COLOMBIA: Christian Peacemaker Teams urgently seeking participants for delegations to Colombia, 19 May- 2 June and 14-27 July 2011.  Apply IMMEDIATELY to join May group.  

The delegation scheduled for 19 May-2 June will focus on the communities of Garzal and Nueva Esparanza.  For decades, farmers have cultivated lands in these communities in southern Bolívar province.  According to Colombian law, they have a right to the land after ten years.  Instead, Colombian authorities granted title for these lands to a drug lord, now deceased, who operated a cocaine-processing laboratory until his operation was closed down in the 1980s.  Now his heirs are trying to sell the property to agro-businesses that want the land to mono-crop palm oil.  Despite death threats, the community is remaining on the land.  Currently embroiled in a legal process to have their right of possession recognized and titles granted to community members, they have asked Christian Peacemaker Teams to accompany them in this struggle