Living in the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado, I was surrounded by people who’s mere existence was an act of non violent resistance to Colombia’s human rights and violence issues. As my teammate who just returned from the Community after 13 months attests too, being in such an environment, constantly stimulated and inspired by the people, can also wear you
down, dull your sensibilities and make you lose a bit of that ‘awe’ that we all feel in the beginning and after we leave.
As I move into my 5th month accompanying from the Bogota offices, I have a hard time relating to my coworkers insight. To me, there are times where I want nothing more than to feel like I am back in the middle of the struggle. In these moments, the modernity, luxury, and ease of life in Bogota seem to almost wash
away any sign of conflict, struggle and resistance. If it weren’t for the mountains, pollution, and Spanish, I would forget that I wasn’t back in the States.
That does not mean that I don’t appreciate working in the Bogota office. Here we are fortunate enough to have access to people and resources those in the community would never dream of having. Within a day I can read four news papers, talk to a human rights lawyer working on some of the most high profile cases in the country and have a meeting with 5 other accompaniment organizations in which, thanks to our joint-broad coverage, we can effectively analyze the changes and differences in paramilitary structure throughout the country. It is an inspiring rush in its own right. However, one cannot evade the sense that we are all outsiders talking about things others are experiencing while we sit in front of computers and write internal documents, organize files and hope that we are being effective.
It is with this in mind that I have appreciated so much a few of the trips Ive gone on recently. First, I got to accompany the Asociacion Campesina de Antioquia (the Antioquia farmers Association) to a village in North Cuaca, one of the most several affected regions by the war. Then I was privileged enough to accompany a large, intense, enthusiastic and accomplished group of former FOR volunteers as they made their rounds to the CdP’s different villages. (for a great description of this, see: http://forusa.org/blogs/liza-smith/homecomings-far-away-places/9491) Finally, and though this took place back in May, I accompanied the Red Juvenil to the most violent barrios of Medellin while they did one of their regular peace and non-violence workshops with children, was one of the most inspiring acts of resistance I have seen since moving to the big city.
Considering the importance of the above events, I would like to take the following posts to highlight them and try to explain in more depth why they impacted me so significantly.
It's been -- and continues to be, I gather - a heck of an experience. Enjoy all parts of it. As I read somewhere: "Bloom where you're planted."
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