IFOR meets with Peace Comunity reps in Geneva / IFOR rencontre les représentants de la Communauté de Paix à Genève / IFOR recibe a los representantes de la Comunidad de la Paz en Ginebra

#nonviolence #HumanRights #PeaceCommunity

International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR had the privilege to welcome to its office in Geneva on Monday October 10th -at the Ecumenical Center- two representatives of the Comunidad de Paz San José de Apartadó.

The Peace Community is a great 25 yrs outstanding practice of nonviolent resistance in a highly violent context.

Accompanied by the former director of Red Internacional de Derechos Humanos, IFOR's guests presented the ongoing concerning situation that the Peace Community faces on a daily basis in #Colombia.

The meeting has been an opportunity for further planning on solidarity actions in continuity with IFOR supporting initiatives.

IFOR has also shared this visiting opportunity with other partner organizations in Geneva such as Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII.

IFOR's Main Representative, Zaira Zafarana, with the visiting guests of the CdP, Sayda Arteaga Guerra and Roviro Lopez Rivera and RIDHI Ramon Munoz in IFOR office.

Ecumenical Center in Geneva, headquarter of World Council of Churches, where the IFOR office is located in Geneva

IFOR's guests together with the Main representative of Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII at the UN.

You are welcome to share on social media.

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#non-violence #droits de l'homme #communauté de paix
Le Mouvement International de la Réconciliation - MIR a eu le privilège d'accueillir dans ses bureaux à Genève le lundi 10 octobre - au Centre Oecuménique - deux représentants de la Comunidad de Paz San José de Apartadó.
Accompagnés de l'ancien directeur de Red Internacional de Derechos Humanos, les invités d'IFOR ont présenté la situation préoccupante à laquelle la Communauté de Paix doit faire face quotidiennement en Colombie.
La réunion a été l'occasion de planifier des actions de solidarité dans la continuité des initiatives soutenues par IFOR.
L'IFOR a également partagé cette opportunité de visite avec d'autres organisations partenaires à Genève, comme l'Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII.

Zaira Zafarana, représentante principale d'IFOR, avec les invités du CdP, Sayda Arteaga Guerra et Roviro Lopez Rivera et RIDHI Ramon Munoz dans les bureaux d'IFOR.

Centre oecuménique de Genève, siège du Conseil oecuménique des Eglises, où se trouve le bureau d'IFOR à Genève.

Les invités d'IFOR avec le représentant principal de l'Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII à l'ONU.

https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFellowshipofReconciliation

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#noviolencia #DerechosHumanos #ComunidadDePaz
International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR tuvo el privilegio de recibir en su oficina de Ginebra el lunes 10 de octubre -en el Centro Ecuménico- a dos representantes de la Comunidad de Paz San José de Apartadó.
La Comunidad de Paz es una gran práctica de 25 años de resistencia no violenta en un contexto altamente violento.
Acompañados por el ex director de la Red Internacional de Derechos Humanos, los invitados de IFOR expusieron la preocupante situación que la Comunidad de Paz enfrenta cada día en #Colombia.
El encuentro ha sido una oportunidad para seguir planificando acciones de solidaridad en continuidad con las iniciativas de apoyo de IFOR.
IFOR también ha compartido esta oportunidad de visita con otras organizaciones asociadas en Ginebra como la Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII.

La Representante Principal de IFOR, Zaira Zafarana, con los invitados de la CdP, Sayda Arteaga Guerra y Roviro Lopez Rivera y RIDHI Ramon Munoz en la oficina de IFOR.

Centro Ecuménico de Ginebra, sede del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, donde se encuentra la oficina de IFOR en Ginebra

Los invitados de IFOR junto con el representante principal de la Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII en la ONU.

Puedes compartirlo en las redes sociales.

WEBINAR #3 "PEACE EFFORTS IN COLOMBIA: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES"

IFOR-International Fellowship of Reconciliation, together with FOR Peace Presence and FOR Austria, is pleased to invite you to the

WEBINAR #3 of the ANNIVERSARY WEBINAR SERIES

“20 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL ACCOMPANIMENT IN COLOMBIA”

May 7th 2022 at 5pm CEST on Zoom

International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR, together with its branch IFOR Austria - VersöhnungsbundPeace Presence and its affiliate Peace Presence, is pleased to invite you to the webinar #3 "Peace efforts in Colombia: current challenges and opportunities" of the ANNIVERSARY WEBINAR SERIES.

The webinar is scheduled for May 7th 2022 at 5pm CEST.

This webinar #3 will focus on ongoing peace work highlighting challenges and opportunities and will present specific peace building experiences such as the peace community peace Comunidad De Paz San José De Apartadó and the humanitarian space Espacio Humanitario Puente Nayero and other local experiences with the participation of IFOR Swedish branch Kristna Fredsrörelsen, Swefor.

Our main speakers will be:

- Jose Roviro Lopez, Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado

- Nhora Isabel Castillo, Humanitarian Space Puente Nayero, Buenaventura

- Henry Alberto David, Life and Work Community La Balsita, Dabeiba

- Miriam Heins, SweFOR Choco Office Coordinator

- Irmgard Ehrenberger, FOR Austria

Moderators: Zaira Zafarana (IFOR), Manuel Müller (FOR PP), Michaela Soellinger (FOR Austria)

The webinar will provide more information on how to support such peace efforts and partner with local actors

Participating individuals and organizations will have the possibility to raise questions and engage in a direct exchange to explore opportunities to get involved and contribute to peace efforts in Colombia.

Register at bit.ly/20FORPP and participate!

The webinar will be in English and Spanish.

Share on Facebook here

Click here to read about webinar #1

Click here to read about webinar #2

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IFOR-International Fellowship of Reconciliation, 

junto con FOR Peace Presence y FOR Austria, se alegra de invitarle al 

WEBINAR #3 de la SERIE DE WEBINARIOS DEL ANIVERSARIO

Descarga el flyer aquí

"20 AÑOS DE ACOMPAÑAMIENTO INTERNACIONAL EN COLOMBIA"

7 de mayo de 2022 a las 5pm CEST en Zoom

International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR, junto con su rama IFOR Austria - VersöhnungsbundPeace Presence y su afiliado FOR Peace Presence, se complace en invitarle al webinar #3 "Esfuerzos de paz en Colombia: retos y oportunidades actuales" de la SERIE DE WEBINARIOS ANIVERSARIOS.
El webinar está programado para el 7 de mayo de 2022 a las 5pm CEST.
Este webinar #3 se centrará en el trabajo de paz actual destacando los retos y oportunidades y presentará experiencias específicas de construcción de paz como la comunidad de paz Comunidad De Paz San José De Apartadó y el espacio humanitario Espacio Humanitario Puente Nayero y otras experiencias locales con la participación de la rama sueca de IFOR Kristna Fredsrörelsen, Swefor.

Nuestros principales ponentes serán:
- José Roviro López, Comunidad de Paz de San José de Apartadó
- Nhora Isabel Castillo, Espacio Humanitario Puente Nayero, Buenaventura
- Henry Alberto David, Comunidad de Vida y Trabajo La Balsita, Dabeiba
- Miriam Heins, Coordinadora de la Oficina de SweFOR, Chocó
- Irmgard Ehrenberger, FOR Austria

Moderadores: Zaira Zafarana (IFOR), Manuel Müller (FOR PP), Michaela Soellinger (FOR Austria)

El seminario web proporcionará más información sobre cómo apoyar estos esfuerzos de paz y asociarse con los actores locales.
Las personas y organizaciones participantes tendrán la posibilidad de plantear preguntas y participar en un intercambio directo para explorar las oportunidades de involucrarse y contribuir a los esfuerzos de paz en Colombia.
Inscríbete en bit.ly/20FORPP ¡y participa!
El webinario será en inglés y español.

Comparte en Facebook aquí

Haga clic aquí para leer sobre el seminario web nº 1
Haga clic aquí para leer sobre el seminario web nº 2

25th anniversary of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó

“Let us all support each other, rescuing the values of humanity;

Let us all go forward, with affection and much love, with your and our loved ones, and all humanity;

All peasants farmers, let’s strengthen the peace community of peace, the peoples’ rights and freedom;”

On the 23rd of March 2022 in the Peace Community of San Joséde Apartadó, Peace Community members, former and current international, national accompaniers and friends who have been arriving at the main settlement of the Peace Community are woken up by the Peace Community’s hymn.

After the multifaceted “community” receives food at the Peace Community’s restaurant, members of five different embassies join the community. Without bodyguards, no arms nearby, accompanied by the Peace Community, international accompaniment groups, and guests, abiding to one of the Peace Community’s non-violent principles. No to armed protection, yes to community as protection.

Together, the group marches towards la Roncona, a piece of land the Peace Community has been working on since the beginnings. “For us, this is not just a piece of land, it has provided us with food, shelter, when we had to leave our land. It means live to us”, Peace Community members remember. The embassies and accompaniers plant trees, plant life at the Roncona.

The next stop is at the community’s cacao storage, where the declaration from 1997 is read. Community work and zero tolerance to human rights violations, resistance to impunity, have been two crucial principles of the Peace Community, which contributed to autonomy and international protection measures.

At the final stop under the palm roof of the Peace Community’s meeting place, experiences are shared, difficulties about surviving amidst continuing violence on a personal and a communal level. The Peace Community counts more than 300 members being assassinated and countless human rights violations have been reported. 25 years after its declaration, the Peace Community continues its nonviolent struggle, and is a vivid example that alternatives to violence are possible.

Michaela Sollinger

FOR Austria y FOR Peace Presence

Proyecto Colombia

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INSIGHTS

The International Fellowship of Reconciliation collaborates with the Peace Community and FOR Peace Presence to advocate for their rights and support their nonviolent resistance.

The joint collaboration has produced as well a written statement which has been submitted by IFOR to the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

This document, "Colombia: New Threats Against The Peace Community Of San Jose De Apartado On Its 25th Anniversary", has been received by the Secretary-General and has been circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. It has been registered officially on the UN website as A/HRC/49/NGO/239 and is available here.

Read here the dedicated oral statement that IFOR delivered at the UN Human Rights Council on the occasion of the Peace Community anniversary.

UN Geneva: IFOR Condemns Ongoing Attacks in Colombia

On March 22, during the general debate following the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' report on the situation of Human Rights in Colombia, IFOR delivered a statement that spoke to the experiences of its members in Colombia. 

IFOR Fellow Martina Lanza delivering IFOR comments during the High Commissioner's Report

The statement was delivered by IFOR Fellow Martina Lanza and it underlined our concern for the ongoing attacks against human rights defenders and on the militarization of the country, even after the peace accords. To read the full statement please click here. 

(video of the remarks can be viewed here).

IFOR has deep relationships with human rights defenders in Colombia. IFOR is represented in Colombia by SERPAJ-Colombia and IFOR branches from Sweden, Austria, U.S., and the U.K. work collaboratively to provide protective accompaniment to human rights defenders in several regions of the country. The coordinated work of IFOR Austria, U.S. and U.K. is organized as FOR Peace Presence. IFOR members have accompanied the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó for the past 15 years.