Colombia Days of Prayer and Action

Let’s Make a Pact for Peace/Pactemos la Paz | September 20-23, 2019

A place of diverse peoples, cultures and ecology, Colombia is tragically also home to the longest – running internal armed conflict in the Western Hemisphere.

September 20-23 are the days churches in the U.S. join in solidarity and prayer with brothers and sisters in Colombia. We want to lift up those who are working for peace and strengthen political support for the 2016 peace accords that are in danger of failing.

Resources for DOPA 2019

Click here to download a worship packet with prayers, litanies, and songs you can use to lift up Colombia in your worship services on September 22 or in the coming months.

Click here to download an advocacy packet with further background information on the conflict and context as well as several actions you can take including a letter to congress, a petition to be sent to Ambassador Goldberg (hosted by the Latin American Working Group), and a “Pact” we are signing with partners in Colombia which is described below.

During the Days of Prayer and Action for Peace in Colombia, we are inviting advocates in the U.S. and Colombia to sign a “Pact for Peace” as a sign of their commitment together. Read the pact below and sign the Pact here. Consider sharing a statement of commitment or even printing the pact with your signature and sharing a photo on social media using #LetsMakeAPactForPeace and #DOPA2019.

Keep an eye on the DOPA Facebook page for further updates.

Questions? Contact Rev. Michael Neuroth

Let’s Make a Pact for the Peace of Colombia

In these Days of Prayer and Action for Peace in Colombia, we invite people of conscience and commitment to join in the movement for peace, and symbolize their commitment by signing the pact below. Consider sharing your commitment with a phrase or photo on social media using #LetsMakeAPactForPeace and #DOPA2019, and make a friendship bracelet in the yellow, red, and blue of the Colombian flag as a reminder of this call to peacemaking. You may register your signature on this form.

By signing our names to this pact, we seek to put in words some of the basic principles that orient our way of living as people of conscience and commitment. They are an attempt to respond to the question: What do we desire, for other people and for ourselves? We hope that people of diverse political perspectives, social classes, ethnic and religious groups, can be united in this pact, which expresses our commitment to seek the common good.

Our Pact for the Peace of Colombia

We affirm that life is sacred, in all its expressions, in humanity and the rest of creation. And so, we pact to reject war and violence as methods to solve conflict.

We affirm that we are all part of this country, not only those of us who think the same. And so, we pact to listen to those who think or behave differently, engaging in dialogue about their ideas and lived experiences, and although we may not agree with them, we will not hate or stigmatize the other.

We affirm that without justice it is impossible to build peace. And so, we pact to defend the proper and independent operation of the mechanisms of the Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-Repetition which keep the victims of Colombia’s conflict at the center in the effort to do justice after generations of war.

We affirm that peace must be holistic and complete. And so, we pact to insist upon the fulfillment and implementation of the peace accords that were signed, and the renewal of dialogues with the ELN guerrilla group.

We affirm the value and dignity of campesino farmers, Afro-descendant communities, and indigenous ethnic groups. And so, we pact to promote their rights and to celebrate their leadership in Colombian society.

We affirm that peace is not a destination but a way of life. And so, we pact to cultivate patience, humility, coherence, and love in our life, so that these radical values might orient our actions and the practices and policies of our society.

Learn more about Colombia

“When I visited Colombia last year, I realized how beautiful this country is. Colombia is rich in culture and natural resources. I admired the work of local churches and community leaders who find ways to respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by decades of armed conflict… In accordance to our 24^th General Synod, we call our churches to support the humanitarian and peace work of our Colombian brothers and sisters. Days of Prayer and Action is a great way to get involved. Engage your faith community in this important event for peace in Colombia”. ~Mike Neuroth~

“Every year we gather and work in our local churches to raise awareness of the impact of the U.S foreign policy towards Colombia. Days of Prayer and Action has united our spirit for one cause and strengthen our relationships with the people of Colombia, to whom we know and care for”. ~Barbara Gerlach~