CPTnet 
13 September 2008
CHICAGO/TORONTO: Christian Peacemaker Teams announces delegations, autumn 2008 through 2009.

ABORIGINAL JUSTICE DELEGATION TO ALGONQUIN TERRITORY: November 15-23, 2008.

Delegation members will travel to the traditional territories of the Ardoch Algonquin and Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nations, about 80 km north of Kingston, Ontario, to support the nonviolent struggle to protect their unceded land from corporate uranium exploration and mining.  An open-pit uranium mine would release toxic gases and leave millions of tonnes of radioactive tailings that would permanently pollute groundwater.

The Ardoch Algonquin First Nation says, "Uranium mining will lead directly to our social, spiritual and cultural demise.”  The Algonquins have called a moratorium on uranium exploration and are seeking a resolution to their historic land claims.

After securing the gate at the Robertsville Mine for 107 days throughout the summer of 2007, both First Nations participated in a mediation process with the federal and provincial governments and the mining corporation.  Talks broke down in February 2008 and subsequently an Ontario Superior Court judge issued harsh penalties to Algonquin leaders for nonviolently resisting a court injunction against their blockade.  Both First Nations continue their efforts to bring Ontario to the negotiating table in a meaningful way.  Local "settler" (non-Algonquin) residents also support the campaign, and municipalities, including Ottawa and Kingston, have joined the call for a moratorium.

The CPT Aboriginal Justice Delegation will meet with Algonquin leaders and settler and environmental activists; seek the perspectives of those who support uranium exploration; make visits to the historic blockade site; develop an analysis of colonialism; participate in undoing racism training; and organize a public witness in support of the Algonquin's struggle for justice.  Fundraising expectation is $275 (CDN or US) and delegates arrange their own travel to Toronto or Kingston, Ontario.

COLOMBIA: January 11-24, May 26-June 8, July 14-27, and September 22-October 5, 2009. 

Each delegation will have a specific focus as indicated below.
In Colombia, an insurgency-counterinsurgency war has left over 200,000 people dead since 1964 and displaced over three million others from their homes.  CPT's Colombia delegations will meet with church, human rights and social justice organizers in Bogotá and in Barrancabermeja, the industrial city in the Magdalena Medio region where CPT's full-time team has been based since 2001.  In addition, delegates will spend several days in the countryside where communities have been subject to attack and threats by various armed groups.  The specific communities will vary for each delegation as indicated.

January 13-26, Mining Zone: The San Lucas Mountains house the most valuable and largely unexploited gold reserve in the Americas.  More than 30,000 people depend on small-scale mining for a living.  Long recognized as a centre for guerrilla activity, the mountains have seen paramilitary incursions in the last decade.  Today, the Colombian Armed Forces are increasingly committing human rights violations, as they "secure" the zone for multinational investment, including that by Canada's B2Gold Corporation, which in this area works in conjunction with the multinational Anglo Gold Ashanti.  I n order to protect their livelihoods and communities small miners have organized, although their leadership has been under attack by illegal armed actors and the State.  Delegates will meet with rural communities and their leaders in southern Bolivar's mining zone.

May 26-June 8: Garzal: Residents of this rural community along the Magdalena River have been living and working on the land, some for as long as four decades.  Recently, a family of wealthy landowners with ties to the drug trade has used their political and economic influence to claim ownership of the land, despite the fact that they have not lived there for over 15 years, and, according to Colombian law, the farmers are entitled to the land after 10 years on a property.  The farmers are now concerned that the wealthy landowners will use violence to remove them from their homes.  Delegates will meet with the residents who, despite death-threats, are courageously resisting displacement from lands that are rightfully theirs.

July 14-27, Tiquisio: Tiquisio is located at the foot of the northern tip of the Sierra de San Lucas - the mountain range in which most of the artisanal gold mines in south Bolívar are located.  After massive displacements, many residents have returned and have made great progress in community formation and development.  The community process is threatened because of heavy military presence in the area.  Recently the Pastoral Team in Tiquisio displaced because of paramilitary death threats, but Father Rafael the local catholic priest has since returned despite the threats.  Delegates will meet with grassroots organizations and learn about the struggles of building and maintaining community in the midst of armed conflict in which neither state nor illegal armed actors respect the community's neutrality and autonomy.

September 22-October 5, Opón:  Delegates will visit rural farming and fishing communities along the Opón River in the Magdalena Medio region, where armed groups continue to operate.  Many farm families on the Opón River are now facing economic displacement as wealthy landowners buy up surrounding farms.  Delegates will hear from displaced families living in Barrancabermeja, and meet with social organizations working for justice locally and nationally.  The Opón river communities were a main focus of CPT Colombia accompaniment for several years beginning in 2001, when residents began to return home after being forced to displace due to increasing violence.

Fundraising expectation is $2000 US/ $2200 Cdn, which includes roundtrip airfare from a designated U.S. or Canadian city.  Those planning to travel from other countries, contact the CPT office for more information.

IRAQ (KURDISH NORTH): January 8-22, 2009. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 10.

The Kurds of northern Iraq faced discrimination, terror and death under the regime of Saddam Hussein. As the security situation deteriorated in southern and central Iraq, thousands of displaced persons fled to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) controlled area in the north.  Recently, northern border villages have been the site of military attacks by Turkey and Iran.

CPT's delegation will be based in Suleimaniya, in the KRG. Delegates will meet with representatives of non-governmental organizations and human rights groups, displaced persons, government officials, and others. They will gain perspective on the challenges facing people in northern Iraq and the impact there of violence in other areas of Iraq and along the border. The delegation will participate in the work of CPT's longer-term project of building bridges and human rights reporting.

CPT has had a presence in Iraq since October 2002, first in Baghdad and since November 2006 in the Kurdish north.  Fundraising expectation is $3500 (US or Cdn), which includes roundtrip airfare from a designated U.S. or Canadian city. Those planning to travel from other countries, contact the CPT office for more information.

PALESTINE/ISRAEL: October 14-27 and November 19-December 2, 2008; January 6-19, March 17-30, May 19-June 2, July 21-August 3, October 6-19 and November 17-30, 2009.

As governments talk about a "Middle East Peace Process," Israelis and Palestinians continue to suffer losses from violent incidents. Expanding Israeli settlements threaten Palestinian land and homes. Road closures, checkpoints, and home invasions affect the daily lives of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation. Israel's separation barrier (much of it built on confiscated Palestinian land) not only separates Palestinian communities from each other but also acts as a barrier between ordinary Israelis and Palestinians seeking to come together for peace.

CPT delegation members will gain a perspective on how these issues affect daily life. Delegates will meet with Palestinian and Israeli human rights representatives and peace workers in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They will visit Palestinian families whose home and livelihoods are threatened by expanding Israeli settlements. They will travel to the city of Hebron and the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills and experience firsthand CPT's work alongside Israeli and Palestinian partners. They will challenge the structural violence of the Occupation through nonviolent public witness.

CPT has had a continuous presence in Hebron since June 1995 and in At-Tuwani since September 2004.  Fundraising expectation is $2200 US / $2500 Cdn, which includes roundtrip airfare from a designated U.S. or Canadian city. Those planning to travel from other countries, contact the CPT office for more information.

THE PHILIPPINES February 6 - 21, 2009.
Human rights agencies report hundreds of extra-judicial killings and disappearances in the Philippines since 2001.  Victims have included community activists, journalists and church leaders.  In the southern island of Mindanao, a decades-long armed conflict between indigenous Muslim groups and the Philippine government continues despite peace negotiations.

Peace and justice advocates rejoiced in the closure of U.S. military bases in 1991, but a subsequent Visiting Forces Agreement re-opened the door for the on-going presence of U.S. soldiers in the Philippines.  Hazardous waste materials left by the U.S. military at the closed Subic Bay Naval Facility and Clark Air Force Base still seriously endanger the health of impoverished communities nearby.

Members of the CPT delegation will visit human rights organizations and church leaders in the Manila area. They will meet with residents near the former U.S. military bases and learn about the campaign to hold the U.S. accountable for base cleanup. They may travel to the southern island of Mindanao to meet with those affected by the conflict there.  Delegates will listen to the voices of ordinary Filipinos and local groups involved in violence reduction and justice advocacy, and plan a nonviolent public witness in support of local efforts.

Fundraising expectation is $2700 US ($2900 Cdn), which includes
round-trip airfare from a designated U.S. or Canadian city

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FOR ALL DELEGATIONS:

CPT is a faith-based group that seeks participants who are interested in human rights work, committed to nonviolence and to undoing racism, and willing to participate in team worship and reflection. Delegates should have plans to share about the trip upon return to their home communities and congregations. Round-trip airfare from a designated U.S. or Canadian city (except as indicated above), all on-ground travel, two to three meals a day, simple accommodations, and all honorariums and delegation fees are covered. Those planning to travel from other countries, contact the CPT office for
more information.

Funding support: CPT has limited funds available to assist applications from those who otherwise could not participate. CPT is committed to undoing racism and will give preference for funding support to applicants from communities disadvantaged by racism.

For more information or to apply, contact CPT, PO Box 6508, Chicago, IL  60680; phone 773-277-0253; fax 773-277-0291; e-mail delegations [at] cpt [dot] org, or see CPT's website at: http://www.cpt.org (click on "Participate/Join a Delegation").