AFROCOLOMBIA

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Stand by Colombia's Victims of Violence

Dear Supporter,

The National Days of Action for Colombia have begun! As we write you this email, people all across the country are gathering their materials, friends, and families, and are preparing to "face the displaced." Are you?

Click here to get involved!

If this is the first time you're hearing about it, don't worry; it's not too late. Here are four ways you can get involved in the movement to stand with those working for peace in Colombia.

*Feeling creative? Host a "Face the Displaced" gathering. It's hard to be apathetic when you're looking injustice straight in the eye. So this year we're creating large portraits of forty brave displaced people who have shared their photos and words with us in hopes that it will help us involve our communities in making change in U.S. policies towards Colombia. But in order to be noticed, we need to make a lot of posters--that's where you come in. Click here to check out the faces, stories, and portrait-making instructions we've put together for you and then sign up today to host a poster-making party.

*Want to speak out? Organize a public display in your area. We'll connect you with the portrait-makers in your city. All you need to do is tap into your network--be it through a student group, a community organization, or just a big group of your friends and family--and pick a good place and time during April to display the posters in a way that will make the public face up to the reality of what our policies are doing in Colombia. Click here to get tips on organizing a successful display and to register it on our website where you can track all the attendees. Or if you don't have a network but want to get involved, click here to find an action happening in your area.

*Are you a person of faith? Get your congregation to hold a service where you can display the portraits, tell the stories, and join Colombian churches in praying for peace on Sunday, April 18th. Click here to check out the faith organizing packet filled with information about the displacement crisis as well as sample prayers, sermons, and fliers.

*Make your phone call to Congress during the National Call-In Day on Monday, April 19th. In the days beforehand, we'll send you the info you'll need to get your representatives' phones ringing off the hook and hearing a clear message. All you'll have to do is get everyone you know to make a call.

We know that any of these activities may seem daunting to take on alone. So that's why Vanessa will be on call all month to help you plan or to answer any questions that may come up. Just send her an email at vkritzer@lawg.org and she'll help you work it out.

We're so excited to see what you can do!

Warmly,
Vanessa and Lisa, The LAWG Colombia Team


	Have you seen the story of Batista?

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Colombia and Mexico: Human Rights NOW! Written by Vanessa Kritzer 17 November 2009

In last couple months, we’ve already started sending this message with your help. Hundreds of you sent emails to your congressional representatives urging them to enforce the human rights requirements in the Merida Initiative towards Mexico. Then, an even greater number of you helped us to flood the State Department with faxes condemning them for doing the wrong thing on both Mexico and Colombia and demanding that they show us a real plan to support human rights in the year to come. Now we’re going to keep the momentum going with the Human Rights NOW campaign, in which we will:

Work hand-in-hand with human rights activists and victims of violence in Colombia and Mexico and bring them to Washington to tell the Capitol and the White House what's really happening on the ground;
Pioneer an exciting new web outreach strategy that will add thousands of voices to our movement and get you the information you need to make change;
Develop tools for grassroots activists like you to use when organizing in your communities; and
Help congressional allies ask tough questions and refocus aid away from big-ticket military hardware, towards human rights and humanitarian aid that promotes sustainable, positive change.

And we're wasting no time in getting started.

Join In Our First Action:

Right now, a letter written by key representatives is circulating throughout the halls of Congress with a clear message: let's spend our taxpayer dollars on supporting victims of violence in Colombia, not funding military abuses. This letter, which will be sent to Secretary of State Clinton next week, is our chance to get Congress behind the changes that we want to see and have our government start standing by our brothers and sisters in Colombia. But, this letter needs the support of many members of Congress to be effective. Click here to urge your representative to sign on today!

Get Ready for What's Coming Up:

We’ll be ramping up our e-alerts from now on, keeping you updated on our latest steps in the campaign and calling on you to make your voice heard at key moments. If you’re not already on our e-alert list, click here to get in the loop. Or if you prefer to get your news via twitter, check out @HRColombia, @HRMexico, and @BorderJustice.

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