|
Friends,
In a rare visit to this area, Colombian peace community leader Jesús Emilio Tuberquia will speak today and tomorrow about the experience of community and nonviolence in the midst of war.
Today, Thursday, March 31, 12:00 noon -- Free!
University of New Mexico, Latin American and Iberian Institute conference room
801 Yale Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM
View map and directions, or view on Facebook
For more information, contact Keira Philipp-Schnurer, kphilipp@unm.edu, (505) 277-7047.
Tomorrow, Friday, April 1, 6:30 PM -- Free (RSVP required)
Bella Roma Bed and Breakfast, 1211 Roma Avenue NW, Albuquerque, NM
View map and directions, or view on Facebook
For more information or to RSVP (required) please call (505) 480-9008.
 Jesús Emilio has far too much first-hand knowledge of just how dangerous it is to work for peace in the middle of a war zone. He is a founding member of the San José de Apartadó Peace Community located in northwest Colombia.
In 1997, he and 800 other small farmers claimed their territory as a neutral civilian community, refusing to cooperate with any armed group. The community has survived threats, killings, massacres, disappearances and food blockades by armed groups, including the U.S.-funded Colombian army.
Earlier this month, a man entered the peace community, went to Jesús Emilio's house and asked where he was, then walked around the settlement and asked others. On Wednesday, after threatening peace community members together with paramilitaries, the man was picked up by the army and taken to the nearby army base.
Despite the threats and violence, Jesús Emilio and the peace community have succeeded in building a nonviolent community in resistance as an alternative to the war around them. Come hear their story!
The Fellowship of Reconciliation and Peace Brigades International, co-sponsors of the Jesús Emilio's speaking tour, maintain human rights observers in San José de Apartadó.
|
