When the power of love is greater than the love of power, the world will know peace.
Jimi Hendrix

As part of the Nonviolent Peaceforce Exploration Team sent to analyze the conflict in Colombia, I had the opportunity, together with Jutta Meir (Germany), Sarah Weintraub (United States) and Jhonny Jimenez (Ecuador), to experience true feelings of solidarity, love and nonviolent resistance in the cause of peace.

Visiting 6 regions (Antioquia, Choco, Cauca, Calle del Cauca, Meta and Caquetá) in 19 days gave us the possibility of meeting a different, alternative, human world: A world that, in spite of living and struggling to surviving in the midst of war and violence, seeks each day to realize the dream of a just and more human Colombia at peace.

We started in Antioquia, meeting with an organization that is doing a great job of accompaniment, promoting and defending human rights, the Organizacion Corporacion Juridica Libertad (Institution of Legal Freedom Organization). Together, we were able to visit the Cocorná region, a fertile and beautiful land in the middle of mountains. These mountains, with their light and warmth, refresh the marvelous people who have undertaken several community-building projects such as “Community Stores,” an alternative means to share food products that they produce. These people have returned to their lands after they were displaced by violence and war.

In another region, Choco, we were fortunate to meet with several leaders of the Community of Life and Dignity (CAVIDA) of Cacarica through the good offices of another really humane organization, Justicia y Paz (Justice and Peace), human rights workers for the poorest and tireless in their fight for dignity and respect. For this work, they have been threatened and continue to have court cases brought against them.

Cacarica is one of the most humane and dignified projects of resistance to violence. They are fighting megaprojects like the Panamerican Highway that will unite Colombia with Panama and which goes right through their land, greatly affecting the people, the development and the ecology of the area.

After meeting with the people in Cacarica we went to Belen de Bajira and the Curvaradó Region. It’s incredible to realize how these people had to leave their homes due to the violence. Now the area where they once lived is completely full of African palm trees, which was the reason they were thrown off their land (so these trees could be planted). They want to return to what was once theirs. Their lives in the city have been very difficult – they are farmers, they have no work, they are exploited and abused, they have nowhere to go, nothing to eat, only fear of what has happened and will happen. They only want to return to their land and live in peace. Is this a dream or could it become a reality?

After 5 days in these two regions, we moved to the Valle del Cauca region where we entered the city of Buenaventura, traveling by car down from Cali. There our support group was the Project of the Black Communities. What wonderful work they are doing and how well they are organized! Let me at least give you their principles as a Black organization:
a) Reaffirmation of their existence and identity
b) Promotion and defense of the ancestral lands that belong to them
c) Autonomy (Food Production and Politics) – of course they don’t ignore the Colombian political-administrative system, but they ask that their self-determination as a Black Community be respected
d) Control of their own choices for the future
e) Solidarity with all human beings

This organization allowed us to enter the Yurumangui River area. We left very early from Buenaventura, tracing the Pacific Ocean coastline in the midst of a spectacular rainfall that allowed us to breathe the sea air. We then entered the mouth of the Yurumanqui River and, after a three-hour boat ride, we arrived first at the community of San Antonio to meet with people. Then in the afternoon, in the middle of another strong rainfall, we arrived in the community of Veneral where we met with people and rested.

These two regions of mainly black people, abandoned for so long by the government, today survive also in the midst of violence and armed groups. They are dedicated to farming, fishing and mining. Theirs is an area of spectacular beauty but in the interior one sees that the trees and the plants cry because of the destruction they feel from the fallen bombs and the fish have died from the blasts. And what to say about the people, not only abandoned but also submerged in this immense wave of fear of death, terror of bombardment, abuse of power, and threats? Despite all of this, the entire time we were there they maintained an open, friendly, loving smile that you felt on your skin, in your hands and in your heart. It was like a caress of support and tranquility in the midst of the fear and tension that as human beings and strangers we all experience in these situations. It was wonderful to see the faces of the children and mothers who shared coconut milk, fruit, or candy; and to see the faces of the old people who asked to be able to spend their last days in peace.

Leaving the region and returning by boat for three hours in the same rain that greeted us and now was sending us on our way, we arrived back in Buenaventura. We were not able to go to the area of the Naya River but we did have the opportunity to meet with one of the leaders of the Naya River area communities. They are experiencing essentially the same situation of violence with some special differences and, like all of the organizations that we visited, they are asking for “International Accompaniment.”

A short rest in the city of Cali allowed us to gather our forces, evaluate the work we’d already done, let go of our worries and undertake a trip to another region, that of Cauca. In this region we had the support of a sister organization, the Andino American Friends Service Committee. They were a major support for our decision to go to Santander de Quilichao, our center of operations in this region.

The afternoon we arrived we had our first meeting with ACIN (The Association Chapters of the Indigenous of Northern Cauca), the “Territory of the Great People.” We learned of the work that these indigenous groups are doing on their ancestral land for hundreds of years and which they are fighting to retain.

In order to reach their objectives they have organized in a wonderful way. There are 17 chapters, 13 indigenous units, 2 indigenous municipalities, and various indigenous mining areas among 112,000 inhabitants. They are democratically represented with 7 council leaders who make the decisions for their benefit and protection, in the areas of indigenous education, economic and cultural development, human rights, defense of the territory and ancestral areas, etc. They have many accomplishments.

One of their most impressive activities, that the year before (2005) earned them the Peace Prize in Colombia, is the Indigenous Guards: 7,000 unarmed indigenous people who believe in nonviolence, who protect the civil population from the armed groups and the daily violence. At times, they have confronted the armed groups unarmed and have recovered kidnapped people and land stolen through violence and war. Their strength is in their numbers – 7,000 indigenous people. Members of the Guard say everyone has to be an Indigenous Guard and mobilize the whole population to be able to do this work. It is at this point that one can truly say, “this is an army of peace;” why don’t we do this to help in other regions and countries?

However, in spite of this wonderful process, they are aware of their limitations and believe that international accompaniment would allow them to be stronger and to work together to do actions for peace and nonviolence in addition to the other projects that are so good.

In this region with the help of the Andino American Friends Service Committee we visited several areas: Palo Blanco, La Alsacia, La Balsa, Jambalo and Toribio. I would like to recount all that I felt and experienced but for reasons of security for the region and the people I cannot.

However, it is incredible to see that there are people who every day resist violence, death threats, military and paramilitary checks, food blockades, judicial actions that are begun without reason or motive, the singling out and branding of community leaders who receive death threats. This is terrible and should not be allowed to happen.

But the wonderful thing in all of this is to encounter the hopes for life, the seeds of love that are planted along the way, planted in the living hearts of those who are there, who don’t know what to do but who want a better life full of dignity and peace for their children.

We went to the Region of the META and lower Ariari. It was incredible to see that only two hours from Bogotá there was such fear, anguish and terror, displaced people, children without parents, families divided without knowing where their loved ones were.

Again with Justicia and Paz, together with the support of the Catholic Church, we were able to get into this region and we spent wonderful days with the people of the Civil Community of Life and Peace (CIVIPAZ). They were displaced several years ago and now, with the help of Justicia and Paz, the Church and economic help from international organizations, they have decided to return to their land and to begin to rebuild “their lives and their houses.” There we were, sharing their dreams, fears, pains and joys.

One of the stories that marked my trip and my experience in this community was that several women and children asked that we accompany them to bathe in the river, which is really close, perhaps 500 or 700 meters from the community. This request caught our attention because the fear and terror they felt in just going to wash off after an arduous day of work was understandable. We conferred as a team and decided to do it. We were about 35 people: children, women, youth, and dogs. For three years they had not been able to go in such a large group. There were children in the community who did not know the river because their parents had not been able to take them. There we enjoyed the best bath of our trip, in refreshing crystalline waters after a morning of hot sun, with a space to play for everyone, while some ventured to fish. And thus they were able to share this experience at the farewell dinner for us.

I took a moment of quiet to watch the people enjoying the river, playing in the water, everyone smiling. And I thought our presence in the community this day was planned by destiny, by life, by God, by whatever … and I was happy and I really valued the work that we do. This work is compensated with a smile of gratitude by a mother who hugged me and told me how marvelous it was to be there, or with a child who asked us to play with him in the water. This reminds us of the importance of international accompaniment.

After a few hours rest in Bogota, we went immediately to our next destination, the region of Caquetá. When we arrived in Florencia, the capital of the region, we were struck by evidence of a strong military operation. We arrived with several mayors and the security was impressive. In addition, this region is where the guerrilla movement started and basically where the majority of kidnappings of important people, especially political people, happens in Colombia.

We were received by our friends of Chocaguan, one of the organizations that along with the Indigenous Guard received the 2005 Peace Prize. Their work started several years ago when the Catholic priest of the region, with a very innovative vision, decided to get involved with the people and an alternative development project, “A cocoa bean plant in exchange for a coca plant.” Thus people started to find alternative plants that are not as “condemned” as is the coca plant that, in addition to being a native medicinal plant of the region, is considered sacred by the indigenous Americans. The problem with this plant started when they began to plant coca for illegal business and when chemical processing of coca produced cocaine.

Chocaguan is now a small manufacturer of the "best chocolate in the world,” as they say. It is filled with protein and vitamins, no additives and developed totally in an ecological manner. Hundreds of families benefit from the planting, production, commercialization and consumption of the Chocaguan chocolate and it has changed many lives. Now they also need international accompaniment so that they can continue developing and opening new markets, and especially so that their alternative project is not seen as a threat to the armed groups and the narcotics business.

We were not able to meet with all the people that we had planned to meet. The Armed Work Stoppage by the Guerrilla movement in the area greeted us with a cut-off of electricity for three days. When we looked at the possibility of going near “Remolinos del Caguan” they told us it was extremely risky and that there were fights between the guerrillas and the military on the road we would have to take.

We sought to meet with various people and organizations in Florencia, such as people working with human rights organizations and the universities. I think it was beneficial to our investigation even though we felt people were very afraid to talk with us and we all felt nervous due to the large military deployment in the region.

In this article I have not been able to give many details. As investigators it is not easy to refer to certain real situations of the armed actors and to share information about particular situations due to the security needs of individuals, communities and organizations. This information will be part of the evaluation by the Nonviolent Peaceforce in its consideration of a new international project. After this evaluation I am convinced that, in Colombia or whatever other part of the world, the work for peace must be an alternative for all human beings. And above all, the work that the Nonviolent Peaceforce is doing or wants to do is totally justified.

Written by
Alvaro Ramirez-Durini
Latin-American and Caribbean Coordinator
Nonviolent Peaceforce

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