Thank you from Colombia

Our partners in the churches, communities of displaced persons, educational institutions and other social organizations concerned with justice and human rights, have sent a word of thanks.

To the Churches, Ecumenical Organizations, and Human Rights Groups in Solidarity with Colombia in the United States:

Brothers and sisters and friends:
 
We greet you with much happiness and with many thanks for your solidarity with the Colombian people and for your support of the persons and communities who are suffering from violence in our country.
 
We would like to share that during the weekend of April 16-19, 2010, we have been participating with you in the Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia that you have been promoting for the past five years.  Participating in these Days of Prayer and Action together with you makes us feel that we are not alone in our hopes, in the work that we are doing to support victims of violence, and in the search for peace in our country.  For this reason, as our churches, communities of displaced persons, and educational institutions have been in a prayer, we thank you for all the work of solidarity that you all have undertaken in the United States in support of displaced persons, victims of the violence and violations of human rights and for changing the policies of your government that do not contribute to the peace of our country.

In this spirit of unity, prayer, and gratitude to God for your support and accompaniment, we encourage you and urge you not to be faint in your work, for we need to strengthen the work of advocacy before your government and Congress to support the victims in the search for truth, justice, and reparation.  Working together, in our country we can achieve peace through dialogue and political negotiation and not continue current policies focused on military aid – now with the added use of Colombian military bases by the Armed Forces of the United States.

Based on our biblical formation we believe that "peace is the fruit of justice" and we believe that through the church God is calling us to be builders of peace in the example of Jesus.  For this reason, we ask that the Spirit of God strengthen our work together so that we may maintain our united voices and actions in the clamor for justice and peace in our country of Colombia.

Presbyterians have been involved in ministry with the people of Colombia for over 150 years.

Called to Colombia, the blog of Presbyterian Mission Co-workers Mamie Broadhurst and Richard Williams, provides up-to-date information on the situation in Colombia and the ministry of the churches following Jesus Christ.