[van-announce] Break the Silence: Towards Peace and Justice in Colombia

[Sara Koopman]

Break the Silence: Towards Peace and Justice in Colombia
 
The event will feature three guest speakers from Colombia, including Yolima
Quintero and Astrid Manrique from ASFADDES (the Association of Family
Members of the Detained and Disappeared in Colombia) and Marino Fiscue from
ACIN (Association of Cabildos Indigenous from North Cauca), Jorge Muñoz
Colombian lawyer in exile, as well as representatives from local
organizations working for peace and justice in Colombia and Pilar
Riaño-Alcalá, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work and Family Studies,
UBC. Member of the local group Vida y Paz Colombia and is currently engaged
in a research on fear, memory and forced isplacement in Colombia

Friday March 19th 2004

WISE HALL 1882 Adanac St,.

Vancouver

1.00pm – 5.00pm. Youth Session

(free admision)

7.00pm – 9.30pm. Public Session

(admision by donation)

9.30pm – 12.30am

Live music and dancing with La Candela

(Admision by donation)

All proceeds go to guests speakers from Colombia

Orgized by
Amnesty International, Oxfam,  <mailto:H.I.J at .S> H.I.J at .S, ENLACES, Lawyer's
Rights Watch Canada, and In Minga Canada Colombia
 
March 5, 2004
For immediate release 

Break the Silence: Towards Peace and Justice in Colombia

Colombia's worsening internal armed conflict affects virtually every part of
the country and has taken the lives of more than 60,000 people since 1985 -
currently around 20 people every day. To "break the silence" that surrounds
this widespread and systematic attack on human rights, a number of
organizations are collaborating to present a one-day education and action
teach-in on Friday, March 19, at the WISE Hall in Vancouver. 


The event will feature three guest speakers from Colombia, including Yolima
Quintero and Astrid Manrique from ASFADDES (the Association of Family
Members of the Detained and Disappeared in Colombia) and Marino Fiscue from
ACIN (Association of Cabildos Indigenous from North Cauca), and Jorge Munoz,
a Colombian lawyer in exile, as well as representatives from local
organizations working for peace and justice in Colombia. 


The afternoon session begins with stories from those who have experienced
the armed conflict and violations of human rights first hand, followed by
activities and actions designed to show solidarity with Colombians working
for peace and defending human rights. The evening session also features
guest speakers from Colombia as well as insight from representatives of
local human rights and social justice organizations. The evening session
will be followed by a socializer featuring the music of Latin America. 


Admission to the afternoon session is free, admission to the evening session
and socializer is by donation, with proceeds going to the organizations
represented by the visiting speakers. 


Thousands of civilians live in fear of being kidnapped, killed or
"disappeared" and thousands are forced to flee their homes, their lands, and
their livelihood, as warring factions refuse to guarantee their safety and
their right not to be drawn into the conflict. It's time for the world to
pay attention to this conflict -- 80% of victims are civilians, killed
outside combat. Plan now to attend this important event, presented by
Amnesty International, Oxfam, HIJOS, ENLACES, Lawyer's Rights Watch Canada,
and In Minga Canada Colombia. 


For more information call 604-294-5160, e-mail dwright at amnesty.ca or visit
http://www.amnesty.ca/colombia. 


- 30 –

Media contact: 
Don Wright 604-294-5160 
dwright at amnesty.ca 



Break the Silence: Towards Peace and Justice in Colombia 


Guest Speakers from Colombia

Yolima Quintero 

In November 1988 her brother and sister, Habib Gildardo Quintero and Yenny
Maud Quintero, were forcibly "disappeared". Only 13, she had to face the
painful drama of losing a loved one to forced disappearance – and a year
later she began working with the Medellin chapter of ASFADDES – the
Association of Family Members of the Detained and Disappeared. It was
through ASFADDES that Yolima began to research and learn about forced
disappearance and the socio-political reality of her country. Over the years
she has worked with youth affected by disappearance, produced public press
releases condemning disappearances, and assisted with the legal work.
Highlights include participating in a public hearing in Geneva with the
United Nations Working Group on Involuntary and Forced Displacement, and in
meetings of FEDEFAM, the Latin American Federation of Associations of Family
Members of the Detained-Disappeared. She has also been the target of
arbitrary raids on her house, has received threats in response to her human
rights work, and was forced to leave the Medellín office for a period after
two fellow ASFADDES members disappeared and five families forcibly displaced
from the city. At the present time Yolima is Coordinator of the Medellín
chapter of ASFADDES. 

Astrid Manrique Carvajal 

Astrid has given seminars on topics ranging from the application of law on
forced disappearance, to women's right to health, before such diverse groups
as the Free University in Bogotá City, the Departmental Office of Cauca, and
DIAL, the coalition of international funding agencies based in Bogotá. She
participated in the XVI Congress of FEDEFAM in Bolivia, and is active in
Somos, an organization of working-class women in Southwestern Colombia which
gives training and capacity-building to other women's organizations in the
region. Astrid is currently Coordinator of the Popayán chapter of ASFADDES,
in the Department of Cauca. 

Marino Ovidio Fiscue 

Marino is planning coordinator of ACIN (Association of Cabildos Indigenous
from North Cauca), an organization that associates 13 reserves and seven
community projects. The NASA project is one of them. Marino is a systems
technologist and has completed graduate studies in environmental projects
and public administration. He has been working with ACIN since 1994. Among
his many accomplishments is his work in the formulation and elaboration of
development plans for several municipalities in the region. He was one of
the recipients of the National Department of planning awards for the best
planning project in 1997. He is currently working on the creation of a
participative follow up and evaluation system of indigenous community's
"Life Plans" (Planes de Vida). He is also working on environmental projects
in eight indigenous cabildos (town halls) involving the promotion of
traditional production systems and generating institutional capacity through
the local cabildos and their committees. 




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