A call to solidarity with Colombia

Dear sisters and brothers of Anabaptist churches of Canada:

We wish to greet you with the words of the Apostle Paul to the Roman Christians: "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the whole world is hearing about your faith" (Romans 1:8). Certainly the forgiving and reconciling witness of our Amish brothers and sisters in the tragic events that struck them has impacted the world, as they modelled an alternative way of responding to undeserved violence.

Paul goes on to say, "for I am a debtor...." We, too, recognize ourselves as debtors, for we have received very much from you-through your missionaries, your generosity and the Anabaptist tradition you hold to. We are also very grateful for the way your society has received thousands of Colombian refugees who have had to flee their country to save their lives. Your churches have welcomed them and helped them in this adjustment. For all these things, we thank you and bless you from the bottom of our hearts.

A person on a recent delegation from Canada and the U.S. visiting Colombia said, "We live with undeserved privilege." He was recognizing that you folks in North America also are debtors. While your lifestyle has been enabled in part by your creativity, values and entrepreneurial skills, it has also been made possible by the power of your economy, transnational corporations and armies exercising influence around the world. But that lifestyle is harmful to those of us in other less privileged parts of the world. For the environment, for instance, it means that 25 percent of harmful emissions into the atmosphere come from 6 percent of the world's North American population, which, in turn, brings drought and desertification. So you see, our lives are intertwined in many ways, some of which we wish they weren't.

In regard to Colombia, there are two issues which should unsettle Canadian citizens and your churches:

* The unconditional support the Canadian government has demonstrated in the dangerously flawed negotiation process of the Colombian government with paramilitary groups that have been responsible for untold horror in the last 20 years.

* The lack of federal legislation for Canadian multinational firms operating in the resource extraction industry-an industry that has been notorious for employing questionable techniques in land acquisition, including the use of paramilitary forces in the displacement of communities.

These two areas of policy are particularly alarming, given that Colombia is home to the world's second-largest community of internally displaced persons, surpassed only by Sudan.

How can we work together for a better world for all of us?

* First of all, we ask you to join in the upcoming Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia on May 20 and 21, which are being convened by the Coalition for Peace in Colombia. Please pray for Colombia, for an end to the 60-year-old war here, and for the Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren and Brethren in Christ churches here, so that our witness will be as clear and strong as yours has been.

* Please act by contacting your parliamentary representatives, asking them to support bills that promote and enhance life here, and limit weapons and army intervention. We ask you to instruct the Mennonite Central Committee office in Ottawa-in the name of the Anabaptist churches they represent-to lobby in this manner and help the constituent voters to understand the issues at hand.

When elections come up, please vote against all candidates who support policies of warfare anywhere in the world, and back candidates who seek more just and reconciled relationships between countries around the world. After all, that's what Micah 4:3 says that God desires.

* Please examine the effects your lifestyle have on the rest of the world and work for environmental well-being. Please be generous by considering forgiving the debts that are crushing the countries-and even the churches-of the Southern world.

* Lastly and most importantly, we encourage you to strengthen your local churches with the vision of calling men and women to follow Jesus, to grow together in Anabaptist communities of faith, and to transform the world around you to God's intention.

Thank you for being with us through these difficult times. We are sure that as God's people unite in seeking the will of the Prince of Peace, a better day for all the world's people will emerge, leading many of them to praise our Lord Jesus Christ for the wisdom, richness and generosity of his saving grace.

May God fill you with wisdom and strength for the necessary tasks God gives you.

[Sidebar]

Colombia communiqu�

In preparation for the upcoming Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia on May 20 and 21, which are being convened by the Coalition for Peace in Colombia, Canadian Mennonite-over the next four pages-presents stories of suffering and hope in this South American country that is home to the second largest refugee population in the world. You will read stories and reflections from Mennonite Central Committee, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Altona (Man.) Bergthaler Mennonite Church and Eigenheim (Sask.) Mennonite Church. Coverage begins at the top of this page with a letter written by the leaders of the three Mennonite denominations in Colombia, as a wake-up call to the North American church. Ed.

[Author Affiliation]

-Peter Stucky, president, Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia

-C�sar Garc�a, president, Iglesia Hermanos Menonitas de Colombia

-Israel Arturo Orrego, general secretary, Iglesia Hermandad en Cristo