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2006

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Seeking to deepen its commitment to peace and human rights in Colombia, Pax Christi International organised five visits to Colombia between September 2002 and July 2005. The report, "Seeking Peace in Colombia," combines the findings of all five visits with extensive research.

The aim of the report is to achieve four objectives: (1) Review key aspects of the present reality in Colombia with emphasis on the continuous conflict and its effects on the victims of the violence and those who work with these victims; (2) Support the efforts of the Catholic Church in Colombia to end the conflict through non-violent means and promote peace and justice. Pax Christi undertakes this effort particularly in partnership with Colombian national and regional offices of Pastoral Social; (3) Develop contacts with Colombian and international NGOs actively working for peace and justice in Colombia, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Colombia and Redepaz, and explore possibilities for further collaboration with CIDSE, Caritas Internationalis and others; and (4) Coordinate the activities, especially advocacy work, of Pax Christi member organisations with governments and intergovernmental organisations.

The visits and this report give special status and emphasis to the perspectives and experiences of those who suffer most as the direct result of a prolonged period of conflict. This report also gives attention, though not exclusively, to the contributions of the Catholic Church and its efforts towards achieving peace.

The first part of the report examines the situation in Colombia through a critical study of documents prepared by other organizations and through the observations of delegates during the different visits of Pax Christi International. The intent was to update, verify, and supplement the information from these resource documents. In the second part, the report analyses the situation in light of the values of faith as found in Scriptures and the social teachings of the Catholic Church. Finally, in the third part, Pax Christi International members bring the insights of the first two parts together in recommendations for action directed to Pastoral Social, the Colombian government, the armed groups and the international community. Finally, the report formulates the commitment of our movement in the search for peace in Colombia.

Sr. Catherine Ferguson, Coordinator of the coalition “UNANIMA International”, and Fr. Paul Lansu of the Pax Christi International Secretariat edited the report. An executive summary of the report is available in PDF format by clicking here. The full report (82 pages) is also available in PDF by clicking here.

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