wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Colombia: coffee, drugs and solidarity fatigue

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>World Council of Churches - News

COLOMBIA: COFFEE, DRUGS AND SOLIDARITY FATIGUE

>For immediate release: 29 June 2010

Solidarity fatigue is one of the main obstacles faced by Colombian  civil
society organizations struggling to find a resolution to the country's
40-year long internal armed conflict, an ecumenical gathering has  been
told. Participants also heard a renewed call to action.

"For many, Colombia equals coffee and drugs", said Presbyterian  theologian
Milton Mejía. Those stereotypes are compounded by a decades-long  internal
armed conflict that "seems to be worsening constantly", Mejía  added, the
result being "a widespread loss of interest and fatigue".

According to Mejía, who coordinates the Observatory of Church  and Society
at the Reformed University of Barranquilla, this solidarity fatigue
affects even international organizations towards which Colombians  turn for
support. As a consequence, Colombians face difficulties when trying  to
explain the extent and urgency of the humanitarian crisis in their
country.

However, Mejía made a plea for support to initiatives like  the Ethical
Truth Commission (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=9101a6feaf1476d2483c ),  aimed
at protecting the rights and collective memory of the victims of  state
crimes. He also asked for the implementation of an accompaniment  programme
modelled on the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine  Israel
(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=99145dc1487b39353aef  ).

Mejía spoke at a hearing session of the World Council of Churches  (WCC)
Global Ecumenical Network on Migration, which is holding its annual
meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 24-30 June. The session focused  on what
ecumenical organizations in Colombia have labelled as the worst
humanitarian crisis of the Americas and one of the most serious  in the
world.

According to government statistics, 3.2 million Colombians have  been forced
from their homes by the violence, but non-governmental organizations  raise
that figure to 4.6 million. In 2008 the UN High Commissioner for  Refugees
had estimated in 552,000 the number of Colombians seeking refuge  in other
countries.

In a context where the internal armed conflict involves the military,  rebel
groups, drug-traffickers and paramilitaries, Colombian churches  and
ecumenical organizations label the country's situation as marked  by an
ethical crisis.

"There is an inversion of basic values in society", said Mejía.  "A culture
of lawlessness has been established; any means can be used to achieve
goals; victims are portrayed as guilty and perpetrators made to  look like
heroes", he added.

According to Mejía, the government's propaganda machine downplays  the
armed conflict for the benefit of business while it demonizes political
opposition, human rights defenders and judges who investigate crimes  by
the paramilitary. "We are all labelled as sympathizers or advocates  of
terrorism - or useful idiots", said Mejía.

However, Mejía highlighted the fact that communities and social
organizations "offer resistance to this logic and try to build
alternatives". Even if "sometimes the dream of building a better  future
seems to be a nightmare", he added, "we keep working to achieve  truth,
justice and reparations".

>Next year in Colombia

The WCC Global Ecumenical Network on Migration will hold its 2011  meeting
in Colombia. "It will be a concrete sign of solidarity with the  churches
and the affected population", said Sydia Nduna, WCC programme executive
for Migration and Social Justice, speaking on behalf of the GEM.

According to Nduna, participants coming from abroad will have the
opportunity to interact with the local churches. They will hold
consultative and advocacy-focused meetings with government officials,
church leaders and civil society organizations.

A three-day public hearing on conflict situations worldwide will  be
followed by visits to camps of internally displaced people and refugee
camps at the borders with Ecuador and Venezuela.

Between now and the GEM hearing and meeting next year in Colombia,  added
Nduna, it is expected that any WCC-led initiative on the country  will take
into account the humanitarian crisis and the migration perspective.

Among the ecumenical partners working together in Colombia are the  WCC, the
Latin American Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, the Colombian  Ecumenical
Network, the Inter-Church Commission on Justice and Peace, and the  Latin
American Network for Migration.

Listen to Milton Mejía's theological reflection on the Colombian  crisis,
its background, impact and humanitarian impact (in Spanish)
(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=199462a2a690118a825a  )

Global Ecumenical Network on Migration (Link:

http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=99e04f2571dfd94e1144 )

WCC member churches in Colombia (Link:

http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=8658e827084b4ba0c979 )

WCC Executive Committee calls for a peaceful resolution of the Colombian
conflict (26 February 2010) (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=4900f9f8b37a458ffb80
)

WCC Living Letters visit to Colombia (December 2008) (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=4700d5a83ab979b93416 )

Colombia Ethical Truth Commission (in Spanish) (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=224f9d9978c069eea666 )

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,  witness and 
service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship  of churches 
founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant,
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560  million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the  Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse  Tveit, from 
the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.