On August 9, 2002, thirty-five human rights activists returned from a ten-day Witness for Peace/School of Americas Watch delegation to Colombia.They witnessed the realities of life in Colombia: the human effects of their government foreign policy decisions.The delegates listened to the experiences of the displaced, women’s groups, human rights workers, unionists, an economist, former guerrillas, the clergy, a sociologist, and many others.They also met with the Colombian military, the chamber of commerce, and the US embassy.

Unanimously, the Colombian social justice workers stressed that the military aspects of Plan Colombia are harming, not helping their quest for peace.These nonviolent civilians embody a concrete alternative, trying to build the machinery for peace – not with arms, but with community organizing and by speaking the truth. Karen O'Keefe
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• Images - click here >>

• Action at Fort Benning upon our return - click here >>

• Delegation Notes - click here >>

• Related Links - click here >>

• The People of Pedregosa - click here >>

• Occupation of the Red Cross Building - click here >>

• Soacha - A Sea of Displaced Persons - click here >>

• Streets and meetings of Popayan - click here >>

• Streets and meetings of Bogata - click here >>

• Action at Fort Benning August 11 - click here >>

Notes on a variety of meetings held with Colombian Government Officials, human rights workers, union organizers, the US State Department, the Colombian Military, displaced groups, economists, business leaders and others. Figures from these meetings have not been verified and are those of the presenter.

Bogota Meetings

• "Diego"
Torture survivor of a graduate of the School of the Americas
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• "Francisco"
Bogota business person and currently the director of a private relief agency
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• Peter and Paul
Peter Stuckey, pastor, Mennonite Church and his brother Paul Stuckey, director, JUSTAPAZ
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• Ricardo Vargas
Drug policy expert - Transnational Institute (based in Netherlands), Accion Andina
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• SINALTRAINAL
Food and Beverage Workers' Union
Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de Alimentos
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• Soacha
A city of displaced Colombians
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(images of Soacha - click here >>)

• Teofilo Vasquez
Sociologist, CINEP, National Center for Research and Popular Education (Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular)
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• U S A Embassy
WHAT! They're hard at work for us?
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Cauca Meetings

• ASFADDES
Association for the Families of the Detained and Disappeared
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• CSPP - Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners
Comite de Solidaridad con los Presos Politicos
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• CRIC - Regional Indigenous Council of Caucas
Consejo Regional Indigeno del Cauca
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• CUT - United Confederation of Workers
Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia
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• FUNDECIMA
Integral Commission for the Colombian Macizo
Comite de Integracion del Macizo Colombiano
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• Henry Caballero
Peace Counselor for Department of Cauca
Cabinet position under Governor Floro Tunubala
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• Jose Hilario Lopez Infantry Battalion
Sign outside: "You may not be interested in the war, but the war is interested in you."
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• La Pedregosa
In the municipality of Cajibio, department of Cauca
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(images of Pedregosa - click here >>)

• Mayor who wished to remain anonymous
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• Marylen
Our accompaniment on our three day visit to the campo
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• School of Americas Watch DC

• Witness for Peace

• Coke Watch

• MnSOAW

• Dayton Pledge of Resistance

• Colombia Support Network

• Colombia Report

• Resource Center of the Americas

• Labor Unions to close the SOA