We co-hosted and helped organise an Iftar at Ensbury Park Community Centre on 5th April. The driving force behind it was Sister Tama, Islamic Faith Adviser at Bournemouth University. It was also supported by Grounded Community, BCP Council and BCP Shout-Out.
It was third time lucky! We originally planned an event for the 21st March at the Garden Rooms café. When this wasn’t able to go ahead we had an enthusiastic response from the Sister Tama, to the attend an Iftar she was organising at the University. This was set up for the 22nd, but then vetoed by the University, because “of the current political situation“!!
There were over 60 guests for the meal. We had a small stall and discussed some of the current campaigns we are working on. Special thanks to Mark Stimson, group member and Activism Rep, for his perseverance to make this event happen.
Interest in our campaigns, letters being signed
Mark Stimson welcomes everyone to the Iftar
Mayu Rousant gives a poetry reading
This month we bring you news from Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Bolivia. Highlights are:
- Colombia – A petition demanding that the Colombian authorities protect human rights defenders.
- Brazil – 2 politicians and an ex-police chief have been arrested over the murder of Marielle Franco
- Venezuela – Presidential Elections have been brought forward to 28 July, with leading opposition leaders barred from standing.
- Argentina – An Urgent Action calling for charges to be dropped in a prosecution centred on social media comments about a public figure.
- Bolivia – A new report on the human rights situation in the country has just been published.
COLOMBIA
Deimar Usaga found killed 16.1.2019 – Peace Community of San José de Apartadó.
The Peace Community of San José de Apartadó remembered the killings of seven of their members in recent years, including the boy Deimar Usaga, who was found with a bullet wound to his head opposite the Army barracks in 2019. None of the killings have resulted in prosecutions. 19 March 2024 30 year-old Nalleli Sepulveda and 14 year-old Edinson David were the latest Peace Community members to be killed. The perpetrators of the killings are believed to be Gaitanistas paramilitaries, whose presence is tolerated by the Army and the State.
Amnesty International has written to President Petro demanding that the State protect the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó and end impunity for those who have perpetrated human rights violations against members of the Community. Please sign Amnesty’s petition demanding that the Colombian authorities protect human rights defenders.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has published an excellent analysis of the risk the ‘Gaitanistas’ (Gaitanista Self-Defence Force) pose to the ‘Total Peace’ plan of the Colombian government. The ICG warns that failure to bring the heavily armed and well-organised Gaitanistas to the negotiating table will both undermine negotiations with the ELN (National Liberation Army) and two dissident FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) groups as wells as enabling the Gaitanistas to take over the territory and businesses run by their rivals, the ELN and FARC dissidents.
The UK’s UN Ambassador has urged the Colombian Government to take further steps to protect vulnerable groups including indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities most affected by conflict. ´Through the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund which has provided £79 million in support of peace agreement implementation, security, and stability in Colombia since 2015, we will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Colombia and prioritise funding interventions to help protect indigenous communities, including through the UN Human Rights Office in Colombia.’ [click to continue…]