COLOMBIA: DAY OF
PRAYER -- DAY OF ACTION
Halt the Crisis! Colombia Cries for Change!
For over 10 years the Assembly and staff of 8th Day have been working
in the interest
of Colombia. Six staff members and an Assembly member have been to
Colombia on
delegations or specific projects, and some have made several trips. We
have come to love
the people, their culture and lands. Out of this relationship we ask
you to participate in
the following Day of Prayer ‑ Day of Action, the theme of which
is, Halt the Crisis!
Colombia Cries for Change!
DAY OF PRAYER
You are invited to incorporate Colombia into your worship service on
April 19, 2009.
This invitation comes from over 400 church leaders, representing 4/3
million protestant,
Catholic and Evangelical church members, and over 20,000 Congregations
in Colombia
and the United States.
The purpose of this day is to bring attention to the hope and tragedy
in Colombia through
information and brief educational materials, and to work to
change US policies and
economic plans with Colombia.
ACTION FOR DAY OF PRAYER - April 19
Utilize the sample sermons, prayers etc. available at http://www.peaceincolombia.org
or create your own.
Order post cards for people to sign at your church service on the day
of prayer. They are
available free of charge by writing to jess@witnessforpeace.org
They are entitled “Change
Colombians Can Believe In” and are addressed to President Obama.
These post cards include five specific requests: 1) an end to military
aid, 2) promoting a
negotiated solution to Colombia’s conflicts, 3) prioritizing social and
humanitarian aid to
Colombia, 4) forging trade relationships that benefit rather than
impoverish people who
are economically poor, and 5) an end to fumigation.
DAY OF ACTION - April 20
You are invited to call attention to the 4 million people who are
displaced in Colombia in
two ways:
1. Throughout March and early April student clubs, church groups,
community organizations
and others are asked to host a paper cut-out doll making party. Each
one of these paper dolls
will be used to represent 1,000 displaced persons in Colombia.
For a doll making guide, visit http://www.peaceincolombia.org/doll_making%20party.htm
For a displacement fact sheet, visit
http://www.peaceincolombia.org/displacement%20fact%20sheet.pdf
For a compelling video go to http://www.peaceincolombia.org/colombiafinal.swf
These dolls are to be sent to one of the following six regional
offices. Email them to find the
correct mailing address.
Washington DC: wfpma@witnessforpeace.org
New York City:‑ MarthaHauze@mfic.org
Chicago: Dwegman@crln.org
Portland wfpnw@witnessforpeace.org
San Francisco: liza@igc.org
Los Angeles: wfpsw@witnessforpeace.org
These six offices are taking leadership in the Day of Prayer and Day of
Action. Please contact
the office closest to you if you have questions, comments or something
to discuss, and send the
dolls to that office. People in the Mid‑West can send dolls to
Erin Cox at 8th Day Center for
Justice – 205 W. Monroe #500 Chicago Il. 60606. We will prepare the
dolls here in conjunction
with the Chicago Religious Leadership Network, one of 8th Day’s
partners in this effort.
2. Contact President Obama on April 20th
and ask for a change of policies with Colombia.
To send a customized message go to
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5436/t/2467/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1082
.
You may want to set a computer on that site for others to sign on as
well.
Or make you comments at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
, fax is 202‑456‑2461,
or at 202‑456‑1111.