What's a Peace Community?

The San Jose de Apartado Peace Community in Urabá in Northwest Colombia, is a group of about 1,200 campesinos resisting violent displacement that many other communities in the area have experienced. In 1997 the community claimed their territory as a neutral civilian community and refused to cooperate with any armed group of any form (including military or police). The community has since survived threats, killings, massacres, disappearances, food blockades, and arbitrary detentions.  Despite violent pressure from armed groups, the people of the San Jose Peace Community remain committed to building a community based on democracy, respect for plurality, and community work as an alternative to the violence that surrounds them.

In 2001 the peace community invited the Fellowship of Reconciliation to accompany their community as a means of protection.  Since the Fellowship of Reconciliation began accompanying, the community has seen a drop in violence against them.

Peace Community's website (in Spanish)

Why is the community at risk?
Urabá has long been a "red zone" in Colombia. The guerrillas use the mountains of this region as a stronghold whereas the paramilitaries tend to control the roads and towns. The paramilitaries use displacement as a tool to iscolate and fight the guerrillas. Civilians are often seen as in the way or potential guerrillas.  Armed factions use torture, killings, and disappearances to motivate the people to displace.

Paramilitary groups perpetrate most of the violenced faced by the community.  While the leftist guerrilla groups continue to commit horrible human rights abuses, paramilitaries account for 75%.  Paramilitary groups are well known for often having the support of the military and committing some of the most horrendous atrocities.