NATIONAL COORDINATION NATIONAL MOBILIZATION OF WOMEN AGAINST WAR COMMUNIQUE 001 - May 2002 Esteemed Friends,
The national organizing committee of women against war greets all those organizations, men and women, who at both a national and international level are interested in promoting and participating in THE NATIONAL MARCH OF WOMEN AGAINST WAR. In this letter, we wish to explain to you our thoughts and rationale for postponing the 16 May date originally set for the march.
The Colombia conflict has shown us that circumstances are constantly changing and, for this reason, strategies and proposals for non-violent resistance must be framed in the context of constant change. At the same time, this situation obliges us to stipulate contingency actions by which we can create conditions to minimize the level of risk and of human costs for the mobilization and for the participants.
The breakdown of talks between the Government and the FARC-EP has unchained a guerrilla offensive on the part of all the armed actors, which is having a substantial effect on the civil population, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, leading to the deterioration of public order in the entire country and in the main cities, especially Bogota, which is the destination for the mobilization. This, in turn, has unleashed a series of measures at the district level, one of which prohibits all types of mobilizations in the capital during the period immediately preceding the elections (26 April 26 May).
On the other hand, at the last meeting to coordinate the mobilization, we received information that on 10 May, as part of their electoral campaign, the liberal party will sponsor a mobilization of 40,000 women, "March of the Bells," with its destination being the Plaza Bolivar in Bogota. The theme of this gathering will be Women and the Armed Conflict. Since this proposal is so near to our mobilization planned for 16 May, two things could occur: (l) It could be assumed that our march is part of the Serpa campaign, or (2) appear that it is part of other presidential campaigns.
It is important to remember that the National Congress for Peace and Country will take place on the 9th and 10th, and we have important tasks to carry out in our responsibilities for the women's sector, in addition to which we are interested in this Congress as a venue in which to propose our agenda and articulate our ideas for peace and a country that is inclusive, respectful, just and equitable. We are having consultas in various regions and will have a National Consulta on 7 and 8 May. Our agenda is firm and the scenario is not favorable for the Women's March against war on 16 May.
In view of this, we need more time to generate preparations that will ensure both high quality and quantity of participants from all parts of the country, with a minimal amount of security measures required. This is also a good opportunity to seek the basic resources necessary to guarantee maximum participation in the mobilization.
Consequently, we feel it is desirable to postpone the mobilization until 25 July, removing it from the period of the electoral activities, avoiding the possibility of its being associated with one side or another and also avoid giving support to any positions favoring war. We will use the interim to develop a strategy to protect the march, which includes participation of the international community, to reach a humanitarian agreement with all the armed actors to respect the march and, finally, to create plans that will produce an aura of hope for the country and for the women.
The dated proposed, 25 July, which is prior to the new presidency taking office, will generate some pressure to design new presidential politics regarding the armed conflict the country is now experiencing and to give the new President a vision of what the women feel and think about war. In addition, this action will seek to point out the responsibilities of the former President with regard to the condition in which he is leaving the country and, in particular, his responsibilities to women in light of the exacerbation of the armed conflict and absence of a negotiating table.
This decision is made in concert with the organizations and groups of women who are promoting the national mobilization of women against war. We hope we can count on your presence and your support during the planning period and on 25 July 2002, as well.
With warm regards,
Coordinacion Nacional Movilizacion de Mujeres Contra la Guerra:
- Ruta Pacifica de las mujeres
- Iniciativas de Mujeres por la Paz
- Red Nacional de Mujeres
- Mesa de Concertacion Nacional de Mujeres
- Organizacion Femenina Popular
Translated by: Trisha NOVAK, USA