AMERICA : COLOMBIA : AGREEMENT FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION WITH CHURCH

Agenzia Fides REPORT - In the second phase of the National Agreement for Reconciliation and Peace (NARP), on December 5, a forum and meeting on peace-building was held in the city of Villavicencio. The event, held at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of Villavicencio, was attended by 21 representatives of various entities that form the so-called "Alliance". The Archbishop of Villavicencio, Mgr. Oscar Urbina Ortega thanked the delegates for their participation and support to the development of initiatives such as the forum with the candidates for Mayor of Villavicencio and dialogue with the candidates for governor of the region, which took place on 25 October. Mgr. Ortega Urbina said that this work is "an important step and a point of departure", and urged participants to "continue the work and to open new spaces" to help those who take on these law tasks. He also stressed the importance of acting in "communion and solidarity among ourselves, without any desire to take center stage" so that the Alliance becomes a " work reference point" in this region of Colombia.
As part of the program of the National Reconciliation Commission, in past days two other forums in the city of Tunja, and Buga were realized. In Tunja 30 people attended and touched issues concerning energy development, citizen participation and environmental protection. Buga saw 50 participants including the Bishop of the Diocese of Buga, Mgr.Hernán Giraldo Jaramillo. The topics mainly discussed were the rural areas, education and housing problems.
The note sent by the Episcopal Conference to Fides noted that the findings in these forums and the presence of the Church are a clear contribution to the efforts for the construction of a Reconciled Colombia and in Peace. The same Episcopal Conference had invited all the communities of believers to the March for the freedom of the hostages, realized yesterday, December 6, in 34 cities in Colombia, and saw an unprecedented number of participants across the country. "¡No más Farc!" is read in many signs that the participants carried, almost all dressed in white or with a white handkerchief around the neck or in their hands. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 07/12/2011)

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