colombia. Also, regardless of where you live, you can send this letter to the leaders of the European Union. Attached you will find a list of addresses. (Letter
to: Dear Sir: We wish to express our concerns regarding the armed conflict in Colombia and ask that the voices of the social organizations offering peaceful resistance in the midst of war be heard – especially the voices of the women’s organizations that are suffering the painful effects of the armed conflict, as well as the structural injustices that both foster and are exacerbated by the conflict. We refer in particular to: -The ORGANIZACION FEMENINA POPULAR (Women’s Organization of the People) of Magdalena Medio, which has been working for 29 years in the area. This organization has fulfilled a basic function with programs of development that have mitigated and improved conditions of life for many families. Today its members live subjected to a permanent state of harassment and threats. -The RUTA PACIFICA DE MUJERES (Women’s Pacific Route) in the Medellin area, which works assiduously for a negotiated resolution to the conflict. We highlight the role of the European Union in its concerns regarding the systematic infractions of International Humanitarian Law and violations of human rights in Colombia and their efforts to give priority to respect for these standards. We recognize their publicly stated position of support for the peace process based on social justice, independent of the Plan Colombia and military solutions. We hope that the government of Spain, which occupies the presidency of the European Union at this time, will assume previous commitments and carry them out to the fullest with coherent strategies and concrete actions. We are concerned about the lack of protection for the civil population in this conflict. Daily we receive numerous denunciations made by the Colombian human rights Organizations and corroborated by the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others. The majority of the victims are defenseless individuals, who did not opt for war, nor for any other violent path. We are disturbed by the expansion of the war in Colombia. The old thesis has been employed: "to make war in order to weaken the enemy and to force negotiation". This is a perverse strategy that does not allow for political negotiation. Paramilitary actions have been deciding whether there will be any advancement in the negotiations and have been debilitating the nation of Colombia. Many reports bear witness to the connivance of paramilitary groups with the war strategy of the armed forces. The government of Colombia has not undertaken convincing actions to protect and defend life and civil society, nor to dismantle the paramilitary groups. Human Rights violations continue with absolute impunity. These limiting situations to which the civil population is subjected have resulted in massive displacements and to the closing of areas that had previously received humanitarian aid and which had articulations with the civil society. There is no spot in all the land of Colombia that can offer refuge to the victims of persecutions and threats—a reality which reflects the gravity of the situation. WE ASK THE PRESIDENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION: I. For a firm commitment to: l) support without delay a search for peace through dialogue and negotiation, never through resumption of armed conflict. 2) include in your Program of Support for the Peace Process in Colombia actions that will favor the protection and support of civil organizations that are offering resistance in the midst of war. 3) not scrimp on efforts to strengthen dialogue, the fulfillment of agreements and progress for both the short-term and the long-term, in which civil organizations are included in the development of these agreements. Here we would like to make special mention of the women’s organizations, which are not at present included in the peace process, a fact corroborated by the visit last December of the representative for women of the United Nations, Mrs. Elisabeth Rehn, and we would ask for the presence of women at the negotiating table. II. l) Issue a pronouncement condemning the connivance of the Colombian armed forces with the paramilitaries and their crimes, as well as crimes committed by the guerillas and the various other armed actors. 2) Demand from the government of Colombia an immediate plan of action to dismantle the structure and assets of the paramilitaries and publication of the results of the exhaustive an impartial investigation of the relationship between the paramilitaries and the security forces. III. Exercise all your influence to ensure that no violation of Human Rights goes unpunished and to ensure that those who are fleeing from the war will find welcome and safe refuge in their own lands. The Presidency of the European Union has the historic responsibility to contribute effectively to the negotiations that will lead to peace and development in this country. Respectfully,
Adresses PRESIDENTE
DE LA UNIÓN EUROPEA: PRESIDENTE
DE TURNO DE LA UNIÓN EUROPEA:
EMBAJADA
DE CANADA: EMBAJADA
USA: Oficial
de DDHH: Sra: Mary Tolliver OFICINA
DEL ALTO COMISIONADO DE NACIONES UNIDAS para los DERECHOS HUMANOS.
EMBAJADA
DE AUSTRIA: EMBAJADA
DE BÉLGICA: Agregado
Presidencia U.E: EMBAJADA
DE FRANCIA: EMBAJADA
DE HOLANDA: EMBAJADA
DE SUECIA: EMBAJADA
DE ALEMANIA: EMBAJADA
DE AUSTRALIA: EMBAJADA
GRAN BRETAÑA: EMBAJADA
DE ITALIA: EMBAJADA
DE NORUEGA: EMBAJADA
DE SUIZA Encargada
de DDHH: Sra Yanine Voigt EMBAJADA
DE ESPAÑA: EMBAJADA
DE MÉXICO EMBAJADA
DE CUBA: EMBAJADA
DE CHILE: EMBAJADA
DE BRASIL EMBAJADA
DE ECUADOR EMBAJADA
DE GUATEMALA
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