Sal y Luz in the Gustavus Adolphus Community


Knowledge is Power
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Keep Informed with Recent News Articles from the BBC...

BBC NewsThis link should allow users to access a list of recent news articles related to Colombia for information purposes. It is based on the key word search "Colombia" on the BBC News website. Visitors might also find the BBC's National Profile of Colombia useful.

The Official CIA World Factbook Online -- Colombia...CIA World Factbook

The World Factbook contains up to date detailed information on the nation of Colombia; economic, political, geographical, and social statistics and factual information are carefully sectioned and detailed for public knowledge. Each section contains links that compares that particular bit of information with that of all other nations of the world, as well, making cross-referencing easier.

Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church's Pan y Paz project...

Peace and Justice Support NetworkThis site is of the Mennonite Mission Network. The body of the site contains information about the conflict, mostly in relation to the efforts made by Mennonite groups and individuals. It is noted that $22,000 has been raised for the Pan y Paz movement towards peace in Columbia. Also included is a brief description of the conflict since Alvaro Uribe Velez was elected Columbia's president. The support given by the US government has been summed up very nicely, also. This document describes how dedicated the Columbians are to this cause, noting how individuals standing for peace have been slain. There is also a story of an individuals' effort to spread peace to military guards. A list of important people who have signed the Mennonite peace document is included. There are two links in the document: one leads to the actual peace document of the Mennonite church and the other is a personal reflection of the conflict and some related actions.

Mennonite World Conference's Sister Church Program Bulletin...

Mennonite World Conference This is a news story of how two representatives from a Boise, Idaho organization are traveling to meet their sister organization in Columbia. Outlines 2 form of the sister (/brother) church relationships. Contact info is included in the main story for churches that wish to become part of this sister/brother program.

Christian Peacemaker Teams in Colombia & CPTNet Bulletin on Governmental Oppression and how to Prevent it...

This link sponsored by JUSTAPAZ, the Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action, includes very important information regarding the peace effort in Colombia. The site examines false accusations being formed by the Colombian government against Ricardo Esquivia, the national coordinator of the Commission for Restoration, Life and Peace. Esquivia is also vice-president of an organization called CEDECOL, which when translated into English means Evangelical Council of Churches of Colombia. CEDECOL's basic goal is to bring the people of ColombiaChristian Peacemaker Teams together. By doing this they want all people to work under the same vision of the united groups of Colombia rather than constant opposition among the people. This site also seems extremely important because it provides contacts within the Colombian government to send letters to. The site suggests many ways to write the letter as well as a prototypical letter that can be sent if an individual's time is constrained but they want to make an impact.

ECAPC Current and Past Developments and Informative Articles...

This link sponsored by ECAPC, Every Church a Peace Church, contains a substantial amount of information about Every Church a Peace Churchcurrent or near current events dealing with the conflict in Colombia. One of the most interesting parts of this page is that it provides a list of events that are taking place across the country (US) as well as when they will be held, where they will be held and the cost, if applicable, to attend. There are an enormous number of links provided by this site to get a general understanding of the current situation in Colombia. The site also includes a section that lists current news articles dealing with the Colombian conflict. This site is a staple for information pertaining to action an individual can do to aid in the peace building efforts of the Colombian peace churches.

JUSTAPAZ: Ministry on Nonviolence and Recent Event Updates...

JUSTAPAZ is the Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action, which is located in Bogota, Colombia.Justapaz Ministry JUSTAPAZ is an institution that promotes a society that is basically living under the kingdom of God. They basically are calling for the respect of all humankind, which basically the formation of a nation devoted to peace and justice. The site basically provides an overview of the conflict in Colombia, both internal and international, as well as the efforts that have persisted to achieve their goal. This site is also a convenient place to find current and past news articles pertaining to the colombian conflict.

Lutheran World Relief Current Events and Updates...

Lutheran World ReliefLutheran World Relief has a lot of information about the conflict in Columbia because they are a key contributor to relief efforts. This website gives a brief synopsis of the situation of the displaced members of the community. There are many links to teach visitors advocacy and show means of how to become involved. Lutheran World Relief is partnered with three Christian churches in Columbia and each is described on the website. On the site, there is also information of how to contact a congressman to promote peace efforts in Columbia. There are also links to statements and stories of the displaced members of these communities.

Congress.Org's Internet Database of Congresspersons and Online Letters...

This is the website about the United States congress. Here there are links to contact any member of the legislature and express your visions. With this site, you can send notes to let members know about Columbia and suggest to the site your outlook on the issue, and offer suggestions.

U.S. House of Representatives Contact Information & U.S. Senate Contact Information...

SenateOfficial Government sites with contactHouse of Representatives information of current representatives in both houses. Contains similar information as Congress.org but with no biographic information, fax numbers, or on-hand voting history.




Mennonite Central Committee's Colombian Action Advocacy...

This website is run by the Mennonite Central Committee. They are an agency aimed at peace, justice, relief, and service developed by the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches. This link leads you to the home page for this agency's action in Columbia. There are links on the web page to photographs of the Peace Sanctuary Communities, a link to stories of members of these Mennonite Central Committeecommunities and of other Columbians, and they show ways you can become involved and serve these congregations. This site also contains current news on the conflict and there is an opportunity to sign up to be part of a discussion board to voice your thoughts on the situation in Columbia. A neat feature of this site in an interactive video presentation on Columbia's churches.

Blueprints for Colombian War Article regarding the Air Force "RAND" Commission...

This links goes into different reasons for the conflict, mainlyAntiwar.com how the US is using a drug war scare-tactic to infiltrate into Colombia to set up corporations. It touches on various documents that the US has published and alarming statistics. The main document that it goes into detail about is the Air Force's "Rand" document and the arguments that it makes. It mentions the most recent plan Colombia and other plans that have emerged to the surface to help calm the conflict. The site has a good comparison and contrast theme of the US involvement in Colombia vs. the involvement in Vietnam. One of the most alarming things about this site is that it mentions the corruption of the US government and how certain people are making a profit from this conflict.

Narco News' "Where is the Press in the Colombian War" Article...

Narco NewsThe involvement of the press, when it comes to wars, especially those of humanitarian assistance has been a little lax and has been criticized publicly, this document goes into what the press is or is not doing in Colombia. It goes into the media involvement of helping one side over an other and points out specific newspaper headings, that were seen all over the United States. The document has a large style of print, with important headings being bold, and the newspaper headings in a different color for easy differentiation. The bias news reporting has no actual ground, as pointed in the document and the document does a good job of liberating the other side.


Images used with explicit Permission from...

AntiWar.com, Narco News, Peace and Justice Support Network, Christian Peacemaker Teams, the United States Senate, Every Church a Peace Church, and Mennonite World Conference as of May 17, 2005. Thank you!

Created: May 08, 2005
by the Intro to Peace Studies class of 2005