CPTnet
26 July 2012
CPT INTERNATIONAL: Making the difference

Dear Christian Peacemaker Teams supporters,

	Misael Payares

I spent the month of June in Colombia with our team there and visited Las Pavas for four days. I stayed in the family home of Misael Payares and got to know his daughter Mercelis. Each night after sunset the community would gather for a time of prayer and conversation. I sat in the circle with them as they read passages from the Bible and talked about how it connected with their struggle to stay on their land.

In the weeks since I returned to the U.S., the community has taken very public and courageous action, putting their bodies in front of tractors that are bringing palm seedling to plant on their land. In the video of their action, Mercelis describes her nonviolent resistance. “I saw the tractor bringing palms to plant on our land,” she says. “I wanted to take an action of peaceful resistance, so I lay down in the dirt in front of the tractor. Then this gentleman, Juvenal Martinez, grabbed my leg, mistreated me, abused me.”

“[They are] chopping up our crops with machetes, kicking our neighbors, trying to push us to the limit, we who are used to enduring it, because we are Christians and we’ve seen that violence never brings any results,” said Etni Torres, another member of the community.

CPTers were there alongside the community throughout the week, documenting what was happening. One of the CPTers was slapped by a lawyer for the palm company. This work is demanding and CPTers give sacrificially of themselves time and time again. Can you make a donation to support our work? We are 6 months into our fiscal year, we’re $25,000 below what we need to make our budget this year. Can you be part of making up the difference? Donate here: http://www.cpt.org/participate/donate

If you are not able to donate at this time, can you support Las Pavas by sharing CPTnet stories and videos through your networks? There is incredible potential for compelling stories like these to spread without depending on corporate media, but it won’t happen without you.

Finally, if you’d like to visit Colombia and hear from our partners first hand, there is a delegation coming up from November 28 to December 12. More information here: http://www.cpt.org/participate/delegation/schedule

Sincerely,
Tim Nafziger
CPT Outreach Coordinator