Witness For Peace Colombia alert

[mom cat]

Witness For Peace Colombia alert
(Although a number of dates listed in this alert have already passed, there are still other things listed that can be done. It is particularly important to block the passage of more military aid to Colombia without a real change in the human rights situation there.)

June 15, 2005

Dear Witness for Peace Colombia advocates,

With a Colombia vote the week of June 27, I'm hard pressed to communicate
the urgency and importance of legislative pressure at this time.

Peace is Possible in Colombia, but not through more "fuel for the fire."
Later this month Congress will vote on the administration's request for $742
million to renew Plan Colombia in 2006. But time is up for Plan Colombia,
and we reject additional funding for futile military strategies. Urge your
members of Congress to support amendments cutting military spending for
Colombia. Make this call to create an opening for peace before June 27.
Let's make Witness for Peace leaders in local efforts!

In this message: Colombia flash-movie release, a letter from Colombia, a
legislative update, and Days of Action (June 20-24).

1. PEACE IN COLOMBIA FLASH-MOVIE JUST RELEASED!
Featuring images illustrating Plan Colombia failure, words from peace church
leader Ricardo Esquivia, and YOU, the video makes it easy to share about
U.S. involvement in Colombia and contact your members of Congress.
Check it out! http://www.peaceincolombia.org/colombiafinal.html

2. LETTER FROM COLOMBIA
"The military aid sent to the Colombian government by the U.S. government
through the so-called "Plan Colombia" has been more than throwing kindling
on the fire. It's been like gasoline enflaming the fire that consumes the
Colombian society, prolonging and multiplying its lethal effects. (Plan
Colombia funding) has not helped to stop the war, but rather has contributed
to its growth." Ricardo Esquivia and Peter Stucky, Colombian Protestant,
Mennonite church leaders. Read more of this letter from these Witness for
Peace partners at http://go.sojo.net/campaign/peaceincolombia/explanation

3. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
The vote is expected in the House of Representatives the week of June 27 as
the foreign operations appropriations bill reaches the floor. Rep. Jim
McGovern (D-MA) will offer an amendment to the bill that will cut military
aid to Colombia. Only a handful of world affairs are debated when the
foreign operations bill comes up each year, so it is significant that
Colombia is one of them. Through continuous opposition to Plan Colombia, we
have achieved our goal of making Colombia policy a controversial issue in
Congress!

The foreign operations budget this year is under pressure due to the
enormous expenditures of the Iraq war, and we have a better chance than
usual this year at cutting military aid. See www.lawg.org
<http://www.lawg.org/> and click on "Rethinking Plan
Colombia" for more background information.
Call your Representative and ask him or her to vote YES to any amendment
cutting military aid to Colombia. A sample script and talking points are
available at http://www.peaceincolombia.org/callscript.htm


4. DAYS OF ACTION: Five days of Action for five years of Plan Colombia.

June 20-24 Action Days for Colombia
5 days of Action for 5 years of failed Plan Colombia
Resources available at http://www.peaceincolombia.org

Monday, June 20: Fax and Movie
Promote the flash-movie to all your networks! Send a faxed message to your
representative asking him/her to cut military aid to Colombia. Send the
movie link to friends!

Tuesday, June 21: Media Day
Make the realities of US involvement in Colombia public! Use our sample
letter to the editor and send to your local paper. See
www.peaceincolombia.org <http://www.peaceincolombia.org/>

Wednesday, June 22: Phone a Friend
Talk to two friends about the importance of opposing "Plan Colombia II"
and then triple the impact of Thursday's Call in Day by helping them contact
Congress.

Thursday, June 23: CALL-IN DAY 202-224-3121
Call your representative to tell him/her to vote YES on amendments that
cut U.S. military aid to Colombia, or that transfer military assistance to
social aid. Remember, congressional offices are sensitive to calls (more so
than emails) from constituents, which makes this action very important. Go
to
http://www.peaceincolombia.org/callscript.htm for a sample script and
talking points.

Friday, June 24: Solidarity Actions
Show solidarity with the Colombian people by lighting a candle for
peace, chalking your sidewalk, or sharing your knowledge and experience
of Colombia with your church and community. Take pictures and spread
the word!

And, GET FREE 'PEACE COFFEE' that supports an end to violence in
Colombia! The first 100 people to report back on the actions that they took
during the week will receive a free sample of fair trade coffee produced by
the Nasa in Cauca, Colombia. You may have visited Nasa communities on a
Witness for Peace delegation. https://www.peacecoffee.com/

This is our chance to influence the course of U.S./Colombia policy. Let me
know how your members of Congress plan to vote and about local organizing.
And please contact me if we can help you in any way. Thanks for stepping up
your heartfelt work!

Janna Bowman<[e-mail]>

[Judi Lynn]

1. Thanks, mom cat. Appreciate the convenient chance to contact

my Senators and Representative. They really need to hear from everyone who cares about this unbelievable catastrophe.

If it doesn't get covered in our media, most people don't hear about it. Wrong choices have been made steadily about what has been happening right in our own hemisphere, with our own taxes, and in many cases COMPLETELY contrary to our real values.

[mom cat]

2. I get really needs more attention at DU also. I sure hope that more

DUers find out about this important topic. I'm not sure I'd know how to get it front and center. Any ideas?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Almost all the vile things our right-wing Presidents have done

in Latin American have been well concealed until it's far too late to do anything about them, as in the lengthy plotting and scheming done by Nixon and Kissinger against Salvador Allende, going back to his political campaign for Chile's Presidency.

They were absolutely hate-driven, and way out of bounds, as you know, in their underhanded, immoral manipulation and treachery against the Chilean peoples' elected President.

Looks like the only thing that wakes people up is simply mysterious. Our own media have BURIED almost any useful information about any of these covert, unacknowledged acts of aggression against human beings right here in our own hemisphere, on behalf of our right-wing idiots.

Posting all stories pertaining to Colombia, and all our HUGE funding, right behind Israel and Egypt, and secretive arming of fascist President Uribe's goon squads may have an accumulative effect. Can always hope!

He doesn't have Colombians' interests at heart, and his pal, _{George W. Bush} is right there with him.

[mom cat]

4. Amen!