CALL TO ACTION

SOLIDARITY WITH WOMEN AND PEOPLE’S OF THE AMERICAS AGAINST MILITARIZATION

The Women and People’s Summit of the Americas Against Militarization, that will take place in Colombia, between the 16^th and 23^rd August, 2010, starts soon. The Meeting will take place in the context of an imperialist offensive from United States in the Continent, visible in the expansion of the north-american army forces in Colombia and Panama, the coup d’Etat in Honduras, the threats of a coup in Paraguay and the military occupation in Haiti, taking advantage of the natural disaster, among many other examples.

The Meeting will take place in a country which government holds a history of 40 years of military cooperation with the United States that – under the discourse of the fight against drugs, drugs trafficking and terrorism that’s been an excuse for the persecution and stigmatization of the social protest – hides the real economic interests in the Colombian conflict: the control of natural resources, territories and population.

Between the 16^th and 23^rd August, more than 1.000 women and men, activists of social and political organizations, popular movements of Latin America and worldwide will be in Colombia to see the effects of the militarization in humanitarian commissions in different regions of the country. We’ll work on the building of a common agenda and strategies for a joint work, with emphasis in the military bases. We’ll also have a protest vigil against the militarization and the presence of foreign military forces in the territory.

We call all the social, political and popular movements of Latin America and worldwide to be alert and get organized during all the period of the Meeting, mainly on 23^rd August, an international day of solidarity with the women and people of Colombia and of Americas that fight against the militarization, with many activities, such as the following:

– Vigils or acts in front of Consulates and Representative agencies of Colombia in the United States on August 23.

– Street actions with distribution of flyers around the militarization in places with intense movement as malls, bus stations, train stations, subway, etc.

– Pronunciations and videos in support of the people from Colombia and America.

– To call your congressmen to argue that the government must stop military spending and the allocation of those resources to social services and employment and income generation

– Seminars, conferences, flyers and other materials launching, film and video exhibitions, and other cultural events, aiming to discuss the meeting and raise awareness of the impact of militarization in women’s and people’s lives, and to denounce the multinational, armament industry as well as governments interest around the world in supporting wars and conflicts

– Call the media or organize press releases in the week from the 16^th to 23^rd August to talk about the meeting in Colombia and about the situation in which women and people in conflict zones live.

· We ask you to send us an email to americas marchemondiale.org with the complete details of the actions and events preparations (type of event, name, place, date, hour, and main contact). We will organize this information and we’ll spread it widely at the meeting’s website (http://www.movimientos.org/encuentromujerespueblos/ ) and at our movements websites as well.

In solidarity and struggle!

World March of Women (Marcha Mundial de las Mujeres)

Vía Campesina

Convergencia de los Movimientos y pueblos de las Américas -COMPA,

Consejo Mundial de la Paz – CMP

Minga de Resistencia Social y Comunitaria

Coordinador Nacional Agrario-CNA

Proceso de Comunidades Negras en Colombia-PCN

Corporación Compromiso

Unión Sindical Obrera- USO

Corporación Colombiana de Teatro

Movimiento Social de Mujeres contra la Guerra y por la Paz: Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca, CRIC; Organización Femenina Popular, OFP; Mujeres de Negro - OFP Colombia; Colectivo Policarpa Salavarrieta, La Pola; Cundinamarca; Proceso Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas – CIC-ANUCUR: (Federación de Mujeres Campesinas de Nariño, Asociación de Mujeres Campesinas de Pradera, Comité de Mujeres Campesinas de Caldas, Coordinación de Mujeres Campesinas de Atlántico, Coordinación de Mujeres Campesinas de Sucre); Equipos Cristianos de Acción por la Paz, ECAP; Resguardo Indígena Cariamomo, Caldas, Risaralda; Programa Mujer Indígena, CRIC; Pueblo Yanacona; Pueblo Totoroes; Pueblo Coconuco; Pueblo Nasa; Red de Mujeres de Tiquisio; Pueblo Siapirara; Pueblo Eperara; Resguardo Indígena Triunfo Cristal Páez; Asociación de Proyectos Alternativos Comunitarios, APAC; Asociación de Madres Comunitarias del Área Metropolitana de Bucaramanga; Asociación de Mujeres Productoras de Cárnicos, ASOMUPCAR; Comisión Interfranciscana de Justicia, Paz y Reverencia con la Creación; Hermanas Nuevas Esperanzas, Alianza Fraternal de Mujeres; Asociación de Mujeres Fe y Vida, AMUFEVI; Ciudadanos por la Paz; Hermanas de San Juan Evangelista, Pastoral Obrera Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja; Movimiento Juvenil Quinto Mandamiento; Fundación de Apoyo y Consolidación Social para Desplazados por la Violencia en Colombia, FUNDESVIC; Colectivo Gioconda Belli y Colectivo El Aquelarre de Estudiantes de la Universidad Surcolombiana; Constituyente de Betulia, Santander; Red de Mujeres del Nororiente Colombiano de la Provincia García Rovira; Asociación de Madres Comunitarias de la Provincia García Rovira; Asociación de Madres Comunitarias de la Provincia Puerto Wilches; Asociación de Mujeres Rurales por la Paz y el Progreso, San Gil; Emisoras Comunitarias Magdalena Medio; Pax Christi-Alemania; Asociación Municipal de Mujeres Campesinas de Lebrija, AMMUCALE; Asociación Santandereana de Servidores Públicos, ASTDEMP; Movimiento por la Defensa de los Derechos del Pueblo, MODEP; Siervas de San José, Bogotá; Liga Estudiantil Autónoma, LEA; Unidad Social Popular, Girón; Colombia Support Network Madison,WI

SUPPORTING: Mujeres de Negro de Valencia, España/Mujeres de Negro de Sevilla, España/ Mujeres de Negro de Italia/ Coalición No Bases Colombia/ONGD Atelier, España/Kairos, Canadá/ Diakonía Suecia/Civis Suecia/Heks Suiza/Colectivo Maloka, España/Taula Catalana per la Pau i els DDHH a Colòmbia - España/Fellowship of Reconciliation, FOR Colombia/Fondo para la No Violencia, Estados Unidos/Mujeres Católicas de Austria/Coordinación Colombia Europa Estados Unidos/Coordinación Colombia Europa Estados Unidos, Nodo Centro/ILSA/Comité Permanente para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos/ANDAS/Sisma Mujer/Red Europea de Hermandad y Solidaridad con Colombia, REDHER/Asociación para la Promoción Social Alternativa, MINGA/Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo/Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos/Corporación Sembrar/ Federación Agrominera del Sur de Bolívar, FEDEAGROMISBOL/Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria Alimentaria, SINALTRAINAL/Asamblea de Mujeres por la Paz y la Equidad de Géneros de la Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz/Espacio de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de Derechos Humanos de Barrancabermeja-Magdalena Medio/Foro Social del Magdalena Medio/Fundación Manuel Cepeda Vargas/Cátedra Libre Ignacio Martin Baró/Fellowship of Reconciliation, FOR ColombiaMesa Valenciana por los Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres en Colombia/Corporación Valenciana por los Derechos Humanos en Colombia.

– Mobilization materials

– Graphic materials (leaflets, flyers)

– Multimedia (audio, video)

– Edition of the Voz de los Movimientos n. 45 / 2010 that includes an interview with Claudia Castellano, a lawyer and activist of the Movimiento Social de Mujeres contra la Guerra y por la Paz, from Colombia, about the situation faced by women living in the areas most struck by the armed conflict and the goals of the Women and People’s Summit of the Americas Against Militarization.

· Meeting website: http://www.movimientos.org/encuentromujerespueblos/