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Friends,
 Over a decade ago, FOR took a leap to set up a team of international volunteers in a rural village in northwestern Colombia. The team’s purpose: to accompany (and through their presence, protect) a courageous community of farmers who had taken a brave stand against violence, to use our privilege as U.S. citizens to oppose U.S. military aid to Colombia, to build different relationships between Colombians and people in the U.S.
During the last 12 years, the FOR Colombia program grew into one of the foremost accompaniment organizations in Colombia.
In 2013, as FOR USA began to refocus our work to address issues of injustice and peace-building inside the Unites States, we agreed to support the Colombia program on a path towards becoming an independent organization.
Today we are writing to let you know, their transition to independence is complete! They now have their own board of directors, 501c3 status, and a website! This project now has the infrastructure and legal ability to process their own donations, they manage their own communications and more importantly, the work in Colombia is stronger than ever.
In 2014, on a budget of just $163,000 FOR Peace Presence provided 454 days of accompaniment to 5 communities, 3 organizations and 2 human rights defenders.
We are proud to have started this amazing program, to have grown it and supported its transition. We embrace this change and think the work of both FOR USA and FOR Peace Presence is stronger because of it. FOR Peace Presence remains a member of the world-wide FOR family, a network of committed activists who work tirelessly for peace and social justice across the globe.
So, this is not goodbye, but, rather, a message to wish our friends at FOR Peace Presence congratulations and many blessings as this new chapter opens. We hope you’ll stay in touch with them through their website, Facebook, and Twitter.
You can support the work in Colombia here: http://peacepresence.org/donate-now/
You can email them here: bogota@peacepresence.org
You can send snail mail here:
FOR Peace Presence
3659 Laurel Ave
Oakland, CA 94602
Together, we will continue growing a movement to construct a more peaceful, just, and beautiful world.
 In peace,
Rev. Kristin Stoneking
Executive Director FOR-USA
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