Category Archives: PBI Colombia

PBI Colombia

Full of enthusiasm to arrive in the field

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We offer a warm welcome to our seven new field brigadistas who will accompany human rights defenders and organizations from the Apartado, Barrancabermeja and Bogota Teams

The people saying hi in this photo are: Nátaly (Mexico) who accompanies from the field team in Apartadó, whereas Vieni (Mexico), Emily (Ireland) and Jorge (Mexico) will accompany from Barrancabermeja, and Mara (Spain), Marlinde (The Netherlands) y Arnaud (France) from Bogota

“Two weeks ago we arrived in Bogotá. Seven people of different nationalities, with different backgrounds and perspectives, but all with the same desire to continue strengthening PBI’s Colombia project. It’s interesting to learn from PBI’s 30 years in Colombia and how it’s international character plays a role in defence of human rights, acting as a bridge between the civil society organizations, human rights defenders, and the international community. Behind two intense weeks of training, it is hard to be separated, but we are full of enthusiasm to arrive in the field and get to work.”

Welcome to PBI Colombia!

PBI Colombia

Diary of a PBI volunteer

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My First Ten Days as an Accompanier with the Urabá Team (PBI Colombia)

I am Itsaso and part of the PBI field team in Urabá. I am 31 years old. Yep… I am one of the oldest team members and am feeling nostalgic, happy and proud of myself for everything I have done over the last almost seven months as a part of the Urabá field team. I felt so many emotions, uncertainty, doubts, fears, and eagerness when I got here that I want to look back, remember those first days, and try to feel them again. So, I will light a bit of incense, make a cup of tea, and give myself a little massage before I start remembering and initiate this trip through time. I think about why I began this new project… to learn up close about the resistance and struggles of human rights defenders and, from my position and work with PBI, to accompany these initiatives to build a more peaceful world.

Ready, set… Here we go!

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PBI Colombia

The consolidation of a more just society

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We offer a warm welcome to our five new field brigadistas who will accompany human rights defenders and organizations from the Apartado, Barrancabermeja and Bogota Teams

The people saying hi in this photo are: Sunniva (Norway) who accompanies from the field team in Apartadó, whereas Inge (Austria), Mathilde (France) and Alexandra (Portugal) will accompany from Bogotá, and Inés (Spain) from Barrancabermeja.

«We are looking forward to beginning this new experience and accompanying human rights defenders. We consider it an exceptional opportunity to accompany different farmer, indigenous and Afro-descendant organizations in their struggles with land rights issues, their pursuits of justice for victims of the conflict, and their work with families of forcibly disappeared persons. Parting from our own experiences, we connect with each other through our motivation to contribute to the construction of a fairer world and our desire to learn about the organizations that have been working towards the consolidation of a more just society for so many decades».

Welcome to PBI Colombia!

PBI Colombia

«The chance to make a commitment of solidarity to accompany»

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We offer a warm welcome to our four new field brigadistas who will accompany human rights defenders and organizations from the Apartado, Barrancabermeja and Bogota Teams

The people saying hi in this photo are: Julian (Switzerland) who accompanies from the field team in Bogotá, whereas Itsaso (Spain) and Shireen (Germany) will accompany from Apartadó, and Juliane (Germany) from Barrancabermeja.

«For us, Peace Brigades International is a space for individual and collective learning, where we will have the chance to make a commitment of solidarity to accompany different human rights defenders. They are the people who know what is most needed by the groups and communities they accompany, the ones who are suffering on the front line of socio-political violence. As brigadistas, we will strive to create spaces for the defence of human rights in the face of socio-political violence, accompanying from our own learning, experiences and skills, from the principles of non-violence, horizontality, non-partisanship and international character. During the training process we have been very well looked after and welcomed by the team in Bogota, and each one of us is moving on to our field teams full of strength and energy».

Welcome to PBI Colombia!

 

PBI Colombia

“A Common Commitment to Accompany”

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We offer a warm welcome to our seven new field brigadistas who collectively reflected on their arrival

The people saying hi in this photo are: Mari Carmen (Spain) who accompanies from the field team in Bogotá, whereas Ana (Mexico), Brenda (Spain), and Carlos (Nicaragua) will accompany from Barrancabermeja, and Leticia (Brazil), Louise (France), and Adrià (Spain) from Apartadó.

“As new volunteers, we have finished the selection process and initial training to join our field teams. Even though this means that the group that arrived together had to divide up, we have stayed in contact, talking about our different integration experiences, the diversity of perspectives we have, and how we are building relationships with the people we accompany and our teammates. The group has shown a common interest in and commitment to accompanying and learning from the people, organizations, and communities that defend human rights and have been accompanied by PBI over the last 28 years”.

Welcome!

PBI Colombia