New Report of Pax Christi International: Seeking Peace in Colombia
~ Newsletter No.145 ~ February 2006
~ In this issue ~
NEW REPORT OF PAX CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL: “SEEKING PEACE IN COLOMBIA”
AFRICA
Member Organisations Join in Seeking Justice in the DR Congo
AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN
Call Release Fr Jean-Juste in Haiti
Haitian Migrants in the Dominican Republic
Observing the Haitian Elections
Strategies of Non-Violence Conference in Colombia
ASIA & PACIFIC
Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of World War II in Japan
Thailand’s Contribution to Inter-Religious Peace
Tackling Justice, Peace, and Development in India
Threat to Peace and the Cease-Fire Agreement (2002) in Sri Lanka
Clashes in Balochistan, Pakistan
Interventions of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, Pakistan
National Assembly of Pax Christi Pilipinas
MIDDLE EAST
The Political Future of Israel & Palestine
Holy Land Co-ordination 2006
Observing Palestinian Elections
Ecumenical Accompaniment in Israel and Palestine
International Church Action for Peace in Palestine & Israel
Nuclear Ambitions in Iran
Letter to President Bush About Four Kidnapped in Iraq
Vigil Remembers Thousands of Iraqis Held Without Trial
EUROPE
Benkovac Project in Croatia
Kerry Diocesan Justice, Peace and Creation Committee
European Route for Peace
Enhancing Civilian Crisis Management and Peacebuilding by the EU
SECURITY AND DISARMAMENT
Illicit Trade of Small Arms
Pax Christi USA joins the "Women Say No To War” Campaign
Belgian Ban on Cluster Munitions
HUMAN RIGHTS
Pax Christi International Appeals to Human Rights Commission
REPRESENTATION
UN Disarmament Committee
Campaign Actions at the World Council of Churches Assembly
NGO Consultants at UNESCO
INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR
NEW REPORT OF PAX CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL: “SEEKING PEACE IN COLOMBIA”
“Seeking Peace in Colombia” is the title of a new report of Pax Christi International.
Seeking to deepen its commitment to peace and human rights in Colombia, Pax Christi International organised five visits to Colombia between September 2002 and July 2005. This report combines the findings of all five visits with extensive research.
The aim of the report is to achieve four objectives: (1) Review key aspects of the present reality in Colombia with emphasis on the continuous conflict and its effects on the victims of the violence and those who work with these victims; (2) Support the efforts of the Catholic Church in Colombia to end the conflict through non-violent means and promote peace and justice. Pax Christi undertakes this effort particularly in partnership with Colombian national and regional offices of Pastoral Social; (3) Develop contacts with Colombian and international NGOs actively working for peace and justice in Colombia, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Colombia and Redepaz, and explore possibilities for further collaboration with CIDSE, Caritas Internationalis and others; and (4) Coordinate the activities, especially advocacy work, of Pax Christi member organisations with governments and intergovernmental organisations.
The visits and this report give special status and emphasis to the perspectives and experiences of those who suffer most as the direct result of a prolonged period of conflict. This report also gives attention, though not exclusively, to the contributions of the Catholic Church and its efforts towards achieving peace.
The first part of the report examines the situation in Colombia through a critical study of documents prepared by other organizations and through the observations of delegates during the different visits of Pax Christi International. The intent was to update, verify, and supplement the information from these resource documents. In the second part, the report analyses the situation in light of the values of faith as found in Scriptures and the social teachings of the Catholic Church. Finally, in the third part, Pax Christi International members bring the insights of the first two parts together in recommendations for action directed to Pastoral Social, the Colombian government, the armed groups and the international community. Finally, the report formulates the commitment of our movement in the search for peace in Colombia.
Sr. Catherine Ferguson, Coordinator of the coalition “UNANIMA International”, and Fr Paul Lansu of the Pax Christi International Secretariat edited the report. The report is available in English (original) and has 82 pages. It will be translated in Spanish and will also be available in printed format and or be downloaded from the website at An Executive Summary summarises the findings and recommendations and expresses the further commitment of Pax Christi International. Read Report at AM.09.E.06 and Executive Summary at: AM.04.E.06.
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AFRICA
Member Organisations Join in Seeking Justice in the DR Congo
Pax Christi member organisations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) joined with other Congolese civil society organisations in a call for justice for their war-torn country. An 8 January 2006 memorandum to the UN Special Representative to the Great Lakes Region was sent on behalf of the Congolese Coalition on Transitional Justice. The statement calls for international support for rebuilding the DRC’s devastated judicial system and for the establishment of an International Criminal Tribunal to try crimes that fall outside of the mandate of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC is presently conducting an investigation into crimes that were committed during the DRC’s protracted civil war that has killed some 3.5 million and internally displaced another 3 million; however, the Court is competent only to try crimes that were committed after the Rome Statute went into effect on 1 July 2002.
The Coalition commends the strong support of the international community for the electoral process in DRC at this time and says that similar resources are now needed to rehabilitate the country’s judicial sector. To read this communication (in French), please see Ref. AF.03.F.06
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AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN
Call Release Fr Jean-Juste in Haiti
Since 6 January 2006, Pax Christi USA has been calling on the U.S. State Department and U.S. officials to urge the Haitian government to release Haitian priest, Rev Gerard Jean-Juste, from prison to allow him access to medical treatment for his recently diagnosed cancer. Rev Jean-Juste has been held in prison by Haitian authorities for more than five months in connection with a murder in Haiti that occurred while Rev Jean-Juste was in Miami. A vocal critic of the current Haitian government, Fr Jean-Juste has criticized the current government in his sermons and on radio broadcasts. He is among many supporters of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide who have been arbitrarily detained. No formal charges have been filed against Rev Jean-Juste, highlighting an extremely fractured and corrupt judicial system that has resulted in accusations of politically motivated arrests and detentions of hundreds of Haitian citizens by the interim government in Haiti. The Executive Director, Dave Robinson, said: "Rev Jean-Juste is in desperate need of medical treatment. Without his release, his cancer will surely worsen, and one of the most prominent political prisoners in Haiti – identified by Amnesty International as a Prisoner of Conscience – will die." Pax Christi USA is urging its members to contact the U.S. State Department and demand that it use its influence to put pressure on the Haitian government to release Rev Jean-Juste and investigate the widespread reports of corruption within Haiti’s judicial system. More at
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Haitian Migrants in the Dominican Republic
On 16 January 2006, the Commission Episcopale Nationale Justice et Paix (JILAP), a member organisation with Pax Christi International in Haiti, wrote an open letter to Mr Hérard Abraham, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Haiti. In the letter, JILAP refers to the drama of the Haitian migrants who were found suffocated in a container in the neighbouring country of the Dominican Republic. Protesting against the clandestine traffic of Haitians, JILAP is urging the Haitian government to do whatever necessary to determine the circumstances surrounding the Haitians’ deaths in the Dominican Republic. The letter also argues that transparency in such events is needed and that the relationship between the two countries – governments and peoples – needs to be strengthened. Read the letter in French: AM.06.F.06.
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Observing the Haitian Elections
On 20 January 2006, JILAP issued a press release concerning the forthcoming national elections in Haiti on 7 February. Along with about 1000 people, JILAP will be observing the election procedures on the ground. Still many Haitian have not yet had the opportunity to vote because they are not registered or because of a lack of security. JILAP’s press release also describes the conditions under which a legitimate election should be run. Read the press release in French: AM.08.F.06.
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Strategies of Non-Violence Conference in Colombia
On 24 February 2006, Pax Christi France will hold a conference on the methodology of non-violence to build peace in Colombia. The peace communities in the region of Bas Atrato will be presented. Other projects dealing with non-violent strategies in Colombia will also be discussed. The conference will take place at Saint Germain en Laye. For more info, contact Magdalena Rojas at Pax Christi France:
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ASIA & PACIFIC
Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of World War II in Japan
To mark the 60th Anniversary of World War II, the Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace (JCCJP), a member organisation with Pax Christi International, conducted a six-month long Peace Campaign, during which it published a booklet entitled “Message of the 60th year since the end of World War II”. Throughout this six-month period, the JCCJP held commemorative lectures, seminars, a picture campaign, and supported other groups working on peace and non-violence. In addition, the JCCJP also organised a Justice and Peace Fact-Finding Mission in Tokyo, from which a plan emerged to advocate policies and peace within the Church and before governments, as well as to support Japan’s peace campaigns. Sr. Mary Evelyn Jegen, SND, former Vice President of Pax Christi International, participated in the mission.
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Thailand’s Contribution to Inter-Religious Peace
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), a member organisation with Pax Christi International, supported the Surat Thani diocese in the southern region of Thailand, which conducted a seminar to address how regional conflicts are often misunderstood as religious conflicts, and to create a plan of action to build understanding and peace between different religions. At the core of the seminar was the need to understand oneself and others. CCJP concluded that its future role is to support local needs and strengthen the unity between the Thai people.
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Tackling Justice, Peace, and Development in India
The National Commission for Justice, Peace and Development (NCJPD) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), a member organisation with Pax Christi International, covers a variety of issues in the course of its work, such as violation of child rights and discrimination faced by the marginalized, including the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in India. Through the course of a two-day seminar, a general understanding of child rights and a combative action plan were developed. Along with the CBCI Commission for SCs and STs, the NCJPD has planned to educate the marginalized, as it was found that it is people in this socio-economic group that are being denied their rights due to their lack of education. The NCJPD has, in addition, initiated action plans in Kerala and Karnataka in keeping with its goals of making education affordable and accessible to the poor and marginalized in India, and to unswervingly promote education of Christian values. The NCJPD has continued in its Training for a Rights-Based Approach (RBA) to social justice and peace by organising a number of training workshops across the country.
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Threat to Peace and the Cease-Fire Agreement (2002) in Sri Lanka
On 22nd January 2006, Etienne de Jonghe, General Secretary of Pax Christi International sent a letter of concern to the Sri Lankan Government, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP – created jointly by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE). Clashes LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government and its military forces have increased in recent weeks, endangering the fragile Cease-Fire Agreement, or the Memorandum of Understanding, that was established in 2002 after international intervention. Reports of the rape and killing of a young girl, and the killings of soldiers and innocent people – particularly students and women – are becoming more frequent. Increased militarisation and the Emergency Regulation have put citizens in fear for their lives and futures. Both the government and the LTTE need to immediately and effectively work to maintain law and order in the nation, while respecting the rights of every Sri Lankan citizen. It is imperative that joint action be taken to put the peace efforts back on track.
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Clashes in Balochistan, Pakistan
Since 15 December 2005, more than 170 people, including children and women, are reported to have been killed by bullets and rockets fired by the military in Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. The current military operation was launched in response to a rocket fired in December while President Pervaiz Musharaf was visiting the region. Clashes between the Pakistani government and the Baloch tribals have escalated over the past few weeks. Along with the media and human rights groups, the Catholic Church too has intervened. In an interview of 23 January 2006, Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, President of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (an Affiliated member of Pax Christi International), expressed his concern at the number of civilian casualties in the region. He has also called for an immediate end to military action in the area, asserting that a solution to the issue lies in peaceful negotiations. For more information, read article AP.11.E.06.
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Interventions of the National Commission for Justice and Peace, Pakistan
The National Commission for Justice and Peace in Pakistan (NCJP), a member organisation of Pax Christi International, has intervened in a number of human rights violations across the country; in particular, those directed at the minority community of Catholics. The laws governing the country lend their support to those who seek to alienate and discriminate against non-Muslims. This can be illustrated by cases that the NCJP has taken upon itself to defend: Yousaf Masih, the accused in the blasphemy case at Sangla Hill, and Ms Benjamin, a Christian girl denied admission to King Edward Medical College. The NCJP has also joined the National Solidarity for Equal Rights – a coalition of 12 human rights organizations – that will campaign for the repeal of Hudood and Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan. For more information see documents AP.12.E.06 and AP.13.E.06.
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National Assembly of Pax Christi Pilipinas
Pax Christi Philippines will hold its annual National Assembly on 4 and 5 February 2006. The highlight of the Assembly will be the opening public lecture forum to be given by the Bishop President, Msgr. Antonio J. Ledesma, SJ, DD, entitled “Peace in the Social Teachings of the Church.” More at
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MIDDLE EAST
The Political Future of Israel & Palestine
With the failing health of Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel, many partners of Pax Christi International are concerned about the future of relations between Israel and Palestine, and the peace process in particular. The conflict has reached a new critical – and possible instable – stage. On 5 January 2006, Pax Christi Flanders issued a press release referring to partners in both Israel and Palestine who expressed deep concerns about the future. The death of Sharon could lead to a power vacuum and the situation in the Palestinian Territories could become worse. Read the release in Dutch, ME.05.D.06.
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Holy Land Co-ordination 2006
The Co-ordination of Bishops’ Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land and the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land met from 14 to 19 January 2006. The Co-ordination is an expression of the Universal Church’s support of the local Church. H.B. Michel Sabbah, Latin patriarch and President of Pax Christi International, is the President of the Co-ordination. In Jerusalem, bishops from North America and Europe participated in meetings with the nuncio of the Holy See in the Holy Land, with young priests and lay people, and made different pastoral visits in the West Bank and Jordan. In Jordan, the delegation met with King Abdullah and visited different religious sites. Fr Paul Lansu of the International Secretariat participated in the programme and made visits to Bethlehem, Beit Jala, Ramallah, Aboud and Taybeh in the West Bank, and to Amman, Dabouq and Madaba in Jordan. Paul also met with different Pax Christi contacts in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Amman. At the conclusion of the visits the Catholic bishops made a statement which is available at ME.08.E.06.