by Moira Birss –Colombia– “No Justice? No Peace!” Never has this chant, which I have heard so often at anti-war rallies, felt so real to me as during the last few months observing the ongoing peace negotiations between the Colombian…
Blog Archives
“No Justice? No Peace!” The Women Absent from Colombia’s Peace Talks
Tagged with: activism, Colombia, Poltics, Violence Against Women, War & Conflict, Women in Leadership
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Breaking Social Boundaries: Innovative Transport for the Poor in Colombia
by Jemma Williams –Australia– The gondola glides smoothly up into the Andean hills on the outskirts of Medellín, Colombia, as I peer through its clean glass windows in fascination at the world below. Slums sprawl over rugged green hills, with…
Tagged with: Colombia, Latin America, Medellín, poverty, transportation
Posted in Economy, FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Posted in Economy, FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Afro-Colombians Defend ‘Life and Land’ in Northwest Humanitarian Zones
by Moira Birss –USA/Colombia– The first thing I notice after disembarking from the canoe that carries me across the Curvaradó River are palm oil trees. Their rows of short, stout trunks topped by long green fronds, stretch as far as…
Resisting Violence through Sustainable Agriculture in Colombia
by Moira Birss –USA/Colombia– In the middle of one of the most fertile regions in Colombia, amidst a five-decade armed conflict, a small peasant community manages to serve as a model of civilian resistance against violence and displacement. But as…
Tagged with: Agriculture, Colombia, Economy, Education, Food, Science
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, The World
Fundamental Change in Colombia Unlikely with President-elect Santos
by Moira Birss –Colombia/USA– Fulfilling expectations after a solid showing in May’s first round, former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos handily won Colombia’s June 20th presidential run-off election. Though Santos and his contender, Antanas Mockus, the former mayor of the…
Tagged with: Colombia, corruption, Elections, Guerrilla warfare, human rights, Latin America, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics, Special Election Coverage
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics, Special Election Coverage
Colombia’s Government Wants a Country of Snitches
by Moira Birss – Colombia – The other day I was translating at a meeting between a U.S-based NGO director and a Colombian human rights lawyer. The NGO director remarked how the situation in Colombia reminded him of the story…
Tagged with: Colombia, human rights, Informants, Latin America, Militarization, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Defending Human Rights in Colombia is a Deadly Job
by Moira Birss – Colombia – “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid,” Jorge tells me. “Your right to freedom disappears – you have to limit your movements and activities.” I would be afraid, too; Jorge and…
Tagged with: activism, Colombia, human rights, Politics, social justice, Terrorism
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Colombia’s War: “He’s giving our country away”
by Moira Birss – Colombia – The sparse media coverage of Colombia tends only to give vague descriptions of a violent country with a thriving drug trade. But I’ve come to understand in my 15 months living and working here…
Tagged with: Colombia, Displacement, Economy, human rights, Latin America, Militarization, Politics, War & Conflict
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
Posted in FEATURE ARTICLES, Politics
