{news} Fw: Help for Needed Colombia Activists' Tour

[Charlie Pillsbury]

Help for Needed Colombia Activists' Tour
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Stephen Kobasa 
To: Recipient List Suppressed: 
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:54 PM
Subject: Help for Needed Colombia Activists' Tour


Friends...The U.S. Office on Colombia is a non-profit in Washington that is working to protect human rights in Colombia and insist on a U.S. policy in Colombia that supports peace and justice instead of sending billions of dollars to an abusive military.


Every year, USOC brings peace and justice workers from Colombia to the US to speak to audiences about the situation in their country and the role of US foreign policy. This year's tour involves  two speakers, Isabel Ortiz from a women's rights organization and Jenny Neme, co-Director of Justapaz, a justice and peace organization that is a ministry of the Colombian Mennonite Church. Further details of the tour included below.



USOC is hoping to set up activities for these great speakers in parts of CT approximately Feb 24-26. They are trying to hit specific congressional districts on this tour to influence the votes in Congress on this issue.
The two districts they plan to  focus on in CT are Nancy Johnson's district (Danbury, New Britain, Waterbury, Torrington, Meriden)  and Christopher Shays' district (Stamford, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Trumbull).


Annyone on this list who would be interested and willing to help them set up speaking engagements in any of those locations is asked to contact me as soon aspossible at <skobasa at snet.net>. I would also appreciate having the names of other possible contacts whom you might want to suggest.


in peace, Stephen








U.S. Office on Colombia
connecting civil society to policymakers                                                   

 Announces Tour to Connecticut and Pennsylvania!

Colombians Tell Their Story:
The Real Impact of War and U.S. Foreign Policy

February 18-27, 2005

Sponsored by the U.S. Office on Colombia

The US Office on Colombia is proud to sponsor a tour, featuring Jenny Neme and Isabel Ortiz of Colombia, which will visit Connecticut and Pennsylvania.  Ms. Neme, the co-Director of Justapaz, a Colombian Mennonite justice and peace organization, and Ms. Ortiz, founder and director of Women and Future, come to the United States to address the impact of Colombia's war on churches, children and women as well as the role of U.S. policy.

Join us in
Pennsylvania
and
Connecticut

The speakers will draw on their first-hand experience and expertise to discuss the armed conflict in Colombia and the impact of U.S. policy. The presentations will be in Spanish with English translation provided.

For decades left-wing guerrillas and pro-government paramilitaries have assassinated, kidnapped, tortured and displaced civilians in Colombia. According to the State Department, the Colombian Armed Forces actively collaborate with the paramilitary groups. Yet the U.S. government has provided Colombia with over $3 billion in mostly military and police aid since 2000. During that time the violence has continued - with over one million more people displaced from their homes - and the amount of drugs reaching the our shores has remained unchanged. Yet last year President Bush and Congress doubled the number of U.S. military personnel authorized for deployment in Colombia and are set to consider sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Colombia's security forces again this year.


USOC is a Washington-based non-governmental organization dedicated to educating the public, Congress and the media about the impact of U.S. policy in Colombia.
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