In Solidarity With Colombia: Peace is Possible

Colombia is enduring the worst human rights crisis in the Western hemisphere today. The current conflict is rooted in a long history of extreme inequality and political exclusion, though it has intensified dramatically in recent years due in part to the infusion of drug-related profits that many of the armed actors currently receive.

Colombia has the second largest number of internally displaced people in the world. Since the mid 1990s more than 3 million Colombians have been forced from their homes, both as a result of the conflict but also a violent strategy to gain control of land and resources from marginalized communities.

Catholic Relief Services provides humanitarian assistance for those impacted by the conflict and supports local and international efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to a very violent situation. In partnership with the Colombian Catholic Church, CRS works to strengthen civil society and create a culture of peace in the face of the country's prolonged and complex crisis. We promote education for peace and advocacy for policies that will form the foundation of a just and lasting resolution to the current conflict. And we help to rebuild families and communities by promoting peace, community organization and economic opportunities.

Policy Priorities

In its advocacy for positive change in U.S. policy towards Colombia, CRS promotes greater awareness about the human rights and humanitarian crisis and the most important issues identified by the Colombian and U.S. Bishop Conferences, including:

Support efforts to bolster a negotiated, political path towards peace

The Colombian Conference of Catholic Bishops emphasizes the importance of continuing on the path to a negotiated peace process as the only viable long-term strategy for resolving the conflict. To date the U.S. has had a limited role in international efforts to support national peace processes.

Increase development and humanitarian aid to Colombia

The United States can make a significant positive contribution to long-term peace and stability in Colombia by shifting the focus of its foreign aid toward effective social development. Assistance to the internally displaced should be increased and its impact well documented. Aid to the internally displaced is one of the most positive elements of the U.S. aid in Colombia but remains a small proportion of the overall U.S. funding.

Include basic standards for the protection of human rights in all aid programs

Particular importance should be given to monitoring the impact of the paramilitary re-integration process, and to ensuring strict application of human rights conditions on U.S. aid.

Phase out aerial fumigation, and increase appropriate alternative development

The Colombian Bishops have stated their clear opposition to fumigation given ongoing reports of legal food crops and livestock being destroyed, water source contamination and increases in health problems. Many farmers, who were fumigated but not given either emergency food aid or access to crop substitution programs, have either joined the ranks of the internally displaced or in some cases moved to neighboring provinces to grow illicit crops once more.