WCC NEWS: DiPaz urges stronger international call for Colombian government to advance peace

In a 13 July letter to the United Nations Security Council, the Diálogo Intereclesial por la Paz en Colombia (DiPaz), an interchurch platform for dialogue for peace in Colombia, called on the international community to urge the Colombian government to resume the full implementation of the peace agreement and strengthen channels of dialogue to resolve societal issues. UN Security Council Chamber in New York. Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC 16 July 2021 The letter was accompanied by a letter from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and ACT Alliance joining DiPaz in supporting the search for a sustainable peace in Colombia.  DiPaz, the WCC and ACT Alliance all expressed gratitude for the engagement of the international community through the Security Council – especially through the UN Verification Mission in Colombia – and in appealing for continued and further action to promote a genuine and sustainable peace for all the people of Colombia, especially the most marginalized communities and those most affected as victims of the violence.  “Nevertheless, the current national administration's omissions and slowness to act in relation to the implementation of many points of the agreement continue to worry us, as does the lack of progress in fulfilling other agreements with communities and sectors of civil society which, together with the increase of poverty during the pandemic, gave rise to the nationwide protests and strike action that began on April 28 of this year,” reads the DiPaz letter. “These protests have continued because the government has delayed reaching agreements with the strike committee, has refused to engage in dialogue with other sectors that participate in the protests, and has chosen to use the army to suppress protesters.” DiPaz notes that state forces acted disproportionately against the young people who took to the streets to raise their voice. “In addition, there was significant stigmatization of indigenous peoples, evidence of the persistence of racism in Colombia,” reads the letter. The letter was also endorsed by several regional and global organizations such as the World Communion of Reformed Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), Alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches of Latin America, CREAS, World Student Christian Federation, QONAKUY, and ALC. The letter to the UN Security Council is a further step of an advocacy process that started with a letter on 18 May urging the Colombian president to stop the spiral of violence during the street protests.  Read the full letter International church-based organizations urge Colombian president to stop spiral of violence - WCC news release 20 May 2021 DiPaz See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland