International Community Emergency Call for a Colombia in Peace

ABColombia supports the international campaign “International Community: Emergency Call for a Colombia in Peace”, which was launched internationally on 6 June 2019. Below you can read the mission statement of the campaign, which is supported by 29 international civil society organisations in Europe and across the Americas.

ABColombia Programme and Advocacy Manager Louise Winstanley explains why ABColombia is supporting the international campaign “International Community: Emergency call for a Colombia in Peace”.

About the campaign

The international civil society organisations that form part of the platform Space of Peace Cooperation (Espacio de Cooperación para la Paz), which is committed to peacebuilding and a negotiated end to the armed conflict in Colombia, have launched an international information and awareness campaign for peace in Colombia. The campaign “International community – emergency call for a Colombia in peace” is a large-scale media campaign that is simultaneously launched across Europe and the Americas.

Organisations based across Europe and the Americas are supporting the ECPP campaign for a Colombia in Peace.

Objective:

The aim of the campaign is to influence the United States, European and Latin American governments, as well as the European Union (EU), the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the United Nations, to ensure they continue their work in support of peace, the enforcement of International Humanitarian Law and respect for the work and the life of persons and organisations working for peace and human rights. The objective is to ensure that the Colombian Government complies with the Peace Accord signed with the FARC-EP and resumes the peace talks with the ELN.

How?

From 6th June until the end of November 2019, we will be sending messages, share information, organise acts of solidarity, make public declarations and advocacy actions in the decision-making forums of the UN, the OAS, the EU Parliament and our national Parliaments.

Objectives of the campaign:

  • We want people to join in and say “Yes” to peace in Colombia, “No” to the murders of people working for peace and human rights, and those who have chosen to turn in their weapons for words. 
  • We want people on the ground in Europe, Latin America and the USA, their governments and institutions, including the UN and the OAS, to monitor the implementation of the Peace Accord that was signed in 2016.
  • We want to inform about the key role Human Rights Defenders play for peacebuilding in Colombia and for the implementation of the Peace Accord.
  • We want to highlight the social and political impacts caused by the killings and threats against the people who are working for peace and human rights in Colombia, as well as, the harm that is caused by criminalisation and persecution of human rights defenders. In addition, we will illustrate how attacks against ex-combatants are threatening the stability of the peace process.
  • We want to encourage the international community to continue supporting Colombia in the pursuit of peace.
  • We want to ask people in Europe, the USA and Latin America to express solidarity with Colombia and with the people and organisations working for peace and human rights in Colombia.
  • We want to encourage European, US and Latin American citizens to ask their governments and international bodies to urge the Colombian Government to comply with the Final Peace Accord that was signed with the FARC-EP and to resume the negotiations with the ELN.

About the Space of Peace Cooperation (ECPP)

The Space of Peace Cooperation (ECPP) is a network of 29 international civil society organisations working on Colombia. Currently, its members are:

ABColombia, Broederlijk Delen, Caritas Suiza, Christian Aid, Comité Noruego de Solidaridad con América Latina, COMUNDO, Fastenopfer, Federación Luterana Mundial, Foro de Mujeres y Desarrollo-FOKUS, Fondo de Acción Urgente para América Latina, Forum Syd, Fundación Sueca por los Derechos Humanos, Grupo de Trabajo Suiza Colombia -ASK!-, Heks-Eper, ICCO, Iglesia Sueca, International Action for Peace (observer), kolko – Menschenrechte für Kolumbien, Latin American  Working Group, Llamamiento de Ginebra, Mundubat, Movimiento por la Paz -MPDL-en Colombia, OIDHACO, Oxfam, Paz con Dignidad, Peace Brigades International –PBI- (observer), SweFOR (observer),  Swissaid, Terre des Hommes Suisse.

Where you can follow the campaign:

On the ABColombia Website under Campaigns

Twitter: @EspacioPazenCol

Instagram: @EspacioPazenCol

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/EspacioPazenCol (Alerta Paz Colombia), and on the websites and social media pages of the member organisations of the ECPP.                 

   For further information: Cooppaz2016@gmail.com  Tel.+57 3102107326