"No Justice? No Peace!" The Women Absent from Colombia's Peace Talks

by Moira Birss -Colombia- • Yolanda Becerra presenting in the November 2012 Women's Court in the city of Barracabermeja. Photo credit: Lina Mucha. •“No Justice? No Peace!” Never has this chant, which I have heard so often at anti-war rallies,...

Posted by Moira Birss on May 3, 2013 3:08 PM

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...

Posted by Jemma Williams on November 5, 2012 10:46 AM

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...

Posted by Moira Birss on August 30, 2011 12:01 AM

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...

Posted by Moira Birss on April 5, 2011 12:01 AM

Amid Tensions and Surprises Colombia Prepares to Elect a New President

by Moira Birss -USA/Colombia- Colombia prides itself on being Latin America’s oldest democracy. Unlike its neighbors, Colombia has not suffered brutal military coups and dictatorships and, with one brief exception, has held regular presidential elections since the mid 19th century....

Posted by Moira Birss on May 24, 2010 12:01 AM

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...

Posted by Moira Birss on January 11, 2010 12:00 AM

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...

Posted by Moira Birss on September 30, 2009 12:00 AM

The Granny Peace Brigade Campaigns to Close All US Military Bases - in Latin America and Around the World

by Nancy Van Ness - USA - Their hats adorned with artificial flowers identify them at many of the protests in which I participate. The Grannies also show up on New York City's Union Square to sing their signature anti-war...

Posted by Nancy Van Ness on November 21, 2008 12:00 AM

Corruption Reduces the Basic Need for Water and Adequate Sanitation to an Elusive Dream for Billions

by Tess Raposas - Philippines - In coastal communities all over the Philippines, it is ironic that seawater is abundant everywhere but effectively, there’s not a drop of clean water to drink. But the problem exists throughout the country, and...

Posted by Tess Raposas on November 19, 2007 6:26 AM