MADRE Statements

See What MADRE Members Have Accomplished in Colombia

Posted on: Thursday, December 16, 2010

Keywords: Colombia, Child Soldiers, Peace Building, MADRE

Hello Friends,

Below is a profile of Stella Duque, the head of Taller de Vida, our sister organization in Colombia. I'm so pleased that we've been able to show you what our sister organizations do, and how you help them do it. In case you missed our previous profiles, see how you've made a difference in Iraq and Peru!

Thank you so very much,

Vivian Stromberg
Executive Director

Stella Duque, Taller de Vida, Colombia

In 2010, you made it possible for Stella and Taller de Vida to give women and children in war-torn Colombia an alternative to violence.

Through Taller de Vida, you supported art therapy programs for war-displaced women. With these programs, women can create crafts that earn them income at the same time as they receive group counseling and training on human rights issues.

You also made it possible for children to break the cycle of violence. Taller de Vida offers artistic and educational activities to help rehabilitate children exploited as soldiers--and children who are at risk of being recruited by armed groups. By focusing on art and community, the children learn to envision a culture of peace.

In 2010, MADRE was also able to brief the UN Human Rights Committee on the toll the Colombian conflict has taken on the women and children of Taller de Vida. Together, we won recommendations from the Committee that MADRE is going to use to push for better laws and policies in Colombia.

Because you stood with us this year, MADRE and Taller de Vida were able to stand for peace in Colombia. We couldn't do it without you!

Read More: MADRE in Colombia in 2010: "The threats to women human rights defenders in Colombia are so grave that they could not even attend this briefing." MADRE reports to the UN on violence in Colombia. "They just don't want to face the fact that there's a war in Colombia." Video: Born Into War: Child Soldiers in Colombia. "When it was my turn to kill someone, I always hid my face because I was afraid." Testimony of one child soldier. "Unless the Obama administration reverses its position, U.S. taxpayers will continue to foot the bill for militaries that turn children into killers." MADRE Policy & Communications Director Yifat Susskind writes a Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post. "We believe that instead of fueling Colombia’s war, the United States should address the poverty and inequality at the root of Colombia’s crisis." MADRE Talking Points: The Role of the US in Colombia's Conflict.

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