colombia

Accompaniment is a Delicate Beast

Oct 22, 2011 | ,

By Gina Spigarelli When Isaac came from Bogotá for a week to work with us and visit his old stomping grounds of La Union, our normal routine changed. We talked about things happening far away from the peace community on the hill and we spent time hanging out in houses...

The Fifth Commandment

Sep 22, 2011 |

By John Lindsay-Poland Thursday, September 22, 2011, 6:39pm by María Elvira Bonilla Although the struggle to recognize conscientious objectors and put an end to the Colombian military’s illegal recruitment practices, is gaining ground and visibility, these practices...

Respecting Students: Will the Army Obey the Law?

Sep 22, 2011 |

By Liza Smith Thursday, September 22, 2011, 6:41pm August 24. It was a routine recruitment appointment in Medellín, meaning that young men with a pre-assigned number showed up to resolve their military status. A number of them arrived with a certificate of exemption —...

The land you love

Sep 6, 2011 | ,

By Liza Smith  This is a picture of the land I love. It is a piece of land in Colorado where I’ve gone every summer for the last quarter-century — most of my life — and I would be devastated if it were taken away from me. In Colombia, many people also have a deep...

Homecomings to Far Away Places

Aug 25, 2011 | ,

By Liza Smith Foristas in front of the new La Union library What does it mean to be connected to a place that is not your own, to people who are strange and different from you, to a way of life that will never be yours? We pondered these questions over the last two...

The Power of Granting Forgiveness

Aug 4, 2011 | ,

By Susana Pimiento April 9th marked the seventeenth anniversary of the killing of Manuel Cepeda Vargas, a Colombian Senator with the left-wing political party Union Patriotica (UP). For the first time, this year there was formal recognition of the wrong that occurred...