I made a commitment to tell their stories and to pressure the US government to stop funding the war on women, indigenous groups and Afro Colombians. They are victims of terrible injustice covered up by the Colombian government and by our elected officials in the US. To follow through on the action I am taking on this delegation, I am going to start telling my community (you) about this delegation. First, I will give a brief synopsis of what we did over the past six days and then I will write a blog entry describing each of the WFP partners, their struggles and how we can help in their struggle for justice. If you are moved by these groups and their stories, there are lots of things you can do such as going on a delegation yourself (which I highly encourage) or taking political action. I will happily share my personal action plan and the delegation action plan.
In just under a week, we have covered a lot of ground in Colombia and met with several groups who are working to improve the grave situation caused by an economic and political system that systematically marginalizes women, ethnic groups and campesinos. We started by joining the public services workers on their hunger strike in the town center in Cali. Then we attended a very strategic and important union meeting with the sugar cane cutters who are struggling to obtain fair and direct contracts with the richest sugar cane companies in Colombia. Next, we headed to the port of Buenaventura (a very dangerous place for union workers) and met with some women union workers who risk their lives as union organizers and leaders. While in Buenaventura we traveled to the Afro Colombian community whose territory has been co-opted (stolen/occupied) to make improvements for a port expansion in preparation for the US-Colombian Free Trade Agreement to take effect.
We talked with women who are leading the way to peace through powerful and symbolic action who have embraced feminism within the context of their culture and lives. After a 2 hour ride on a gravel road and a white knuckle boat ride up river we visited an indigenous village. We met the village leaders and some of the families who had been displaced from their home on the Calima river. They lived as a peaceful and cooperative egalitarian community in harmony with the earth until they were forced to move into the city of Buena Ventura. Yesterday, we interviewed the head of gender issues for a major union conglomerate in Colombia and discussed the poor outlook for women in a patriarchal society that does not respect them as equal human beings. While meeting with the union representative, we were called to accompany a protest of Drummond coal miners. These men are exploited in every way and treated like slaves. We wanted to accompany them in the Plaza de Simon Bolivar near the presidential palace because they were getting harassed by the police.
Tomorrow we visit the flower workers who will share their stories about their working conditions and struggles. Most of them are women and many single mothers. The majority of the flowers that are purchased for Valentine's day in the US are imported from Colombia. To wrap up our delegation, we will meet with the Human Rights Attache at the US Embassy. During this meeting we will share what we learned on our delegation and insist that they take action to improve the situation for Colombians.
Nonam Indigenous Women on Lower Calima River
We talked with women who are leading the way to peace through powerful and symbolic action who have embraced feminism within the context of their culture and lives. After a 2 hour ride on a gravel road and a white knuckle boat ride up river we visited an indigenous village. We met the village leaders and some of the families who had been displaced from their home on the Calima river. They lived as a peaceful and cooperative egalitarian community in harmony with the earth until they were forced to move into the city of Buena Ventura. Yesterday, we interviewed the head of gender issues for a major union conglomerate in Colombia and discussed the poor outlook for women in a patriarchal society that does not respect them as equal human beings. While meeting with the union representative, we were called to accompany a protest of Drummond coal miners. These men are exploited in every way and treated like slaves. We wanted to accompany them in the Plaza de Simon Bolivar near the presidential palace because they were getting harassed by the police.
Tomorrow we visit the flower workers who will share their stories about their working conditions and struggles. Most of them are women and many single mothers. The majority of the flowers that are purchased for Valentine's day in the US are imported from Colombia. To wrap up our delegation, we will meet with the Human Rights Attache at the US Embassy. During this meeting we will share what we learned on our delegation and insist that they take action to improve the situation for Colombians.
Nonam Indigenous Women on Lower Calima River
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