Call your representative and


ask them to support House Resolution 618, which brings attention to the situation of Afro-Colombians and calls on the U.S. to actively consult with these communities.


Click

here

to read the resolution.

Afro-Colombians are harshly affected daily by extreme poverty, racial discrimination, and ongoing violence in regions with large Afro-descendant populations. Whether they are “caught in the crossfire” or specifically targeted, Afro-Colombians are often forced to leave their communities and ancestral lands behind. As a result, Afro-Colombians now constitute 40 percent of Colombia ‘s 3.8 million internally displaced. Meanwhile, aerial spraying is destroying many of the food crops traditionally grown by Afro-Colombians, leading to further displacement and insecurity.



The resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Donald Payne during the August recess, calls on the Colombian government to combat racial discrimination and protect Afro-Colombians from human rights violations. H. Res. 618 also rightly urges the U.S. and Colombian governments to consult with Afro-Colombians while developing policies that will affect their communities.

Take Action!


See below for a list of Illinois Representatives, Foreign Policy staffers, and their contact information. Also, if you don’t know who your Representative is go to

Home

and type in your zip code to find out.

The Congressional Switchboard Number is 202-224-3121.


When you call, ask to speak with the foreign policy aide

. If he or she is unavailable, please leave the following message on his or her



voicemail:

“My name is _____. I live in ( city neighorhood or town ). I am calling to ask Rep. _________ to support House Resolution 618 to





bring attention to the situation of Afro-Colombians and call on the U.S. to actively consult with these communities.




It urges the Colombian government to do their part to combat all forms of racial discrimination and attacks against Afro-Colombians, and to work with Afro-Colombian communities to develop viable social and development programs. It sends the message the United States is concerned about the human, cultural and territorial rights of Afro-Colombians gravely affected by the armed conflict.




Will Rep. ­­________ cosponsor H. Res 618 to combat





racial discrimination in Colombia and protect Afro-Colombians from human rights violations



?”

Only three Illinois Representatives

(

Democrats


Bobby Rush, Danny Davis and Phil Hare

)

have co-sponsored H. Res. 618 to support Afro-Colombians as they strive for dignity and security, while

Democratic Reps. Dan Lipinski, Jan Schakowsky

and

Melissa Bean,

and

Republican Congressmen Donald Manzullo

and

Peter Roskam

have all committed to looking at the Resolution. Please urge your Representative – along with others who have yet to respond – to support this important Resolution protecting Afro-Colombians from the vicious cycle of discrimination and violence.

Calls to Rep. Donald Manzullo in the House Committee on Foreign Affairs are especially important!

Please let us know if you hear back, or for more information, contact:

Danielle E. Wegman, CRLN Public Policy Coordinator,

dwegman@crln.org

, 773-293-2964

Illinois






Representatives

Bobby Rush (D-



1

^st


)



-Speak with John Marshall,

202-225-4372

Jesse Jackson (D-



2

^nd


) ­



-Speak with Charles Dujon

, 202-225-0773

Dan Lipinski (D-



3

^rd


)



-Speak with Keith Devereaux,

202-225-5701

Luis Gutierrez (D-4

^th

)


–

Speak with Greg Staff

, 202-225-8203

Rahm Emanuel (D –



5

^th


)



-Speak with Luis Jimenez,

202-225-4061

Peter Roskam (R



-6

^th


)


–

Speak with Vicky Sanville,

202-225-4561

Danny Davis (D



-7

^th


)



-Speak with Charles Brown,

202-225-5006

Melissa Bean (D-8

^th

)



-Speak with JD Grom,

202-225-3711

Jan Schakowsky (D-9

^th

)



-Speak with Megan Garcia

, 202-225-2111

Mark Kirk (R-10

^th

)



-Speak with Richard Goldberg,

202-225-4835

Jerry Weller (R-11

^th

)



-Speak with Alan Tennille,

202-225-3635

Jerry Costello (D-12

^th

)



-Speak with Dan McCarthy,

202-225-5661

Judy Biggert (R-13

^th

)



-Speak with Paul Doucette

, 202-225-3515

Dennis Hastert (R-14

^th

)



-Speak with Paul Sorenson,

202-225-2976

Timothy Johnson (R-15

^th

)



-Speak with Jen Mascho,

202-225-2371

Donald Manzullo (R-16

^th

)



-Speak with Nien Su,

202-225-5676

Phil Hare (D-17

^th

)



-Speak with Kemi Jemilohun,





202-225-5905

Ray LaHood (R-18

^th

)



-Speak with Erin Reif,

202-225-6201

John Shimkus (R-19

^th

)



-Speak with Greta Hanson,

202-225-5271

The grueling, decades long conflict in Colombia between the government, right-wing paramilitary groups, and leftist rebels may be coming to an end in the coming months. Over the last several years, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (also known as FARC) reached an agreement


with the Colombian government


on a peace accord that could end the aging war. The talks have included the topics of the political participation of the FARC, drug-trafficking, the fundamental issue of the distribution and ownership of land in Colombia, the rights of victims and the conditions for insurgents to turn in their weapons.

The FARC, just one of many rebel groups, has been in conflict with both government military forces as well as with paramilitary groups, such as the United Self-Defense Force of Colombia (called AUC, the umbrella name for a collection of paramilitary groups). The AUC, formed in 1997, has garnished a reputation for drug-trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion in their many human rights violations. Although 30,000 members of AUC were supposedly demobilized by the government between 2003 and 2006, many AUC members formed successor paramilitary groups under different titles. Two of the groups most prevalent are the Aguilas Negras and the Rastrojos. Their power has largely stemmed from their misty relationships with Colombian military and political circles. While their paramilitary status is not so prevalent anymore, they still remain active in the drug-trafficking community. As


Thomas Shannon


, Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of State puts it, “I wouldn’t call them paramilitary groups. I would call them drug-trafficking organizations or weapons-trafficking organizations or criminal organizations.”

In addition to FARC and the AUC, groups involved include the National Liberation Army (ELN),


a marxist group spurred in 1965


by the ideologies of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. When peace talks between FARC and the government began in 2012,


the ELN showed interest in some forms of negotiations


, though they were swiftly turned down. Since the progression of the talks with FARC, however, President Juan Manual Santos has reached out, saying that the government is “ready to talk” with the ELN, and hopes to begin peace talks with them as soon as possible.

For the time being though, the peace talks between the FARC and the Colombian government are going swimmingly. Many critics of both sides, however, are doubtful, even as the accord comes to some form of conclusion, as the three previous negotiations between FARC and the state have


resulted in failure.


“We’ve never been so close to an agreement before,” said Santos on Twitter. The agreement, formulated after three years of working with the government, the rebels, and some of their victims, creates a truth commission to clarify what happened in the war and promises to search for thousands of missing people, identify their remains and return them.

The agreement sets in place special courts that will try former combatants for their crimes. This includes FARC rebels

and

government soldiers, demonstrating both sides’ willingness to find peace.


The courts would reduce the sentencing of those who admit guilt and aide the peace-seeking process


, but will deny amnesty for anyone found guilty of crimes against humanity. It also attempts to ensure those hurt by the war will not be victimized again. Alan Jara, who was held hostage by FARC for over seven years was shocked, but delighted to see his former captors working peacefully with the state for once. “It is the people who haven’t suffered directly [that are] the ones who are least willing to accept a peace deal,” says Jara. “We who lived it are more accepting.” The victims, although cautiously open to the agreement, have long demanded truth and reparations, rightfully so, and it seems that they may get it


with the involvement of the United Nations Security Council, who was voluntarily brought in by the negotiating parties.


The


tripartite system


will have UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon make recommendations as to the operational details of the mission, which is hoped to reach a final agreement by March 23rd.

With UNSC involvement, FARC cooperation, and government compliance, it seems that the world’s longest-running war may be coming to an end. Until the issue of illegally armed groups is resolved, however, peace will not be possible within the local communities and the violence they face from these  groups. Also, as with many political issues that traverse a number of political, social, and economic demographics, it is critical to involve as many third-party actors not actively siding with either the government or the FARC in the implementation of the peace accords as possible: actors such as Colombian and international NGO’s, and the UN, and religious organizations. A more stabilized peace will not be possible in Colombia without a combined effort from those previously left out of the peace talks.