Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bogota (Fides Service) - To help more than 800,000 Indigenous in Colombia living in dramatic situations mainly because of armed conflict, the Church in Colombia organised a National Meeting for the Pastoral Care of Indigenous peoples to “listen to the people, reflect on progress in evangelisation and solidarity, share many different experiences, starting from profound respect for the cultures and autonomy of these peoples, identify new criteria to guide the Church’s presence and service”. The meeting, organised by the Ethnic Section of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference will be held 13 to15 November 2004, at the Conference’s head offices. Participants will include Bishops of dioceses and areas where there are Indigenous people, delegates of Indigenous Pastoral, Indigenous priests and religious, and pastoral workers involved in the care of Indigenous peoples.
Reflection will focus on four themes: “Analysis of the Indigenous situation today” (Mr. Gabriel Muyoy, Defender of the Indigenous Peoples); “NASA, identity and youth”( Father Antonio Bonamoni); “Blessed Mother Laura Montoya and Indigenous Peoples ”( Sr. Blanca Pérez MML); “The Church and the Indigenous Peoples” (Mgr Belarmino Correa Yepes).
Father Antonio Villarino, director of the Ethnic Section told Fides the aims of the meeting: “To listen to the people and hear what they ask of the Church, and to tell society about their needs; reflect and discuss the situation of these communities; study Church teaching on Pastoral Care for Indigenous peoples; suggest guidelines for pastoral care of these peoples; outlines a national pastoral plan for Indigenous Peoples”.
Father Villarino also said “ethnic groups are still victims of violation of their political and civil rights, especially the right to life and they suffer racial discrimination, intolerance and social exclusion. Armed conflict makes the situation worse and threatens the existence of about 90 different ethnic groups in Colombia. Last year 139 Indigenes were killed, a high number, for not even a million people. Recent attacks on the peoples of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Embera of Choco were - in 63 % of the cases-, part of a struggle for land control on the part of illegal and outlawed groups directly involved in illegal production of drugs”. Very often Indigenes considered collaborators with guerrilla fighters are massacred and forced to leave their homes because of all sorts of violence.
Roberto Meier, director of the UN High Commission for Refugees in Colombia said guerrilla warfare in Colombia has affected the Indigenous peoples, especially Kankuami. In the last two years about 100 have been killed by paramilitaries and 13,000 forced to leave their homeland. (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 3/11/2004; righe 37, parole 494)
