Context. Integrated Rural Reform. Political Participation. End of the Conflict. Solution to the problem of illicit drugs

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1 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, Your God reigns! Isaiah 52:7-8 Introduction Every year for the past twelve years, churches in North America, Colombia, and throughout the world have united to participate in the Days of Prayer and Action for Peace in Colombia (DOPA), mobilizing thousands of people of faith to pray in their churches, to meet in community, and to advocate publicly for peace in Colombia. For these times of prayer, we provide this packet of materials, which contains numerous liturgical resources for the celebration of DOPA 2017, including music, prayers, litanies, and reflections. Feel free to use whichever of the resources you wish and to organize the prayer activities as you like. 1

2 This is a guide, and we invite you to use your creativity in developing a variety of activities to raise awareness of the theme, and to mobilize people to send messages of peace for Colombia. You can join in the Days of Prayer and Action for Peace in Colombia, which will be carried out during the months of June and July This is a great opportunity to PRAY for peace in Colombia. This year, the celebration of DOPA will take place within the framework of ending the phase of cease-fire and laying down of arms on the part of the guerrilla group known as the FARC-EP. Even though conflict may continue in Colombia, for the churches it is important that at least one armed group will silence its rifles. We would be grateful if you would share with us your activities to promote this event, and when your activity is concluded, to write a short note relating when and how your congregation participated in DOPA this year. You can also share photos, videos, and messages on the DOPA Colombia Facebook page. Context The Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC-EP (the oldest and largest guerrilla group) persisted in a process of dialogue for over four years, and last November 24, 2016, both parts signed the final accord regarding six points on the previously agreed-on agenda: Integrated Rural Reform Political Participation End of the Conflict Solution to the problem of illicit drugs Agreement on the victims of the conflict Implementation, verification, and endorsement These points were covered in the Final accord for the end of the conflict and construction of a lasting and stable Peace, which was endorsed by Congress on the November 29, Both parties decided to submit the Final Accord for consideration to Congress, since they are the direct representatives of the Colombian people and have the power to ratify the accords and annex them to the Colombian Constitution. 2

3 The implementation of the general accord for the end of the conflict and construction of a lasting and stable peace has faced various challenges until now. One has been the slow progress of Congress in approving specific laws that are necessary to begin implementing each point of the accords. Recently, the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional the legal reforms that mobilize the Fast Track mechanism, which allows Congress to approve laws in an accelerated manner to facilitate the implementation of the peace accord. This essentially opens up the possibility that Congress can reject certain portions of the peace accord and puts at risk its implementation. The demobilization zones were agreed on by the Colombian government and the FARC with the purpose of complying with the bilateral cease-fire, end to hostilities, and laying down of arms. For laying down arms, both parties agreed on a timeline of 180 days counting from the endorsement of the general agreement by Congress; this period ends on June 1, There has also been a delay in relocating the FARC-EP in the demobilization zones, as a number of challenges have arisen related to the logistics required for sheltering ex-combatants, managing the food supply, spending time in the zones, as well as delays in handing over arms to the UN, among other things. Although the end of armed conflict between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP is an important advance in peace-building, confrontations with the ELN (the second largest Guerrilla group in the country) continue to be worrisome. On March 30, 2016, the Colombian government and the ELN began talks to end the conflict between them and eradicate violence. To now, the primary items for dialogue have been humanitarian measures and participation of civil society in the talks. The discussions around humanitarianism have included cease-fire and cessation of illegal activities on the part of the ELN, a pilot project for de-mining, and a request from the government that the ELN cease their practice of kidnapping civilians. In Colombia there is particular concern regarding situations of violence that persist in the rural areas and affect communities, churches, social organizations, and human rights organizations. Neo-paramilitary groups or new forms of paramilitarism have occupied and taken control of the territories evacuated by the FARC-EP, which implies heightened risk to communities present in these territories. 3

4 One expression of violence that has had a large impact has been the systematic assassination of community leaders and human rights defenders, as well as individuals who have been supporting the peace process with the FARC-EP. According to the national office of the Ombudsman, from January 1, 2016 to March 1, 2017, 156 social leaders and human rights defenders have been assassinated.(1) Meanwhile, civil society organizations have witnessed an increase in assassinations of human rights defenders since the beginning of the bilateral cease-fire. (2) Advocacy Declaration All things have their time, and everything under the sun has its hour. There is a time to say NO and a time to say YES, a time for war and a time for peace. (Inspired by the book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 the Bible) The religious sector in Colombia is not homogenously uniform. It does not speak with one united voice. Since 1991, the right to religious freedom is recognized constitutionally and today there is a plurality of faiths made up of religious organizations with distinct commitments; currently, there is not a single representative voice for this sector. In the midst of this plurality, we as churches, faith-based organizations, and ecclesial platforms with our histories, faith traditions, and theologies, have a clear voice for peace. For more than 30 years in Colombia, many of these churches have joined voices for peace in our country, recognizing the prolonged armed conflict and the distinct forms of violence that overwhelm the Colombian people. (1) Dderes-sociales-y-defensores-de-derechos-humanos-han-sido-a sinados-en-los-%c3%baltimos-14-meses-defensor%c3%ada-defensor%c3%ada-del-pueblo-l%c3%adderes-sociales-defensor-del-pueblo-colombia-l%c3%adderes-sociales.htm (2)

5 Our vocation for peace has called us to the side of the victims. As churches and faith-based organizations, we have done the serious work of documenting violations of human rights against church members, committed by all the armed actors, including the national armed forces. We have done important work in providing psycho-pastoral attention, emergency aid, and judicial accompaniment. We have developed entrepreneurial and economic development initiatives. For 60 years, we have been witnesses to the realities of the armed conflict in many different regions of the country, due to our willingness to walk alongside our brothers and sisters who suffer in the territories, and because we, too, have been victims. In the midst of the intractability of the armed conflict, churches in different regions of the country have autonomously developed initiatives for peace, generating hope in their communities. And we walk not only with victims - we have also walked with those responsible for crimes and victimizations. We have been witnesses to the restorative measures that allow us to advance in recognition of the truth of what happened, to assume responsibility, to ask for forgiveness, and to take steps towards non-repetition. Things are happening in prisons and community spaces where ex-combatants, victims, and people unaffected by the conflict live and work together for their personal and social recovery. And the churches have played a role in facilitating these restorative processes, which are not easy, but demanding, personally, communally, and in the church. As churches, we do not renounce our vocation for peace, and we continue our labor, because we are called to a vocation beyond this particular one. We will not stop working and insisting so that the distinct actors in society contribute to truth, justice, and reparation, including the responsibility of actors in the religious sector and all those with responsibility in the armed conflict and its distinct forms of violence. We will not stop drawing attention to the importance of restorative justice as a serious mechanism that must be considered in order to have true processes of social and personal transformation. We do not allow these processes to be undervalued, and we offer voluntarily and generously our spaces, experience, and vocation to communities of victims and church organizations to advance in processes of good living with those who have caused us harm. 5

6 As churches and faith-based organization, we will maintain hope strengthened in the midst of uncertainty, without leaving behind our ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). We will insist until exhaustion that there is a need to facilitate dialogue, no matter how difficult or improbable it may be, and we make ourselves available to decrease the gaps that separate us, without renouncing our principles and call. Equally, we maintain an attitude of prayer and of community discernment so that God guides us and continues to provide us with wisdom so that it is possible to end the armed conflict and for us to continue on the paths of peace building. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34: 14 Jenny Neme, Member of the Colombian Mennonite Church, Director of Justapaz Presentation made on November 29, 2016 in the Plenary of the Senate of the Republic of Colombia in the debate to ratify the accords between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP Biblical reflection All people at different stages and different moments of life seek spaces of welcome, healing spaces, spaces of acceptance, inclusion, and transformation. Political violence, delinquency, invisibility, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and poverty are some of the sources of stress, isolation, and trauma present in the realities of the Colombian people. At this time, Colombia is experiencing a peace process, where the reintegration of ex-combatants in civil society is fiat accompli. The role of spaces, circles, and groups as instruments of the welcoming and transforming love of God is very pertinent, both in times of peace and in times of peace-building. We remember the biblical text of 2 Corinthians 1:4 which says: He consoles us in our suffering that we may console those who suffer, giving them the same comfort that he has give us. Hospitality is an essential practice and value in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, as a lifestyle and as teaching. Hospitality, understood as unconditional welcome of the most needy, is an act of unconditional love. 6

7 In fact, throughout the New Testament, much emphasis is given to the Greek concept of philoxenia, defined as love of the stranger. Philoxenia is more than just tolerating the other, without loving her or him; it is desiring his or her good. Xenos, which means strange as well as stranger, refers to the foreigner, the immigrant, and the exiled. It can be attributed to any human being who is a stranger, who needs welcoming in a strange land. This word is also the root of the term Xenophobia, which means rejection of the stranger, the foreigner. In diverse parables and teachings of Jesus, one finds reference to the responsibility to welcome others and offer them a home. Luke 10:38-42 Jesus is on the road and is received in a home, the home of his friends. He rests and is served and welcomed. He takes advantage of the friendly atmosphere to teach with love. The women, Martha and Mary, have a special moment with the Teacher which gives us much to reflect on. In that home, Mary and Martha experience conviction and special strength. Martha and Mary each have a distinctive way of welcoming and showing hospitality to Jesus. Martha does this through her concrete responsibilities as lady of the house, from the starting point of what is normal, that is, the norms of hospitality and welcome; she is a symbol of those in society who believe that everything is solved by fulfilling one s duty. Thus the criteria for judging the behavior of others is simply to determine whether or not they have done their duty. Mary also fulfills the custom of welcome and hospitality, but she does it in a very different way, with a novel attitude born from her heart. She is attentive to the presence of the other, in this case Jesus, by sitting by his side, listening to him, and offering him a personal relationship; but she does this outside of the social norm, what is legal or cultural. In doing so, Mary chooses the better way, breaking with tradition. She acts from what is human, from what is closeness, from what is a posture of listening and seeing the needs of the other, which were also her own needs. It is important to note that Jesus does not judge Martha, as sometimes is believed, but rather invites her to see, hear, and listen for new ways of relating a welcome that humanizes, where BEING is more important than DOING. The call of the Spirit, the Ruah, is to be welcomed, to give welcome, and to offer peace to people who come from different spaces as a prelude to the path of reconciliation in Colombia, which has taken on this peace process, where government and guerrillas have decided to put an end to the armed conflict. Alix Lozano, Pastor and Theologian, Mennonite, Colombian. Co-founder of the Ecumenical Women s Group of Peace-Builders (GemPaz) 7

8 Suggested prayers PRAYER FOR PEACE God of life, God of hope, God of justice, God of peace, Our voices today unite in one cry, A cry born from the depths of the heart Of a humanity and creation wounded by war That asks you to accompany our history And knock down barriers that separate us so that Dialogues may come about that take us to peace. God of life, God of hope, God of justice, Our hands, our emotions And all that we are Unites in one dream of love To walk with all those Who suffer in our world and who, Through processes of Resistance, create peace. Come Lord, fill us with your strength and Carry us in your arms when Our feet can no longer walk. Come Lord. Inter-faith Dialogue for Peace Peacebuilders in Prayer Liturgy, page 86. 8

9 CRY FOR PEACE Leader: God, fount of life, we are here to bring to our memory the images of a mother crying before the cross for the death of her son Jesus. Community: God, hear the cry of the mothers seeking justice for the victims of violence in Colombia. Leader: God, creator of all that we see, we are here to remember the children who are victims of the war. Community: God sees the pain of the people forced to leave their land, abandon their families, their culture, and live facing the indifference of their government. Leader: God of justice, we are here to ask on behalf of all those who are persecuted by unjust policies. Community: God hears the urgent call of the mothers for the displaced to be able to return to their lands and enjoy them. Leader: God of mercy, we are here to ask you, as Jesus did on the cross, that your solidarity and redemption reach the millions of people seeking their loved ones, the disappeared. All: Lord, come walk with the mothers, with the fathers, with the brothers, and with each family member longing to recover the bodies of their loved ones to give them rest on this earth. Amen. 9 Inter-faith Dialogue for Peace Peacebuilders in Prayer Liturgy, page 85

10 PRAYER FOR PEACE (Pope Francis I) Lord God, hear our prayer We have tried many times and for many years To resolve our conflicts with our own strength, And also with our weapons; So many moments of hostility and darkness; So much blood spilled, so many lives destroyed, So many hopes brought down But our efforts have been in vain. Now, Lord, help us. Give us your peace, teach us your peace, and guide us towards peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: No more war, ever! In war, all is destroyed. Infuse in us the courage to carry out concrete actions to build peace. Lord, God of Abraham and the Prophets, God of love who has created us and who calls us to live as brothers, Give us strength to be everyday artisans of peace, Give us the capacity to see with benevolence Every brother we find in our path. Make us available to listen to the clamor of our citizens, Who ask us to transform our weapons into instruments of peace, Our fears into trust, and our tensions into forgiveness. Keep lit in us the flame of hope To take with patient perseverance options for dialogue and reconciliation, So that finally peace may triumph. And may from the heart of every man be banished these words: Division, hate, war. Lord, unarm the tongue and the hands, Renew hearts and minds, So that the word that takes us to each encounter be always Brother And our lifestyle be converted to peace, shalom, paz, salam. Amen. 10

11 Suggested Song Our Father of the Martyrs Our Father of the poor and the marginalized Our Father of the martyrs and the tortured Your name is sanctified in whoever dies to defend life; Your name is glorified when justice is our measure. Your kingdom is one of freedom, of fraternity, peace and communion. Cursed be all violence that devours humankind with repression. Oh Oh Oh May your will be done, you are the true liberator God. We will not follow the doctrines concocted by the oppressive power. We ask for the bread of life, the bread of hope, the bread of the poor; The bread that brings humanity and restores humankind rather than cannons. Oh Oh Oh Forgive us when because of fear we remain quiet before death; Forgive and destroy the rule of corruption as the strongest law. Protect us from wickedness, from the domineering and the murderers; Our revolutionary Father God, Brother of the poor, God of the oppressed. Oh Oh Oh Listen to the song at: 11

12 Symbolic act of reconciliation (Group activity) In the center of the space, place a container with papers and pens or pencils, to write those things for which we want to ask God s forgiveness before the community or even ask the community for forgiveness. While playing soft background music, or while someone plays a native instrument, participants write on the papers and put them in the container with water, where they are transformed, and what is written is erased, as a symbol of the change that is produced when we recognize our errors, repent, and receive forgiveness. Upon finishing the exercise of writing, you may invite that those who wish to publicly express their requests for forgiveness, then inviting the group to express forgiveness and reconciliation. Inter-faith Dialogue for Peace Peacebuilders in Prayer Liturgy, page 77 Prayer Request 1) We call on churches, organizations, and individuals to continue surrounding in prayer the different peace initiatives that have been developed in Colombia, and to continue surrounding in prayer the most vulnerable communities of the conflict, since recent situations ring alarm bells in the midst of the implementation of the peace accords with the FARC-EP guerrilla group. A- We are thankful and hopeful for the finalization of the 180-day phase agreed upon between the government and the FARC-EP for surrendering their arms and regrouping guerrilla members in the temporary normalization zones. B- We express our concern that there be complete compliance with the accords as they were signed by the government and FARC-EP. There should also be guarantees in place so that the process which has been developed can continue on. 12

13 C- Recently, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling that puts the brakes on the implementation of the accords via the Fast Track legislative mechanism, allowing congress to modify what was already agreed upon by both parties in the accord. We especially ask that the government, congress, and the Constitutional Court have the wisdom to find the best way to comply with the signed accord. For more information in Spanish: mentacion-del-acuerdo-final-csivi comunicado%2017%20de%20mayo%20de% pdf 2) We pray for the initial stage of dialogues with the ELN guerrilla group happening in Quito, Ecuador, where the Colombia government is seeking a negotiated end to the conflict with this group, which would reduce the violence in which the country has been immersed. Pray that the ELN as well as the government embrace this opportunity to cease using arms and to begin a process of peacebuilding. For more information in Spanish: co/dialagos-eln/paginas/noticias/octubre/titulares.aspx 3) We ask for special accompaniment to situations of violence that the regions of Bajo Cauca, Chocó Department, and the municipality of Buenaventura are experiencing and that are affecting the communities and churches who have been developing peace building and reconciliation initiatives in their territories. For more information in Spanish: 4) Please pray for human rights defenders, as well as leaders of organizations, churches, and local communities being targeted with threats and assassinations. One of the greatest challenges in the midst of a context of peace negotiations is the protection of civil society, especially for those who support the implementation of the peace accords. For more information in Spanish: durante-2016.html 5) We ask for prayers for communities in the Magdalena Medio region that Justapaz has been accompanying, for their work on receiving recognition for their rights to their land, and for their calling to take actions that come from a place peacebuilding and non-violence. For more information in Spanish: 13

14 Advocacy Messages As churches and faith-based organizations in Colombia, we call on members of the United Nations Security Council to continue supporting and backing the implementation of the peace accords between the government and the FARC-EP. Additionally, we ask that they consider reducing the military component of the political mission in Colombia The mission should include experts in specific topics, and should not include a continuing military presence. It is vitally important that political and economic support from different governments and organizations of international cooperation supporting the implementation of the accords include support for civil society and not just for the Colombian government and the United Nations, understanding that civil society organizations are committed to watching over compliance with peace accords and in providing oversight of the process of implementation. We courteously ask that the cooperating agencies of the government of the United States focus their efforts on peacebuilding and reconciliation initiatives, and not on continuing to strengthen military efforts in Colombia. We call on different countries who are making economic contributions towards the implementation of the peace accord between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP to closely oversee those contributions, so that they are used correctly for the complete implementation of the peace accords. 14

15 We especially invite you to write letters to the Colombian embassies in different countries showing support and backing for the implementation of the peace accord signed between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP. It is important to give both continuity and guidance to the complete implementation of said accord and to express concern about the modification of the accords by the Congress of the Republic, in accordance with the Constitutional Court s ruling (see example letter attached). It is vitally important to spread among churches and social organizations oversight reports and progress made on ending the conflict and the ceasefire, which are being produced periodically by civil society. On June 1, 2017, DIPAZ (Inter-ecclesial Dialogue for Peace) will publish a report on the main elements of the work of oversight, including the main process made identified in the territory. (For more information in Spanish: 15 It is important to educate civil society, churches, and national and international organizations about the fact that the armed conflict persists in Colombia, despite the process of implementing the accord with the FARC-EP. Confrontations continue between the public forces and the ELN. Additionally, there continues to be paramilitary activity, which puts at risk the implementation of the accord with the FARC-EP, as well as the risk represented by the actions taken by said groups against the life and integrity of human rights defenders as well as leaders of organizations, churches, and communities in the territory. The Mennonite Central Committee Advocacy office in Washington invites you to sign an Action Alert, recognising that the United States has an important role in supporting the full implementation of the peace accords in Colombia. Tell your members of Congress to fully support lasting peace, truth and justice in Colombia with development focused assistance and diplomatic engagement. To read the entire Action Alert and to sign it, follow this link

16 City, Day/ Month/ Year. Attached To whom it may concern. Dear members of Colombia's Embassy in City/Country. We cordially and respectfully reach out to you in a special manner to request your continued accompaniment and monitoring of the various peace initiatives that have been developed in Colombia, especially in the process of the implementation of the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP rebel group. It is of upmost importance to continue to surround the most vulnerable communities affected by the conflict in the country, particularly now that alarming situations have been arising in the midst of the implementation of the peace agreement with the FARC-EP. For this reason: A. We express our deep concerns regarding the risks involved in the failure to fulfill the peace agreement as it was negotiated and signed by the two parties. Guarantees are necessary in order to continue the ongoing implementation process. B. Recently, the Supreme Court of Colombia ruled against Congress carrying out the implementation of the agreements via fast track which would open a loophole that would allow congressmen and women to make changes to the agreement that was already signed by the Government and the FARC-EP. We call on to the Colombian Government, the Congress, and the Supreme Court to find the appropriate way to continue implementing the agreement as it was intended. We highlight the importance to continue supporting and promoting the implementation of the peace agreement signed by the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP in a holistic manner, respecting the commitments made by each party as they implement each point on the agenda. It is highly important to continue implementing the peace agreement with the FARC-EP, as we express our concern regarding the possibility for Congress to modify the original agreement, leaving it without legitimacy and integrity of the points that were already discussed. As an international community it is our responsibility to continue to stand with our partners in Colombia as they monitor the implementation of the agreements. Kind Regards Full Name/ ID number (Download this letter PDF version in justapaz.org) 16 Pack materials made by Justapaz Vector - Freepik