Fwd: [NoticiasAfroColombianos] Digest Number 123

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Conferencia Afrocolombiana

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Oct 12, 2010, 2:30:41 PM10/12/10
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From: <NoticiasAfr...@yahoogroups.com>
Date: 2010/10/12
Subject: [NoticiasAfroColombianos] Digest Number 123
To: NoticiasAfr...@yahoogroups.com


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1.

Event at FIU-Geographies Of Terror?: A Framework With An Anti-Geopol

Posted by: "Gimena Sanchez" gsan...@wola.org   gsanchezwola

Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:19 pm (PDT)




Geographies Of Terror’: A Framework With An Anti-Geopolitical Eye On Colombia’s Pacific Coast Region
Friday, October 15th, 2010
@ 11:00 am - 01:00 pm
Description:

Professor Oslender will talk about the conceptual framework of ‘geographies of terror’. He applies this framework to the Pacific coast region of Colombia to examine the systematic terror campaign that has been unleashed by armed groups on rural black populations in this region. Rather than referring to this phenomenon as ‘forced displacement’ (as most accounts do), a ‘geographies of terror’ approach exposes the complex, spatial relationships bound up in the uprooting of thousands of Afro-Colombians from their lands. At the same time, it privileges the perspectives of local voices and experiences over detached, putatively objective narratives. Presented by Sociology-Anthropology-Geography Graduate Students Association This event is free and open to all students. This event is sponsored by the CSO.

Event Contact:

Ulrich Oslender

E-mail:

Phone:

URL:

Location:

LC 110

Category:

Academics

Tags:
Friday, October 15th, 2010
@ 11:00 am - 01:00 pm
Description:

Professor Oslender will talk about the conceptual framework of ‘geographies of terror’. He applies this framework to the Pacific coast region of Colombia to examine the systematic terror campaign that has been unleashed by armed groups on rural black populations in this region. Rather than referring to this phenomenon as ‘forced displacement’ (as most accounts do), a ‘geographies of terror’ approach exposes the complex, spatial relationships bound up in the uprooting of thousands of Afro-Colombians from their lands. At the same time, it privileges the perspectives of local voices and experiences over detached, putatively objective narratives. Presented by Sociology-Anthropology-Geography Graduate Students Association This event is free and open to all students. This event is sponsored by the CSO.

Event Contact:

Ulrich Oslender

E-mail:

Phone:

URL:

Location:

LC 110

Category:

Academics

Tags:

2.

Desobediencia civil por altos costos en servicios públicos en Cau

Posted by: "Gimena Sanchez" gsan...@wola.org   gsanchezwola

Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:40 pm (PDT)



Desobediencia civil por altos costos en servicios públicos en Cauca

Las exorbitantes tarifas de los servicios públicos en el cauca, en concreto las tarifas del servicio de la luz han motivado un proceso de desobediencia civil en municipios de todo el departamento del Cauca.

Escuche entrevista en: http://contagioradio.com/otra-mirada/desobediencia-civil-por-altos-costos-en-servicios-publicos-en-cauca

Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli

Senior Associate for Colombia and the Andes

Washington Office on Latin America

Tele: (202) 797-2171 ext. 205

Cell: (202) 489-1702

Email: gsan...@wola.org

Website: www.wola.org

Skype: WOLAColombia

Twitter: wola_org

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a US human rights organization that promotes democracy and socioeconomic justice in Latin America and the Caribbean through analysis and foreign policy proposals informed by strong partnerships with civil society counterparts in the region. Visit WOLA's website to sign up <http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=37> for more information or donate now <http://www.wola.org/donatenow> to help WOLA carry out its work.

3.

Respuesta al comentario cultural "la presencia de los invisibles" a

Posted by: "Gimena Sanchez" gsan...@wola.org   gsanchezwola

Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:44 pm (PDT)





4.

DESPLAZAMIENTO FORZADO Y COMUNIDADES AFROMETENSES

Posted by: "Gimena Sanchez" gsan...@wola.org   gsanchezwola

Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:54 pm (PDT)



Buenas Tardes

Ante la desatención a sus derechos desde hace varios meses, el deterioro de sus condiciones y calidad de vida, el desacato de la sentencia T - 025 de 2004 y sus autos de seguimiento, la inaplicabilidad de los enfoques diferenciales contenidos en estos autos; por parte de la administración departamental del Meta; un grupo de organizaciones y miembros de población desplazada, agrupados en la MESA DE TRABAJO; realizaron una ocupación pacifica de la catedral de Villavicencio y la oficina regional de la procuraduría, el día 21 de Septiembre, con el fin de visibilizar su problemática, presentado en un documento de nueve (9) puntos a las entidades que atienden este fenómeno en el departamento y el municipio de Villavicencio y que recoge la esencia de la problemática y situación de esta población en el departamento del Meta.

Resultado de esta acción se concertó la realización de una reunión con las instituciones del orden nacional, departamental y municipal a realizarse el próximo 14 de los corrientes, en las instalaciones de la Procuraduría Regional, en esta ciudad.

Las organizaciones de población afrometense en situación de desplazamiento forzado, participantes de estas acciones, presentaron a la administración departamental el documento que se presenta para conocimiento de la ciudadanía; que refleja su situación y recoge sus aspiraciones

Villavicencio; Septiembre de 2010

Doctor

DARIO VASQUEZ SANCHEZ

Gobernador Departamento del Meta

Comité Departamental de Atención Integral La Población Desplazada del Meta CDAIPD

Carrera 33 N° 38 - 45 Barrio El Centro

Ciudad

REF: DESIGNACION REPRESENTANTES POBLACION AFROCOLOMBIANA ANTE EL SISTEMA DEPARTAMENTAL DE ATENCION INTEGRAL A LA POBLACION DESPLAZADA DEL META

Atento Saludo:

En los últimos días se han escuchado cometarios acerca de que este comité a va a tratar el tema de la participación de representantes de población afrocolombiana en situación de desplazamiento forzado a las distintas instancias del SDAIPD y cuya propuesta a iniciativa de algunas instituciones que hacen parte de este comité, es que la designación de estos representantes se haga a través del espacio de la Comisión Consultiva de Comunidades Negras, Afrocolombianas, Palenqueras y Raizales del departamento del Meta; espacio creado mediante ordenanza 382 de 2009 de la Asamblea del Departamento, en cumplimiento del decreto 3770 de 2008; las organizaciones de población afrocolombiana en situación de desplazamiento forzado existentes en el departamento del Meta, organizaciones de base y miembros de comunidades afrocolombianas; así como organizaciones de población desplazada del departamento, abajo firmantes; queremos manifestar a usted y demás miembros de esta instancia algunos comentarios al respecto en la esperanza que estos sean acogidos por este comité :

1. Desde su creación en Noviembre 20 de 2009 y hasta la fecha; la Comisión Consultiva de Comunidades Negras del departamento del Meta, no ha tenido una sola sesión de trabajo; la atención a los asuntos de nuestras comunidades negras, ha venido dándose a través del Consejo de Política Social del departamento, junto a otros sectores sociales y bajo la denominación de población vulnerable; con representación de nuestras comunidades designadas directamente por la administración departamental; desconociendo la administración departamental a la Comisión Consultiva del Meta como interlocutor por nuestras comunidades y nuestra condición de sujetos de especial protección constitucional. En la actualidad el espacio de la Comisión Consultiva de comunidades Negras del Meta se ha convertido en una figura decorativa dentro de la estructura de la administración departamental y una muestra del desconocimiento a los derechos y aspiraciones de nuestras comunidades.

2. A la inoperatividad de la Comisión Consultiva de Comunidades Negras y Afrocolombianas del Meta y su descalificación como espacio de concertación y dialogo con nuestras comunidades; se suma el hecho que el fenómeno del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano su incidencia y tratamiento en el departamento; no ha figurado en la agenda y discusiones de los miembros representantes de comunidades negras a esta Comisión Consultiva del departamento del Meta.

3. La dinámica creciente del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano en el departamento y su impacto en nuestras comunidades; así como la existencia de una legislación específica para su tratamiento y aplicación con nuestras comunidades; ha devenido en la conformación de expresiones organizativas en el departamento del Meta para el tratamiento y atención a este fenómeno desde la perspectiva afrocolombiana; estas expresiones organizativas han ganado el reconocimiento y liderazgo de estas comunidades como sus interlocutores; así como también de instituciones y de otras organizaciones de población desplazada que concurren al SDAIPD.

En distintas ocasiones y de tiempo atrás, las expresiones organizativas de población afrocolombiana en situación de desplazamiento existentes en el departamento; han venido solicitando a la administración departamental y a la Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación Internacional; la aplicación del enfoque diferencial afrocolombiano en los programas de atención a este fenómeno; sin que hasta la fecha estas solicitudes hayan sido atendidas o tenidas en cuenta.

4. A pesar de que el departamento del Meta cuenta con un Plan Integral Único PIU; construido de manera participativa, para el periodo 2008 - 2011, con la asesoría y acompañamiento de las agencias del Sistema de Naciones Unidas, con presencia en el departamento; que aborda los enfoques diferenciales del desplazamiento forzado a partir de las dimensiones de etnia, genero, discapacidad y edad; y a pesar de nuestras solicitudes, las organizaciones de población afrocolombianas en situación de desplazamiento forzado no fuimos convocadas a la construcción del mencionado Plan; el enfoque diferencial afrocolombiano del desplazamiento forzado ni siquiera aparece mencionado en este Plan Integral Único.

El departamento del Meta en la actualidad no cuenta con ningún tipo de programa de atención específico al fenómeno del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano, ni de reconocimiento y atención a nuestros derechos como grupo étnico; las órdenes impartidas por la corte constitucional en la sentencia T-025 de 2004 y sus autos de seguimiento, particularmente el auto 005 de 2009, sobre población afrocolombiana no han sido acatados por esta administración; El reciente atentado de que fue objeto el dirigente afrocolombiano de población desplazada MANUEL VIVEROS IBARGUEN; la desatención a sus denuncias respecto a su seguridad personal y su actual situación de desamparo a su situación humanitaria, consecuencia de este atentado; se constituyen en una muestra de esta desatención a miembros de nuestras comunidades en situación de desplazamiento forzado y de desconocimiento de derechos como miembros de grupo étnico.

5. La designación de miembros representantes de población afrocolombiana en las distintas instancias del SDAIPD, su nominación por instancias ajenas a las de los propios afectados; constituyen actos de autoritarismo, desconocimiento y violación de los derechos de nuestras comunidades a la consulta y participación en los asuntos que las afecte; que buscan desconocer la existencia y gravedad del fenómeno del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano en el departamento del Meta y presentar al exterior de nuestras comunidades una imagen distinta de su realidad en el departamento; la inoperatividad de la Comisión Consultiva de Comunidades Negras del departamento y su desconocimiento como espacio de interlocución y dialogo con nuestras comunidades; dilatara en lo que resta de la presente administración, la atención al fenómeno del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano y su tratamiento en el departamento; con el consecuente agravamiento de la situación humanitaria de los miembros de nuestro sector poblacional.

El acto de designar representantes de población afrometense a las distintas instancias del SDAIPD por instancias distintas a la de los afectados; desconoce las ordenes de la sentencia T-025 de 2004 y el auto 005 de 2009, de participar a las organizaciones de población desplazada afrocolombianas en la construcción del plan de protección de nuestros derechos.

Invitamos a las instituciones que hacen parte de este comité a la construcción de un espacio de dialogo y consulta con nuestras comunidades, libre de imposiciones, suficientemente informado y realizado de buena fe, en el marco del respeto a las decisiones de nuestra comunidad; para la visibilizacion de nuestra problemática en el departamento y la construcción concertada de políticas de atención y tratamiento al fenómeno del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano y de cumplimiento de derechos como grupo étnico.

Por lo anterior y teniendo en cuenta las situaciones enumeradas; respetuosamente solicitamos al señor Gobernador y demás miembros de este comité lo siguiente:

- Reconocimiento y visibilizacion del fenómeno del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano en el departamento del Meta.

- Construcción del componente diferencial afrocolombiano del PIU 2008 - 2011, con la participación de las organizaciones y comunidades de este sector poblacional en situación de desplazamiento forzado.

- Validación de las organizaciones de comunidades negras del departamento del Meta en situación de desplazamiento forzado; como interlocutores de estas comunidades ante el SDAIPD.

- Realización de una reunión de organizaciones y comunidades de población afrocolombiana en situación de desplazamiento forzado, con las instancias del SDAIPD, para la concertación de las acciones de designación de sus representantes a este sistema; y las garantías financieras y logísticas para la misma y de respeto a sus decisiones.

- Socialización del Auto 005 de 2009 con la población afrocolombiana e instituciones del orden departamental y municipal y garantías de su aplicación con estas comunidades.

- Realización de una reunión conjunta con las organizaciones de base afrometenses y miembros consultivos de comunidades negras del departamento; para la socialización y reconocimiento del fenómeno del desplazamiento forzado afrocolombiano en el departamento.

- Respeto a la autonomía y la autodeterminación de las comunidades afrometenses como grupo étnico y sus decisiones; sobre la base de la consulta previa, libre e informada y realizada de buena fe.

- Medidas de protección y seguridad para su vida; así como asistencia humanitaria de emergencia para el dirigente afrocolombiano de población desplazada MANUEL VIVEROS IBARGUEN.

Quedamos a la espera de sus comentarios sobre estos temas y la realización de una reunión con las instancias respectivas, para su concertación y dialogo.

Agradeciendo del señor Gobernador y demás miembros del CDAIPD y a la espera de favorabilidad a la misma, nos suscribimos

Atentamente

SIGUEN FIRMAS

C.C. Secretaria Departamental de Gobierno.

Agencia Presidencial para la Acción Social y la Cooperación Internacional.

Ministerio Público.

Corte Constitucional - Sala de Revisión.

Ministerio del Interior y de Justicia - Dirección de asuntos de comunidades negras

y afrocolombianas.

Agencias de Cooperación Internacional.

Organizaciones de Derechos Humanos.

Organizaciones Afrocolombianas.

5.

El gobierno de los Estados Unidos certifica a Colombia a pesar de la

Posted by: "Gimena Sanchez" gsan...@wola.org   gsanchezwola

Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:54 pm (PDT)



El gobierno de los Estados Unidos certifica a Colombia a pesar de la falta de resultados en materia de

derechos humanos

El Departamento de Estado anunció el 15 de septiembre que Colombia cumple con las condiciones en materia de

derechos humanos y por lo tanto certifica al país para que pueda recibir ayuda militar. Esto a pesar que las

violaciones de derechos humanos cometidas por la Fuerza Pública permanecen en la impunidad. El propio

comunicado de prensa emitido por el Departamento de Estado reconoció la seriedad de los problemas en materia de

derechos humanos en Colombia. Los grupos colombianos y estadounidenses que trabajan en derechos humanos le

suministraron suficiente evidencia al Departamento de Estado en la cual se mostraba que durante el año pasado no

hubo progreso en cuanto a las investigaciones judiciales sobre violaciones de derechos humanos, en particular

aquellos casos que involucran más de 3,000 personas de la población civil que fueron supuestamente asesinadas a

manos de las fuerzas armadas.

Enlace: http://www.comitepermanente.org/el_gobierno_de_estados_unidos_certifia_a_colombia_.html

Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli

Senior Associate for Colombia and the Andes

Washington Office on Latin America

Tele: (202) 797-2171 ext. 205

Cell: (202) 489-1702

Email: gsan...@wola.org

Website: www.wola.org

Skype: WOLAColombia

Twitter: wola_org

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a US human rights organization that promotes democracy and socioeconomic justice in Latin America and the Caribbean through analysis and foreign policy proposals informed by strong partnerships with civil society counterparts in the region. Visit WOLA's website to sign up <http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=37> for more information or donate now <http://www.wola.org/donatenow> to help WOLA carry out its work.

6.

US NGO/activist letter to President DeGiogia of Georgetown Universit

Posted by: "Gimena Sanchez" gsan...@wola.org   gsanchezwola

Mon Oct 11, 2010 1:55 pm (PDT)



John J. DeGiogia

President

Georgetown University

204 Healy Hall, NW

Washington, DC 20057

October 8, 2010

Dear President DeGiogia,

It is with the utmost respect and consideration that we write to you today to express our deep concern about Georgetown University's decision to appoint former President of Colombia Alvaro Uribe Velez as a guest lecturer and Distinguished Scholar in the Practice of Global Leadership. We are members of U.S. human rights, development and religious organizations, as well as academics and activists, who have worked for years in solidarity with Colombians in their pursuit for peace, justice, respect for human rights and rule of law. As such, we follow the humanitarian and human rights situation in that country closely.

Our main concern is that a former president with such a negative human rights track record is receiving a position of honor at your university. While Mr. Uribe is credited for having improved security in Colombia, this was done at a great human rights price. His controversial democratic security policies led to grave abuses on the part of the Colombian armed forces and the involuntary involvement of countless civilians in the armed conflict. At present, there are 3,000 cases of extrajudicial executions committed by Colombian soldiers registered in the civilian justice system. These are cases in which Colombian soldiers deliberately took civilians, killed them and then presented them as guerillas killed in combat. Mr. Uribe's tremendous pressure on his armed forces to show "results" led to these systematic violations that escalated dramatically during his two terms in office. Worse yet, President Uribe put lawyers and human rights organizations, who valiantly tried to remedy this situation and seek justice for the victims, at risk by publicly and repeatedly saying that those who defend the victims of such crimes are linked to the FARC guerrillas. The Bogotá-based Jesuit research center CINEP is one of the main organizations that have provided extensive documentation on human rights abuses, including extrajudicial executions.

Under President Uribe's tenure, the Administrative Security Agency (DAS), the intelligence agency that reports to the President, was involved in illegal surveillance and sabotage of activities of key human rights groups, journalists, Supreme Court justices, opposition politicians, Afro-Colombian leaders, and trade unions. According to the DAS's own documents that came to light after the Attorney General raided their offices, a sub-unit within the DAS called the G-3 was tasked to "neutralize and restrict" the legitimate work of human rights groups and Uribe administration critics. The G-3 went so far as to intimidate and obstruct the work of its targets. The DAS documents suggest that they plant agents in opposition rallies to "create chaos," disguised themselves as journalists, and planted false information in the press, among other actions intended to disrupt or discredit civil society activities. It was also revealed that DAS may have been behind some of the most worrisome threats committed against defenders. An example of this was when a bloodied doll was mailed to a prominent human rights lawyer that contained a death threat against her young daughter. It has come to light that part of the G-3's purpose was to fabricate ties between DAS targets and illegal armed groups so that baseless prosecutions could be brought against them.

Another scandal which broke during Mr. Uribe's tenure was that of links between politicians, mostly Uribe supporters, and the right wing paramilitary group the Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, considered a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the United States. The AUC committed some of the worst human rights atrocities in recent Colombian history. One of the methods they employed to exert control over populations was to utilize chainsaws to dismember persons. It is reported than an estimated thirty percent of the Colombian Congress had links to the AUC. Judicial authorities opened investigations for or arrested over 170 Colombian "para-politicians" elected officials were placed under arrest or investigation by judicial authorities for allegations of ties to paramilitaries. Rather than support the actions of members of the judiciary in seeking to investigate parapoliticians, Mr. Uribe attacked them publicly.

While it must be noted that Mr. Uribe initiated the demobilization process of the AUC and that we support demobilization efforts, this particular process was highly flawed. Through this process the government offered paramilitaries short jail sentences in exchange for their full confessions and reparations of victims. While over 31,000 paramilitaries demobilized, it was not until June 2010 that sentences were handed out to a few of these paramilitaries and little land has been returned. Many victims who struggled for their rights to their lands and reparations have been killed. As the AUC paramilitaries were beginning to give information about the crimes they committed and their links to politicians, President Uribe decided to extradite them to the United States. In 2008, President Uribe extradited the top eight commanders of the AUC, a move which has led to adverse consequences to the rights of thousands of victims to truth, justice and reparations. Also, it has greatly diminished Colombia's judicial authorities' ability to move forward on human rights and corruption cases, in particular cases regarding parapoliticians.

Colombia contains one of the largest total populations of displaced persons in the world, second only to the Sudan. While internal displacement is not a phenomenon that started under President Uribe, an estimated 2.4 million persons were displaced during his administration. Also throughout his administration, the government agency tasked with addressing this problem, Social Action, consistently downplayed the scale of this humanitarian crisis, and failed to register some of the displaced. Further, Uribe himself promoted the notion that an internal armed conflict no longer existed in Colombia, rather that the sole problem the country was experiencing was one of terrorism. These false notions led many across the world to turn their attention away from the humanitarian crisis facing this nation and the need for international pressure to promote a politically negotiated end to the war.

During Mr. Uribe's terms, his administration fervently advocated for a free trade agreement with the United States. While his administration had every right to promote such an agreement it did so in a disingenuous manner by discrediting legitimate human rights and labor concerns presented by U.S. and Colombia advocates. The U.S. Congress suspended movement forward towards an FTA because Colombia contains one of the worst records in the world on labor rights violations. Colombia tops the world's list for murders of trade unionists. The Uribe Administration encouraged the expansion of a labor model called "associative cooperatives," in which workers lose their right to organize and form trade unions. This model has led to a severe deterioration of labor protections and a decrease in wages in sectors such as the oil palm, sugar, and port industries.

Under Uribe's tenure, laws such as the forestry law, rural development statute, and changes in the mining code were passed that seriously undermine Afro-Colombian and indigenous rights. Two of these laws were later rendered unconstitutional by Colombia's Constitutional Court since they did not respect the right of ethnic minorities to be previously consulted on economic development projects implemented in their territories. The severity of the humanitarian, human rights and socio-economic crisis facing Afrodescendants in Colombia led to international pressure led to President Uribe appointed Afro-Colombians in high-level posts, a Presidential Commission for Afro-Colombians was created, and the former Vice President recognizing that racism existed in the country. While those are symbolic steps, President's Uribe's policies including those of democratic security, pushing for the expansion of biofuel projects including oil palm cultivation and the anti-narcotics aerial fumigation program seriously undermined the human rights and territorial rights of ethnic minorities. During Uribe's tenure, many Afro-Colombian and Indigenous leaders were killed and/or threatened; these groups experienced multiple displacements and his government undertook no serious steps to protect these communities' leadership and land rights. In 2009, Amnesty International counted 114 members of indigenous communities murdered, which suggests that the government was not implementing the prevention plans ordered by the country's Constitutional Court. On March 15, 2008 in the Communitarian Council of the city of Popayán, according to the ONIC President Alvaro Uribe publicly offered rewards for the heads of indigenous leaders who demanded their just and legitimate rights to their lands.

Mr. Uribe showed an open contempt for human rights defenders and critics by making public statements that linked such persons to the guerrillas. Such statements were often followed by death threats, abductions and killings. Below you will find some statements made by him:

"Human rights cannot be used as an excuse to protect terrorists...the well-known Lawyers Collective Jose Alvear Restrepo cannot use the subject of human rights as an excuse for giving cover to terrorists..."

"Every time a security policy to defeat terrorism appears in Colombia, when the terrorists begin to feel weak, they immediately send their spokespeople to talk about human rights. These human-rights traffickers must take off their masks, appear with their political ideas and drop this cowardice of hiding them behind human rights."

"I am very worried that the guerrilla's political friends, who live here constantly posing as political enemies of yankee imperialism, frequently travel to the U.S. to discredit the Colombian government for two purposes: the purpose of keeping the Free Trade Agreement from being approved, and the purpose of suspending aid....(These are) friends of the guerillas, politicians who want the guerrillas to triumph in Colombia, but lack the authenticity to call for it openly."

On March 20, 2005, shortly after Colombian soldiers in collusion with paramilitaries allegedly brutally assassinated eight members of the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartadó, including women and children, and the surviving community was at high risk of further harm, Mr. Uribe stated:

"In this community of San Jose de Apartadó there are good people but some of their leaders, supported and defenders are seriously indentified, by persons that reside there, as being auxiliaries of the FARC and who want to use that community to protect that terrorist organization."

To those who have lost loved ones to abuses with the direct involvement or collaboration of government forces under the Uribe administration, and to the Colombian organizations that struggle for justice, these honors bestowed upon former President Uribe are a painful reminder of an unjust world. Given the above, we believe that a prestigious university like Georgetown, whose foundations are in Jesuit principles, should carefully examine whether it is acceptable to have a person with such a track record receiving a position of honor.

Sincerely,

Gimena Sanchez, Adam Isacson and Anthony Dest

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

Sharon Hostetler

Executive Director

Witness for Peace

U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP)

Kelly Nicholls

Executive Director

U.S. Office on Colombia

Barbara Gerlach

Colombia Liaison

United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries

Daniel Kovalik

Senior Associate General Counsel

United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO (USW)

Tianna S. Paschel

Afro-Latino Working Group

University of California, Berkeley

Praba Pilar
PhD Candidate, Performance Studies
Presidential Pre-Doctoral Fellow in the Humanities
University of California, Davis

Micha Cárdenas
Lecturer, Visual Arts Department

University of California, San Diego

Erika Marquez
Department of Sociology

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Agustin Lao-Montes, PhD

Associate Professor, Sociology

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies Afro-American Studies University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Joseph Jordan

Department of African/African-American Studies

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Ann Farnsworth-Alvear

Associate Professor of History

University of Pennsylvania

Bill Leicht
Urban Visions, Inc

Nora Rasman

TransAfrica Forum

Fr. Roy Bourgeois, MM

Founder

School of the Americas Watch

Nico Udugama

School of the Americas Watch

Hendrik Voss

National Organizer

School of the Americas Watch

Dave Robinson

Executive Director

Pax Christi USA

Pax Christi Metro DC

Charles Michaels

Coordinator

Pax Christi-Baltimore

Anne Barstow

Presbyterian Peace Fellowship

Lori Wallach

Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch

Teo Ballvé

Former Editor

NACLA Report on the Americas

Suren Moodliar

Coordinator

Mass. Global Action

Janvieve Williams Comrie

Latin American and Caribbean Community Center

Terry Collingsworth

President

International Rights Advocates

Emira Woods
Foreign Policy in Focus

Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)

Carlos Quesada

Regional Director, Latin America

Global Rights

Dr. Mark C. Johnson

Executive Director
Fellowship of Reconciliation-USA

Scott Wright

EPICA and SICSAL-USA

Eunice M. Escobar

Board, Chicago Religious Leadership Network and Afro-Colombian Solidarity Network

Jim Vondracek

Managing Director

Chicago Religious Leadership Network (CRLN)

Kiran Asher, Ph. D
Associate Professor of IDSC and Women's Studies
IDCE, Clark University

Cristina Espinel

Co-Chair

Colombia Human Rights Committee

Chloe Schwabe

Co-Chair

Colombia Human Rights Committee

Bravo Pérez

Comuner@s

Abigail Poe

Deputy Director; Director of Latin America Security program

Center for International Policy (CIP)

Mark Weisbrot

Co-Director

Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)

Gail S Phares

Carolina Interfaith Task Force on Central America

Michael Birenbaum Quintero

Assistant Professor

Bowdoin College

Charo Mina Rojas

International Working Group United States

Black Communities Process (PCN)

Marino Cordoba

AFRODES USA

Roland Roebuck

Afro-Colombian Solidarity Network (ACSN)

AfroColombia NY

Karen Carrillo

AfroPresencia.com

Lisa Scott

AfroPresencia.com

Vanessa Ramos, Esq.

Asociación Americana de Juristas

Laura Valdés

Salvador Tió

Jessica Sanclemente

Jairo Marcos Restrepo

Juan Masullo

Aurora Levins Morales, writer, Oakland, California

Vanessa Kritzer, Latin America Working Group*

Lisa Haugaard, Latin America Working Group*

Monica Gonzalez

Timothy Farrell

Roosbelinda Cardenas

*Signing as an individual, affiliation given for identification purposes only

Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli

Senior Associate for Colombia and the Andes

Washington Office on Latin America

Tele: (202) 797-2171 ext. 205

Cell: (202) 489-1702

Email: gsan...@wola.org

Website: www.wola.org

Skype: WOLAColombia

Twitter: wola_org

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is a US human rights organization that promotes democracy and socioeconomic justice in Latin America and the Caribbean through analysis and foreign policy proposals informed by strong partnerships with civil society counterparts in the region. Visit WOLA's website to sign up <http://www.wola.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=218&Itemid=37> for more information or donate now <http://www.wola.org/donatenow> to help WOLA carry out its work.

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Conferencia Nacional de Organizaciones Afrocolombianas (CNOA)
Telefax: (57-1) 3455520
Calle 67 No. 14A-26 Bogotá. Colombia
www.convergenciacnoa.org

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