PRAYERS FOR PEACEMAKERS, Thu., Sep. 04, 2008

Pray for the work of Christian Peacemaker Teams in Palestine. It has been difficult for us to maintain healthy, well staffed and focussed teams, yet at the same time Israel's creeping annexation of the West Bank continues.

Doug Pritchard
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Toronto, Canada

22 July

Carol Tyx, Sandra Rincón, and representatives from about twenty social organizations attended vigils for those recently murdered in Barrancabermeja. They held a banner saying "Plegaria por la vida" or "Prayer for Life."  Vigilers painted a candle with the number representing the order in which each death had occurred at the murder sites and burned papers naming hate, violence, and other things the community wants to end.

CPTers learned of the latest threats to human rights workers, which unknown motorcyclists distributed during the previous night.  See 28 July CPTnet prayer request, "Challenging violence in Barrancabermeja," (http://www.cpt.org/cptnet/2008/07/28/colombia-prayer-request-challenging-violence-barrancabermeja.)
 
22-24 July
Pierre Shantz and Sally Ann Brickner traveled with a Programa (PDP) lawyer to Garzal and Nueva Esperanza.  A business consortium headed by former Colombian President Ernesto Samper wants to purchase the communities' land and is pressuring members to meet with them.  A woman said, "After all the work we did getting established, it doesn't make sense to sell.  Today money is worthless, but land value here is rising."