Jim's Peacemaking

Dear Friends, Urgent: I just learned the US State Department is hoping to close the agreement to use seven Colombian military bases in Colombia by mid August, so it is important to follow through on praying for a change in those plans and to let your representatives know of your opposition to them ASAP. This very well could be the beginning of our government’s next war. See my last letter and these links: http://i2.democracynow.org/2009/7/27/tensions_rise_in_latin_americas_over http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE57933O20090810 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6788054.ece Cornerstone 2009 “I think I talked to your people in Baghdad. I was a truck driver in the US Army and we had a little down time and I wanted to see if these American civilians would call us baby killers. But to my surprise they were very warm, understanding, and in a way, very compassionate,” remarked this 27 year old women by the name of Erin. “Might it have been a woman ...

New US War, US Military Bases in Colombia July 30, 2009 Hello Friends, I am very concerned about the US recently announced plans to construct military bases in Colombia. As you know, I have been a volunteer with Christian Peacemaker Teams since 2002, accompanying Colombian farmers who are threatened by guerrillas, paramilitaries, and Colombian military forces. As we have often told these armed groups, “You have been trying to resolve the conflict in Colombia for the last 50 years with a gun. Can’t you see it just does not work? It just results in more suffering and death of people each day.” To build military bases in Colombia is continuing this same false assumption that the conflict in Colombia can be solved with a gun. Lasting resolutions to conflict always are resolved with negotiations. Let’s support President Barak Obama’s proclamation to make diplomacy central in US foreign policy. I sense this is a very pivotal point in US Colombian foreign policy that could go the wrong way ...