Why go on a Christian Peacemaker Teams Delegation to Colombia?

A young Colombian conscientious objector who worked closely with a CPT Colombia delegation shared the following with participants in CPT’s October delegation:

To Our Friends in CPT,

We are the young people of the earth who go through the world with hands united.  We do not want another war to poison the night and darken the days.  We want to recognize the work of men and women in other parts of the world that with your support contribute to the building of a better world.  To our CPT friends who visited us in the first week of October we want to say thank you for getting to know our work and for spreading it to the world, thank you for strengthening our faith and hope and showing us that we are not the only ones who are struggling.  Thank you for the bonds of friendship that we have created and that foster learning and create ideas for change.  As Sister Teresa of Calcutta said: At times we believe that we are doing is only a drop of water in the ocean but the ocean would be less without it.  To everyone a thousand thanks!  May God bless us and strengthen us to continue building the kingdom of justice and peace that God has promised us.  
...
Fondly, A Youth of Barrancabermeja

PRAYERS FOR PEACEMAKERS, March 28, 2012

Pray for the CPT-hosted German delegation to Treaty #3 Territory, visiting Grassy Narrows First Nation and Kenora April 2–15. Pray for open eyes and hearts to learn about the effects of colonialism and the efforts of the Anishnaabe to resist, and for new partnerships to emerge.

Ten years of organizing, nine years as a People's Assembly and a resilient, ongoing presence on the land—these were the achievements celebrated by the community of Micoahumado in Colombia's Magdalena Medio region on 14 March 2012.  Student groups took up microphones, and with song, dance, and other artistic media, created an ambiance of joy and hope under the theme, "Love Life, Work for Peace."

An activist friend of CPT Iraqi Kurdistan once said, “Kurdish families are very connected, but also everyone knows everyone in Kurdistan. When you become an activist you have to be concerned not only about your blood connections but you have to be concerned about 10,000 people who know about you and hear everything you say and watch everything you do.

My body is not a battlefield!

 The Popular Women's Organization (OFP) has worked in the Middle Magdalena region since 1972.  Its members are women on a constant journey, always proclaiming and working for their rights.  When they feel their lives are at risk, they surround themselves with friends to talk about what is happening.  This is the way the leadership of the OFP responded upon learning that unidentified men had been following their friend and coworker, Shayo.  Throughout the days filled with fear and anxiety, they have not given up. 

PRAYERS FOR PEACEMAKERS, March 21, 2012

Pray for CPT and its partners as they document the recent escalation of human rights abuses committed by an Israeli army brigade against the civilian population of Al-Khalil (Hebron). Soldiers from the brigade have threatened CPTers with arrest and death.

 In 1963, Gene Stoltzfus went to Vietnam as a Conscientious Objector with IVS (International Voluntary Services.)  Six months later, when Gene unintentionally wandered into a Special Forces camp, he was welcomed as a fellow American.   He asked two men who had come in from patrol where they had been.  When they would not tell him, except to brag that they had made several kills, he found himself wondering, “If I speak some Vietnamese but can’t tell who are the VC (Vietcong), how can these men, who speak no Vietnamese, tell?”

Christian Peacemaker Teams invites expressions of interest in the one year, 1/4 time, temporary position as CPTnet editor starting summer 2012 when the current editor begins her sabbatical.  
 
Responsibilities

Editing CPTnet
 -Following the releases that teams on project locations are writing for CPTnet.  (The editor is also encouraged to follow blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts of individual CPTers in the field as time allows.)
- Vetting, organizing and editing releases from teams in English (includes communication as needed with teams for clarification.)
 - Posting edited releases to CPTnet, CPT’s English language news service, which provides news updates, reports, reflections, prayer requests and action alerts to its readership.
- Communicating with translators and posting Spanish versions of releases to redECAP, CPT’s Spanish language news service. 
+If time allows, taking on other communication-related responsibilities.

Approximately ten hours a week, flexible location and work hours.  On-call for occasional quick editing and posting of breaking developments in the field.

Mr. Macias is a partner,

A farmer, a fighter, and a troubadour

A native of Northeast Antioquia

Where land is changing hands.

Did you participate in a recent Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) delegation that whetted your appetite for embodied peace work, partnering with others working nonviolently for justice, and confronting the injustice that leads to war?  Does CPT's style of peacemaking, confronting injustice, and undoing oppressions work fit with yours?  Is now the time to take the next step and join the Peacemaker Corps?

If so, please send your application to join the CPT Corps before 1 May 2012 for participation in CPT's July-August Peacemaker Training in Chicago 13 July- 13 August 2012.  Participants are encouraged to apply now. Doing so will make it possible to notify those accepted for training in plenty of time to make travel arrangements. You will find the application at www.cpt.org/participate/peacemaker/apply

We are committed to anti-oppression work both in and out of CPT, and we seek others also interested in this work. We are seeking applicants available for stipend-eligible service, as well as reservists. For answers to more specific questions email Adriana Cabrera-Velásquez, personnel coordinator, at personnel@cpt.org.