Accompaniment in Colombia

A Call to Work for Peace in Colombia

PC(USA) mission conference points to Peace Fellowship Accompaniment Program as a new model
[10-18-07]

Over 600 Presbyterians gathered in Louisville on October 2 -5, for "World Mission ’07: A Celebration of Grace." The meeting, sponsored by Presbyterian World Mission, the newly formed world mission agency of the Presbyterian Church (USA), focused a great deal of attention on concerns for developing and supporting mission in new ways, in response to changes in the church and in the broader culture.

One impressive development was the recognition of "accompaniment" as a very helpful form of mission for this new day. The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship thus received acknowledgment of the Accompaniment Program it initiated three years ago in the violence-torn nation of Colombia, as it sent people there from the U.S. for short periods of time, just to "be there," a presence with Colombian people and especially church leaders whose lives have often been threatened because of their stand for justice and peace in their country.

Anne Barstow, a long-time leader in the Peace Fellowship and one of the leaders in establishing the Accompaniment Program, was at the conference along with a number of other PPF members.

She sent this brief report of the conference:

About 650 people gathered in Louisville last week for an update on where the financially hard-pressed PCUSA stands today on its mission work. We knew there have been huge cut-backs. What happened there in regard to the Accompaniment Program has left me nearly speechless.

Our program was looked upon with skepticism in the beginning by some, as risky and not in line with traditional mission thinking. Because the IPC had asked for accompaniment, PPF went ahead anyway. Now, 3 years later, we are being called "one of the new ways of doing mission." We were singled out at the opening plenary by the new head of Missions, Hunter Farrell, asked to stand, and were told that by making ourselves vulnerable to risk, we were truly "standing with" the IPC. And he gave a powerful prayer for our safety.

This was picked up by Presbyterian News Service. This affirmation is a boon to us! We want to help to establish accompaniment as a regular part of the PCUSA’s service to the world, and to have this public acceptance is wonderful. It happened because of the integrity with which you all have served and the effort that IPC has put into welcoming us and teaching us. I wish that everyone of you could have been present.

Those who were present were: Phil and Lorie Gates, Cat Bucher, Sarah Henken, Linda Eastwood, Ted Collins, Barbara Clawson, Jo Ella Holman, Shannan Vance-Ocampo, and myself (maybe Tom and Mardie Milligan? I'm not sure, people were coming and going.)

Vilma Yanez' comment is apropos: "Accompaniment has become so much more powerful and helpful a program than we ever imagined." We North Americans would say the same, Vilma.

Another item that PPFers will be interested in: at the Colombia Mission Network, which met concurrently with the bigger conference, we managed to surprise Alice Winters (well, almost). It is her 30th anniversary of serving the IPC, so Cat and Henry Bucher arranged a gift for her: a beautiful crystal plaque from the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, thanking her for all she has done and is doing.

The over-all "feeling" at the conference was up-beat. People said "we have turned a corner, we will rebuild the structure of mission work, and it will be done in new ways."

In other e-mails I want to share what we learned about the whole mission network structure - because it is based on volunteer work, costs less than other forms of mission, feeds off of grass-roots energy and passion, and yet is determined to stay within the broader compass of the PCUSA, it is indeed the voice of the future in our church.

Anne Barstow

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship invites you to join a delegation to ...
the Presbyterian Church of Colombia

A partnership between the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and
the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC) on invitation from the IPC. [3-29-06]

Dates: September 21 to October 2, 2006

Why go to Colombia?

Colombia continues to be embroiled in a civil war that has lasted for 40+ years. In recent years the war has taken on new and frightening characteristics – more violence, more people displaced, farmers losing their land. And the Presbyterian Church of Colombia has been targeted for its humanitarian work among the displaced and its work in the area of civil and human rights to the extent that many ministers and lay persons have had to go into hiding to avoid death.

In partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship and the World Ministries Division have established a program of accompaniment through which the PPF trains and sends persons to accompany the church in Colombia providing them a veil of protection against the worst of abuses.

More information >>

Or contact Parrish W. Jones, Delegation Leader
at e-mail: parrish.jones@starpower.net or by phone at 202-262-1850

Five weeks in Colombia -- and going back again

Jane White reports on her 5 weeks of accompanying persecuted Presbyterians in Colombia to provide some safety. And she’s going back again. [9-21-05]

The latest news of the accompaniment program in Colombia -- with a report from accompaniers Marilyn White and Jane Wood, and a request for help in maintaining this vital program. [8-19-05]

New accompanier reports -- with photos and lots of detail [6-9-05]

Britt Johnson has posted his daily reports (with lots of photos) from his time as an accompanier from April to June. You can jump to each page of reports directly from here:
Period ending June 2nd May 25th May 10th May 2nd April 17th April 7th Photos 4/7/05

An "accompanier" sees the realities of life in Colombia

May 17, 2005: the latest group of accompaniers prepares to go.

[5-2-05]

Erik J Mason of Santa Fe, NM, returned to the US a month ago after spending 5 weeks in Colombia as part of the PC(USA) effort to provide North American Christians to accompany sisters and brothers in Colombia whose lives are threatened because of their work for peace and human rights.

He offers a moving report of the realities he experienced there.

We were "accompanying" Maria, a human rights volunteer with the "Association of Solidarity with Political Prisoners," a good friend of the Presbytery of the North Coast of Barranquilla, Colombia. Our visit with five of the prisoners in the jail at Santa Marta had been disturbing. It had been built with a capacity of 250, but 673 persons were presently incarcerated there including 49 women, one with a new baby. There is not enough room even on the floors to sleep, and often there is no water in the few showers. One of the prisoners had recently been strangled, and there were rumors that another murder was planned. Although we had talked sotto voce, the five persons we had interviewed had continually looked around fearfully and once directed another prisoner who had moved too close to move away–some prisoners are paid informants.

To me, four of these prisoners had seemed mere children, but with unbelievably beautiful, intelligent, educated faces. One had been convicted and sentenced to sixteen years for storing a "suspicious" telephone number on her cell phone. Before we departed, the only adult, at age 42, had told us, "Remember us. In truth, we are rebels, but there are no protections here for persons who disagree with the government."

While we drove back to Barranquilla, Maria received a call on her cell phone–there was an emergency at Atlantic University requiring her attention.

In an empty classroom the young and frightened Francisco admitted he had previously attended some leftist rallies, but for the past six months he had been concentrating on his studies. This afternoon, however, he had been accosted by two men, in civilian clothes but with short military haircuts, who showed him xeroxed copies of his identification papers and copies of photographs of his home, his parents, and his presence at political rallies. He had been offered a deal–join the government’s information network and earn $600 a month. If he helped them arrest his friend Antonio, who had gone into hiding a month earlier, he would receive a $1,000 bonus. Refuse, and there would be "consequences" for him and his family. He had taken refuge at the university.

I walked very close to him as we left the university and climbed into our vehicle. At Presbytery, whose Executive Secretary was in Geneva, Maria and Francisco were told that Presbytery had no safe houses, so they left. I was rapidly expanding my vocabulary–amenazas, threats, rehen, hostage, secuestrado, kidnaped.

Several weeks later Maria told us they had found a relatively safe refuge for Francisco in another city. Then she showed us a flyer, just received, announcing that the following-named 19 human rights workers had been declared "military objectives," a sentence of death. They had no funds for 19 more safe places. Maria herself has received so many death threats that she is being strongly advised to go into hiding. She became emotional, explaining that it is difficult not to be able to visit her mother or sister for fear of putting them in danger. "Yes, I am afraid that I might be killed but that’s part of our work. I’m mostly afraid for our youth, like my teenaged son who marches in street demonstrations with a megaphone."

She had brought with her many photographs of her human rights work over the last twenty years. One by one she held up about 25 photographs of professors, students and union leaders assassinated in Barranquilla in the last several years. In a flat, emotionless voice she recited the data fixed in her mind for each photo, "Juan Jose Torres, union worker, assassinated March 25, 2002; Diego Avila Zavala, professor at the Atlantic University, assassinated January 17, 2004." Her voice trembled several times, "Oscar Manuel Vargas, union worker, assassinated April 19, 2003, tortured while in prison, burned with acid, a horrible death; Jairo Perez Barrios, student, assassinated October 18, 2004, a wonderful boy, he was like a son to me."

This is the reality of Colombia, which our US Department of State has recently taken off the "poor" list of countries in human rights. When my team partner, Ted Collins from Kansas, and I passed a lighted torch to Britt Johnson and Danna Larson after our five weeks of accompaniment in Colombia, the Catholic priest conducting the ceremony told us, "Your presence is enough; your presence is eloquent." I was grateful for his comment, but "presence" is not really enough . Our protest and advocacy is required.

Erik J Mason
"Accompanier" 26 Feb-4 Apr 05
Member, Westminster Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe NM

Names above have been changed

Accompaniment in Colombia

We have received this note from Len Bjorkman, Co-Moderator of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, and we encourage you to consider this challenging call. [10-15-04]

Jane Hanna, former President of the Witherspoon Society, seconds the invitation.

Greetings, One and All!

I'm sending information about this opportunity to those who attended the Ghost Ranch Seminar in 2001, [and to anyone else who wants to work for peace in Colombia.]

Since we met Alice Winters then and heard so much about Colombia, and since quite a few of us whom I know are very involved in seeking to be in solidarity with the Presbyterians (and others) in Colombia, I thought you might like to know about these recent developments, and wish to help.

In the late spring, the Rev. Milton Mejia, the Executive Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, appealed to the Presbyterian Church (USA) for accompaniers to help them as they continue to face death threats and other serious dangers. (For one news article about the dangers, you may go to this article on the PCUSA website.)

Earlier this year, Susan Andrews, the Moderator of last year's General Assembly, visited Colombia, and our interest and involvement there increased. But at the time of Milton's request, the PCUSA was not in a position to respond with accompaniers. In late August, Rick Ufford-Chase, the current GA Moderator, visited Colombia, and when he reported to the General Assembly Council in September, they were able to make the basic commitment to provide an accompaniment program. Since then, there has been a very encouraging flurry of activity to bring that program to reality, in both the short-term and the long-term.

Several GA offices are working on this, and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship has undertaken (in full consultation with Louisville) the task of getting the program started so that some accompaniers can go to Colombia hopefully in November.

This is an exciting development in the Church's ability to respond beyond the usual ways to a request from a sister church. Most importantly, this program can mean life for Presbyterians and others in Colombia whose lives are regularly threatened.

In order to accomplish this, funds are needed to cover a stipend for the temporary coordinator, and some of the costs of the orientation of the volunteers, to assist the volunteers if they can not raise funds sufficient to cover their costs, and to begin to build a special GA fund for Colombia Accompaniment.

We are extremely encouraged that so much has been done in the last month! For instance, a coordinator has been found, several volunteers have come forward, and many administrative details have been worked out. Plans are being made for orientation and training to take place in Washington, D.C., in early November. Toward the costs, $3075 have already been raised.

If you would like to be part of this effort, you are invited to do so by sending a tax-deductible contribution to:

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
P.O. Box 271
Nyack NY 10960

Mark it for Colombia accompaniment.

If you have questions, or would like more information, please contact Anne Barstow <annebarstow@peoplepc.com>; she's taking the lead in organizing this for the Peace Fellowship. (And of course you may respond to me!)

Peace, Len Bjorkman (Co-Moderator, PPF)

Jane Hanna, former president of the Witherspoon Society and one of the organizers of the Ghost Ranch seminar mentioned above, adds this note:

Hi Fellow 'Spooners,

This is a project that would be good for Witherspoon to join, support and promote. The concern for Colombia arose from the Ghost Ranch seminars which we have con-sponsored. In addition, our members often wonder "what they can do" to be more proactive around peace and justice concerns. Here's an opportunity.

It is encouraging that the national church is really trying to help our Presbyterian friends in Colombia. A number of the people we met with on our trip in 2003 have been assassinated, wrongly jailed, and threatened with death. Church and human rights workers, union leaders and journalists are those whose lives are most threatened. Whatever we can do to help them as they work for justice amid such violence is part of what Witherspoon claims to be about.

Hope you'll agree with me, Jane

PC(USA) seeks accompaniers for Colombia

Church leaders there continue to be harassed, threatened

by Alexa Smith, Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE - October 28, 2004 - Dozens of volunteers are now being sought to serve as accompaniers with the Presbyterian Church in Colombia (PCI) to curb violence against its pastors and church workers.

The PCI has been asking for help for more than six months. During its September meeting the PC(USA)'s General Assembly Council approved sending accompaniers under the joint auspices of the Worldwide Ministries Division and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

Teams of two or three volunteers will go into the region for stints of four to six weeks until a full-time mission co-worker is hired to host mission groups and provide pastoral support for the PCI. The church is ministering amidst government repression, guerrilla warfare and brutal paramilitary incursions.

Colombia is home to what many call the hemisphere's worst humanitarian crisis.

Although PCI executive secretary Milton Mejia has repeatedly insisted that the PCI does nothing illegal, it appears that Colombian authorities are trying to link the church with Colombia's guerrilla movement. This puts PCI workers at risk and scares off folks in need who would ordinarily turn to it for help.

According to Mejia, the harassment is a way of stopping the church's human rights ministry.

After a number of displaced men were arrested and accused of bombing a department store owned by a prominent Colombian politician, PCI leaders learned that the church's synod office in Barranquilla is apparently under video surveillance. Interrogators showed to those arrested video clips of people entering and leaving the church offices.

The church also operates a small human rights program in which volunteer lawyers help displaced people apply for government assistance and document human rights abuses that forced them off their land. The coordinator of that program, Mauricio Avilez, was arrested in June and charged with subversion, which his interrogators equated with human rights work.

Although the charges are still pending, Avilez was abruptly released from jail last week.

Mejia's life was threatened by an anonymous telephone caller who tried to extort roughly $4,000 from the church - money the caller said should not be spent on helping the displaced.

"If we had someone who could leave tomorrow, we'd have them in Colombia within two weeks," said K. T. Ockels, who directs the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Mission Service Recruitment Office (MSRO). "[But] anyone who goes needs training, unless they've served with an organization like the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) or have experience on the ground in Colombia."

Potential volunteers should contact the MSRO by phone at 502-569-2530, or by e-mail at msro@ctr.pcusa.org. Applications may be obtained by using the "One Door" online service at www.pcusa.org/onedoor. Once there, click on "Search," and then "International Service/Latin America" to find links to the job descriptions or type www.pcusa.org/msr/application.htm.

Volunteers will help the PCI to minister to Colombia's massive refugee population, which has been displaced by the violence that has wracked the country for more than 40 years. They will document human rights abuses, accompany church leaders as they speak with government authorities, and file reports that help interpret the conflict for the wider church.

The cost to each volunteer is approximately $2,000 to cover expenses, including airfare. The PC(USA) will provide risk management insurance and medical evacuation if necessary, but not standard health insurance, according to Maria Arroyo, the PC(USA)'s area coordinator for Latin America. The PCI will provide housing. Fluency in Spanish is preferable and volunteers must be at least 21 years old.

"We need someone there yesterday. Really quick," said Arroyo. "The church is calling us constantly to put someone there. It is urgent. The church feels very vulnerable, that surveillance of [its ministries] is continuing."

"People who apply for these positions need to be mature and have self-confidence and a very strong Christian background that is committed to nonviolence. They also need some knowledge of the situation. They cannot go if they do not realize how risky this is," said Arroyo. She added that she has the utmost confidence in the PCI to orient the accompaniers thoroughly upon arrival in Barranquilla.

Training for accompaniers is being developed now by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, based on elements of several international accompaniment groups, including the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), Witness for Peace, and the Fellowship for Reconciliation. A former CPT accompanier in Colombia and an active Presbyterian, Charles Spring, will lead the first training in Washington, D.C. beginning Nov. 11.

The Peace Fellowship is also recruiting candidates for accompaniment and raising funds to defray some of the cost.

Rick Ufford-Chase, General Assembly moderator - who is already CPT-trained - was in Barranquilla and Bogota in mid-September accompanying Mejia and other church leaders. He prodded the GAC to get the accompaniment project under way when he returned.

Arroyo said the goal is to put a full-time accompanier in Barranquilla in January and that the denomination will accelerate the placement process to do so. Ockels said it is a tight timetable.

The denomination has opened an Extra Commitment Opportunity account (#051763) to help defray costs for travel and insurance. Donations may be sent to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Individual Remittance Processing, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700.

The PC(USA)'s mission service policies clearly state that the church does not pay ransom if its personnel are kidnapped or held hostage.