on the eve of something new

On Sunday, May 30, Colombians will cast their votes for a new leader.  As of now, polls show current President Uribe's former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and former mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus neck and neck in a race that is too close to call.  Sunday's election marks an important moment in history for the South American nation.  The past eight years of Uribe's leadership have given the middle and upper class citizens of Colombia something they have not felt in half a century:  a sense of security.  Uribe's plan of "democratic security" has been effective in combating the guerillas and securing Colombia's major cities.  However, Uribe has come under increased scrutiny for human rights violations that were a direct result of his highly militarized governing strategy.  The current president pushed for a referendum proposal that would have allowed him to run for a third term.  This amendment was rejected by the Constitutional Court of Colombia by a vote of 7-2 on February 26, 2010.

Santos has tried to step out of Uribe's shadow, saying in a recent interview that  he's "not Uribe."  Santos dares not distance himself too much from the current president though, seeing as Uribe will be leaving office with a 75% approval rate.  Mockus, on the other hand, is an oddball politician.  The campaign slogan for the Green Party candidate is "Con educacion todo se puede" - With education, everything is possible.  He is widely known for his quirky stunts.  As rector of the Universidad Nacional, he once mooned an auditorium full of students to get their attention.  As mayor of Bogota, he hired mimes to make fun of traffic offenders, believing that Colombians fear humiliation more than fines.  He could also be seen walking the streets of the capital dressed as a superhero.  Calling himself "Super Citizen," he would clean up garbage and perform other random acts of kindness.  When he received a death threat from the FARC, he wore a brightly colored jacket with a heart-shape cut out of it, showing the absurdity in killing a man who wouldn't retaliate in violence.

So, Colombia is on the threshold.  On Sunday, they have the choice.  Will they vote for a government akin to Alvaro Uribe's, which focused on building up the military to secure the nation's commercial and political centers?  Or, will they cast their votes for Mockus, a candidate promising investment in education?  If neither candidate secures over 50% of the votes, then a run-off will be had between the top two candidates in June.  However things play out, Colombia is in the midst of a transition.  And that is something we here at Give Us Names are paying very close attention to.

A Thread in the Knot

At first glance, displacement seems like a pretty straightforward issue:  violence erupts in an area and people flee.  The bad guys are pretty easy to identify:  The drug cartels trying to control coca fields and trafficking corridors, the guerillas fighting for political ideology and strategic land.  It can't be more complicated than that, can it?

The more I hear about displacement, the more I start to understand the business of it.  The economics.  The dollars and cents.  In the end, that's what a lot of it boils down to.  Take this article I just read.  It's about a man named Enrique whose from the region of Uraba.  That's a place I've been to.  I have driven through its banana fields, walked its farm land, stayed in its towns, swam in its sea, and most of all, I have met its people.  I have heard their stories.  Enrique has a one like it.

In 1997, the Colombian government launched a joint military venture with certain paramilitary organizations called "Operation Genesis."  This attack was led by General Rito Alejo del Rio Rojas, a graduate of the School of the Americas located here in Georgia.  They came to Uraba, to the land Enrique worked.  They took his cattle.  Stole his sheep.  Killed his sons.

Villagers were massacred.  The rest fled to the hills, leaving behind everything.  Three years later, some of those who had been displaced decided to return home.  What they found were not abandoned homes and desolate farmland.  The fields that used to bear traditional Colombia crops - rice, yuca, plantains, and bananas - now were being used to grow African palms.  These trees produce oil that serves as a much-coveted type of bio-fuel.  The land that used to belong to Enrique was now in the hands of some multinational energy corporation.  Money was the motivation behind "Operation Genesis."  Dollars and cents.  That's just one more thread in the knot of displacement.

-cpc

blood bananas

You have to admit we live in a crazy world when people kill for bananas.  Over the past 15 years, Cincinnati-based Chiquita banana has admitted to giving at least $1.7 million to armed groups in Colombia.  During this span, approximately 14,000 innocent civilians were killed by those on the Chiquita payroll.  More indicting is the fact that Chiquita continued to pay paramilitary groups in Colombia even after they were recognized as terrorist organizations by the U.S. State Department in 2001.

The consequence for such actions?  The Justice Department fined the fruit company $25 million for "Engaging in Transactions with a Specially-Designated Global Terrorist."  You can read the full indictment here.

That's it.  A slap on the wrist.  A fine that is a drop in the bucket for an organization like Chiquita.  Back in Colombia there are 14,000 graves, most of them unmarked, so that we can buy bananas.  Our friends at Witness for Peace are determined to not let Chiquita off the hook so easy.  They are currently gathering supporters for a petition that will be hand-delivered to Chiquita during their annual company meeting on May 27.  We join with them in this fight.  Take action now!

Want a pair of TOMS shoes?

Our friends at Whisper Productions are giving away some free TOMS in support of Give Us Names.  All you have to do is get on Twitter and talk about Give Us Names.

Visit http://www.whisperproductions.com/toms for more information.

the beginning of the beginning

On Wednesday, May 5th, Give Us Names launched its "The Beginning of the End" campaign at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School.  The event was the first of many to come.  We were able to show footage from Colombia, talk about our vision of ending displacement, and give a group of high school students the chance to get involved.

Much thanks to the faculty, staff, and students who hosted us.  Stay tuned as we continue to get the word out on displacement throughout the Atlanta area.