Children in Bogota Take Part in the National Days of Action for Colombia

Last Wednesday, at the Moment for Peace in a Mennonite Church in Bogota, several dozen displaced people and others gathered for a “Face the Displaced” gathering. The action is part of the annual National Days of Action for Colombia, through which tens of thousands of people in Colombia and the United States are calling attention to the hemisphere’s largest internal displacement crisis and U.S. military support for the war.

It was incredibly moving to see folks—from children to the elderly—using the “faces” to share their stories and feelings through words and drawings. The scrawled messages to President Obama, calling for an end to military aid. And to people in the U.S., asking for support (see the pictures below).



Throughout the month, activists across the United States are displaying these poignant portraits at public vigils, galleries, churches and demonstrations. The campaign will culminate next month with a massive display of the portraits in Washington and meetings with governmental representatives. The displays created here in Bogota will be part of those events.

This weekend other churches and groups of displaced people had gatherings in Bogota to share their stories and messages through the “faces”.



I cannot wait to see the pictures of these “faces”, along with those being created by thousands across the United States, displayed in May. More importantly, I cannot wait to show those pictures to the people who last week created these presentations here in Bogota.



Do you or anyone else in your community have plans to participate in the National Days of Action for Colombia? We’d love to hear about your actions!