Grace Pilgrimage and a Peace Training Course
For 5 days a group of approximately 400 people from all over the world will Walk for Peace in Colombia led by Sabine Lichtenfels, Padre Javier Giraldo and Benjamin von Mendelssohn.
Passing through villages and hamlets surrounding the area of San Jose, an area unprotected between the fronts of civil war, participants will be confronted with the threatened reality for Colombian peasants and how they can be part of developing global peace strategies for crisis areas around the world.
Together with the inhabitants of the Peace Village San José de Apartadó and other Colombian peace communities, each Pilgrim will show with this peace action their commitment to create a global peace force that no longer stops at national borders.
The Grace Pilgrimage - Colombia 2008 is the 3rd Pilgrimage led by Sabine Lichtenfels in the name of Grace and was inspired by the long standing cooperation between the Tamera peace research centre in Portugal, the Peace Village San José de Apartadó in Colombia and the Peace Research Village Association in Germany.
Colombia 2008 will also see the very first event of the Global Campus Initiative - a world wide education programme bringing together theory and practice in all relevant areas of life that will support a future without war. At present the Global Campus comprises of Tamera peace research centre (Portugal), Universidad de la Resistencia (Colombia) and the Holy Land Trust (Palestine).
About the Peace Community and how this action will support it
Eleven years ago the inhabitants of San José de Apartadó, located in the Northern part of Colombia, joined forces and founded the Peace Village. Between the fronts of the civil war they maintain non-violent resistance against murder and eviction. During these years more than 170 inhabitants of the village - women, men and children - have been murdered by the military, paramilitary and the guerrillas.
Despite all the attacks and threats the inhabitants of San José carry on, practice the spirit of reconciliation, and work their fields. Their vision is a Colombia without war and displacement, a positive future for their children, a self determined life in dignity and a command of ecological, technological and social know-how for a sustainable life.
The Pilgrimage and Global Campus Initiative support this vision in 2 ways:
- Bringing International presence to one of the most violent areas of the world. Approximately 100 internationals will take part in the pilgrimage, alongside Colombians and can act as witnesses or 'eyes of the world', both seeing firsthand the conditions for many Colombians and acting as protectors. The Pilgrimage will also be accompanied by journalists and media professionals.
- The deepest wish of the Peace Village´s inhabitants is to see a positive future for their children and to receive education in peace professions and technical aspects of sustainability. For this we will begin in October a training program with a global perspective incorporating the most important areas of life: community, sustainable technology, love and sexuality, ecology, spirituality and the political. The aim of the Global Campus is to create such programs throughout the world.
How you can support
- Take Part - International participation is essential for all actions in Colombia as a protection circle for Colombian peasants and displaced persons who experience violations from the various factions. Taking part is also a sign of a profound Yes to being part of the Global transistion from violence to peace. For more information on participation please contact Andrea Regelmann at info@sos-sanjose.org
- Contribute to the Colombia Pilgrimage Appeal - The Pilgrimage is a non profit initiative and donations go directly to financing both the pilgrimage and the Global Campus Initiative.
This solution is adapted from material on the Grace Pilgrimage website.