March for Life in Colombia
Social, political, and cultural organizations, along with the academic community of Colombia, are calling for a national mobilization on Friday, July 26, to raise awareness among citizens and the world about the defense of peace and against the assassinations of social leaders and former combatants who signed the "Agreement for the definitive termination of the conflict" between the government and the FARC on November 24, 2016.
Since then, environmental activists, peasant leaders, community defenders, and ex-combatants who laid down their arms have been victims of all kinds of violence and hundreds of murders.
In a statement, the CLACSO steering committee and the CLACSO Colombia Member Centers Network call for marches for peace and urge the authorities to act to stop the crimes and guarantee the full validity of Human Rights in the territories.
In response to the situation of violence against social leaders in Colombia
The CLACSO Steering Committee and the Network of CLACSO Member Centers in Colombia express their firm support for and commitment to the numerous collective efforts undertaken by social organizations and communities in the territories to build peace. We emphasize that the Final Agreement for the Termination of the Conflict and the Construction of a Stable and Lasting Peace represents a moment and a scenario of opportunity to begin generating the necessary transformations aimed at curbing violence and war in the regions increasingly affected by these phenomena and laying the foundations for the consolidation of a democratic society.
We value and recognize the immense efforts made daily by social and grassroots organizations in the territories for the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Final Agreement, as well as for the defense of their communities and their rights. The determined action of leaders and human rights defenders has made them a direct target of those who persist in war and violence. We strongly reject this situation, which, according to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz), the Patriotic March, and the Agrarian Summit, between January 2016 and May 2019, has claimed the lives of 702 social leaders and nearly 142 former combatants who signed the Final Agreement, along with their families.
We urge the national government and other Colombian state institutions to act to stop these crimes, identifying and punishing those responsible, to effectively protect the lives of those threatened and at risk, and to guarantee the full exercise of Human Rights in the territories.
As an academic community committed to achieving a more just and peaceful society, we call for respect for life, for guarantees that communities can remain in their territories, and for a united effort to defend the Final Agreement and the transition to a negotiated solution to conflicts, especially to resume dialogue between the national government and the National Liberation Army (ELN). We also express our willingness to continue contributing to peace in Colombia through our diverse academic and research work alongside communities and their organizations.
We call upon the international community and various specialized organizations to support the delicate situation unfolding throughout the country. We join and invite everyone to participate in the national mobilizations for life scheduled for July 26th, in solidarity with social and grassroots organizations that are victims of the war and in defense of peace in Colombia.
