Amnesty mission responds to crisis in Colombia

 I got this from Amnesty International:

http://www.amnesty.ca/blog/index.php?TopicID=141&utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Informz

Dear Human Rights supporter,

"Indigenous Peoples where I live are facing the grave danger of physical and cultural extermination.”  - Luis Evelis Andrade, leader of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, ONIC

Right now in Colombia, thousands of Indigenous people from all over the country are making the long and often arduous journey to Bogota for the 8th national congress of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, ONIC, where they are sharing information about ongoing attacks on their human rights.

Just attending this meeting is an act of incredible bravery in a country where so many Indigenous people who have spoken out have been killed or disappeared.
Thanks to financial support from Canadians like you, I am currently in Colombia along with Amnesty International campaigner Kathy Price, at the request of the ONIC, to provide vital international observation and accompaniment.
Our presence signals that Amnesty International is extremely concerned about what is happening to Indigenous Peoples in Colombia. This is an important opportunity to deepen our understanding about what members of Indigenous communities are confronting in their daily lives, particularly those whose territories are coveted for their natural resources.
At Amnesty International, we take seriously the call for solidarity from ONIC, which two years ago appealed for our help with efforts to break the silence about a devastating human rights crisis in the South American country. At least a third of Colombia’s 102 distinct Indigenous Peoples are at risk of complete destruction amidst armed conflict and the imposition of resource extraction projects on their territory.
Colombia’s highest court describes the situation as “an emergency … as serious as it is invisible” and called on the Colombian government to take immediate action to protect the rights and survival of Indigenous Peoples. Yet effective measures -- and the political will to implement them -- will not happen until the emergency is made visible and sufficient pressure is mounted.
This week we will share the hopeful message that many Canadians like you have heard of the crisis facing Indigenous peoples in Colombia and are standing up for their rights.
We will share the messages of concern and solidarity, the signed banners, messages on maple leaves, and comments added to our petitions. All of these convey a deep resolve to stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples who legitimately, peacefully and with enormous courage claim their right to survival with dignity. Their struggle is ours.
Watch for updates this week on our website as Kathy & I report to you directly from Colombia.

Thank you again for your ongoing support for our calls for protection of the rights and survival of Indigenous Peoples in Colombia!



Alex Neve
Secretary General
Amnesty International Canada