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MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE (MCC) NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Blurb: Annual Days of Prayer and Action event calls on U.S. congregations to stand insolidarity with brothers and sisters in Colombia, including by calling on the U.S. government

to turn military aid into initiatives for peace and development.

Congregations invited to stand with Colombians for peace and justice

By Sarah Gross

March 28, 2013

WASHINGTON As the long-awaited peace dialogues unfold in Colombia this spring,congregations across the U.S. will stand in solidarity with brothers and sisters in Colombia onApril 28 and 29, designated as Days of Prayer and Action.

Organized by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. Washington Office and other faithgroups, Days of Prayer and Action is an annual event that invites people to pray reflectivelyand to ask the U.S. government to reallocate its financial support to Colombia from militaryto economic development and peace initiatives.

The urgency in this years theme, Now is the Time for Peace with Justice, reflects the criticalnature of the peace process in Colombia.

The stakes are high, said Terry Jantzi, MCC representative for Colombia with his spouseElizabeth Phelps. While the Colombian government and FARC Colombias largest rebelgroup engage in negotiations after half a century of internal armed conflict, the victims of the

conflict await peace with justice after years of injustice.

Jantzi and Phelps are from Harrisonburg, Va.

The fighting has led to violence against civilians, widespread disappearances and scores ofhuman rights violations. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, about 5.4million Colombians also have been displaced from their homes in one of the worsthumanitarian crises in the world. Attacks on communities, threats against land restitutionleaders and kidnappings have continued this year despite the ongoing peace process.

The violence has profoundly affected the churches in Colombia. According to a report issuedby MCC Colombia partner Justapaz, 42 cases of human rights and international humanitarianlaw violations were perpetrated against 244 pastors, church leaders and church members in2011. The perpetrators were neo-paramilitary groups, guerrilla combatants and theColombian military.

Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to provide military aid to Colombia.

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Days of Prayer and Action organizers urge U.S. citizens to talk to their government leadersabout reallocating military funds as well as supporting a bilateral ceasefire, respect for humanrights as negotiations proceed, opportunities for peacebuilding by churches and justice foreveryone involved in the conflict including reparations to victims.

Plans call for Sunday, April 28, to be dedicated to prayer. Monday, April 29, will focus onadvocacy.

More information as well as resources and activities for Days of Prayer and Action areavailable through the MCC U.S. Washington Office. To access these materials and to learnmore about the conflict and peace process, visit washington.mcc.org/days, or contact TheoSitther at TheoSitther@mcc.org or (202)544-6564 x118.

Mennonite Central Committee: Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ

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Sarah Gross is an international affairs intern at the MCC U.S. Washington Office.

Photo available: Jainober and his daughter Karen Dayana (last names withheld due to concernsfor safety) stand in the house where they were living in Bogot after being displaced from theirhome in central Colombia in this 2006 photo. (MCC photo/Melissa Hess)