Tour of the Process of Black Communities (PCN) in Europe
by - 22.05.2006 16:41
Colombia is one of the countries of Latin America which gives the most
formal recognition to the rights of Afro-american communities. And yet, afro-descendents are one of the social groups suffering from the worst violations of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental rights. The economic and social indicators of the situation of the afro-colombians do not only show poverty and the disinterest of the State, they also reflect the continuing effects of the slavery to which they were subjected and the structural racism which persists.
In addition to this, the Afro-colombians are one of the social groups most affected by the internal armed conflict. The forced displacement of communities, the massacres and selective assassinations, the roadblocks which control and impead the movement of people, food, medecines and fuel are some of the most frequent aggressions suffered in the Pacific and other regions of the country.
During the armed conflict, there has also been an expansion of monocultures such as african palm and coca, which are real menaces to the project of territorial autonomy of the Black Communities in strategic zones such as the Pacific. On the territories of these communities, there are also different kinds of mega-projects, such as the Animas-Nuqui highway, the displacement of the Ovejas river towards the Salvajina dam, which will have enormous environmental, social and cultural impacts on the communities of these areas. These and other initiatives are going ahead, although the constitutional right to previous consultation has not been adequately applied.
Although the paramilitaries have committed enormous violations of human rights, the judicial proceedings against them has not assured truth, justice or reparation for the crimes. Meanwhile they continue to control the territory and commit offenses in zones of Black Communities, such as Buenaventura and the Bajo Atrato. In this last area, they demand that their « demobilisation » be accompanied by an expansion of the african palm plantations. They are menacing to introduce machinery in order to illegally exploit the forest ressources of the communities.
A constantly worsening economic situation, due to the effects of neo-liberal policies and the armed conflict, combines with attacks on previously recognised legal rights of the communities concerning minerals, forest ressources and participation in decision-making. A package of laws, soon to be approved by the parliament, prepare the conditions for the adoption and application of the Free Trade Agreement. The most well known and debated of these is the Forestry Law, which garantees the interests of investors, while ignoring those of the owners of the forest : the black, indigenous and peasant communities. Also, the Law of Justice and Peace, which is the basis of the negociations between the government and the paramilitaries, does not garantee the rights of the afro-colombians to truth, justice and reparation.
The Process of Black Communities in Colombia (Proceso de Comunidades Negras - PCN) is a sector of the social movement which brings together various organisations and individuals working for the recognition and implementation of the rights to territory, identity, participation and development of the Afro-colombians. In recent years, the PCN has tried to make visible the violations of human rights suffered by the communities. With this objective, various Observation Missions have been organised within Colombia and members of the PCN have participated in tours in North America and Europe to denounce these violations and establish links of solidarity and initiatives with various groups.
In 2001 members of the PCN already toured several European countries to inform people about the Plan Colombia. This new tour hopes to renew the contacts and relations made at the time and inform about the situation which the communities have to face today, particularly in the Pacific and northern Cauca regions.
Objectives :
- Make known the situation of the Afrocolombians and strengthen ties and solidarity with groups in Europe.
- Prepare a Permanent Mission of Observation concerning the situation of the communities, to be realised in 2006.
- Create the conditions in which Afrocolombian communities can be
accompanied on the spot and supported in this conflict and in the
participatory process that they are pursuing.
http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/colombia/txt/2006/
http://www.renacientes.org
http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/colombia/pcn.htm
During the armed conflict, there has also been an expansion of monocultures such as african palm and coca, which are real menaces to the project of territorial autonomy of the Black Communities in strategic zones such as the Pacific. On the territories of these communities, there are also different kinds of mega-projects, such as the Animas-Nuqui highway, the displacement of the Ovejas river towards the Salvajina dam, which will have enormous environmental, social and cultural impacts on the communities of these areas. These and other initiatives are going ahead, although the constitutional right to previous consultation has not been adequately applied.
Although the paramilitaries have committed enormous violations of human rights, the judicial proceedings against them has not assured truth, justice or reparation for the crimes. Meanwhile they continue to control the territory and commit offenses in zones of Black Communities, such as Buenaventura and the Bajo Atrato. In this last area, they demand that their « demobilisation » be accompanied by an expansion of the african palm plantations. They are menacing to introduce machinery in order to illegally exploit the forest ressources of the communities.
A constantly worsening economic situation, due to the effects of neo-liberal policies and the armed conflict, combines with attacks on previously recognised legal rights of the communities concerning minerals, forest ressources and participation in decision-making. A package of laws, soon to be approved by the parliament, prepare the conditions for the adoption and application of the Free Trade Agreement. The most well known and debated of these is the Forestry Law, which garantees the interests of investors, while ignoring those of the owners of the forest : the black, indigenous and peasant communities. Also, the Law of Justice and Peace, which is the basis of the negociations between the government and the paramilitaries, does not garantee the rights of the afro-colombians to truth, justice and reparation.
The Process of Black Communities in Colombia (Proceso de Comunidades Negras - PCN) is a sector of the social movement which brings together various organisations and individuals working for the recognition and implementation of the rights to territory, identity, participation and development of the Afro-colombians. In recent years, the PCN has tried to make visible the violations of human rights suffered by the communities. With this objective, various Observation Missions have been organised within Colombia and members of the PCN have participated in tours in North America and Europe to denounce these violations and establish links of solidarity and initiatives with various groups.
In 2001 members of the PCN already toured several European countries to inform people about the Plan Colombia. This new tour hopes to renew the contacts and relations made at the time and inform about the situation which the communities have to face today, particularly in the Pacific and northern Cauca regions.
Objectives :
- Make known the situation of the Afrocolombians and strengthen ties and solidarity with groups in Europe.
- Prepare a Permanent Mission of Observation concerning the situation of the communities, to be realised in 2006.
- Create the conditions in which Afrocolombian communities can be
accompanied on the spot and supported in this conflict and in the
participatory process that they are pursuing.
http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/colombia/txt/2006/
http://www.renacientes.org
http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/colombia/pcn.htm