What can be done? -by Dee

           Before talking about how Catholic social teaching could bring about change within Colombia, it is crucial to understand the status of everyday civilians as well as church officials.  Considering that the official religion of Colombia prior to the 1991 constitution was Roman Catholic, it is easy to see why the majority of the population share this faith.  Although they state that they do believe in God, Colombia has no stated religion, and those involved in the drug trafficking would like it to remain that way (Compassion).  Having  a set religion, means having guidelines to live by, and these guidelines go directly against the drug trade since it gives them morals to live by.  Although the Catholic Church is trying to bring about change within Colombia with faith and hope, they first need to work on eliminating the fear that everyone has.
            Living in fear is what many Colombians are accustomed to doing everyday.  They live in fear of their crops being destroyed by poison, their families being kidnapped or murdered, and having no money to sustain themselves (Driver).  Neither side of this war cares about the civilian population and will use it to their advantage when need be, but this is not even this biggest issue.  The biggest problem is not that the people don't have faith either, but that their faith cannot be properly exposed simply because they could die for it.  A mother will not stand up to a man with a gun if her children are in danger, and that is what most people have to deal with.  Those who stand up for what they believe in are the enemy, and the enemies of these paramilitary and guerrilla groups pay the ultimate price(Compassion).  And those who are supposed to be on their side will kill them if they even have the slightest inkling that they could be remotely guilty.
           So what could be done to help?  Many people immediately think, "Well the US is pouring so much money into helping Colombia".  What is not understood is that much of the money the US is using is being used to help pay for the war to continue (Driver).  The US is not tracking their money to make sure it goes to help the people, they just give it to the unstable government and call it a day.  What really needs to be done, especially by the Catholic Church in Colombia, is a lead by example.  It's all well and good that there are many different organizations out there trying to help, but in the end it won't have a lasting affect if the people cannot stand up for themselves.  The Church and her officials need to stand up to the armed forces, the government, and anyone else who is involved.  They should not take up arms and join the war effort of course, but if people see that the Church can stand up for themselves knowing that there could be fatal repercussions, then they will too.


"Colombia Facts." Colombia Facts. Compassion. Web. 16 May 2012. 

Using Catholic Social Teaching Against the Drug Trade - Danielle Visconti

     While most of my group members discussed the specific efforts of the Church in the war against the drug trade, I am going to take a different approach by discussing the basic principles of the Catholic faith that motivated such action to be taken, and how advocating these principles can decrease the influence of the drug trade in Colombia. The most effective way the Church can work toward eliminating drug trade in Colombia is by changing the views people have toward it, which can be done by advocating the themes of Catholic Social Teaching. The themes of Catholic Social Teaching are the fundamentals of the Catholic faith that can change the thinking, and as a result, the course, of the drug trade. By raising awareness to these themes, the immoral nature of the drug trade will be revealed, and, since the country is predominantly Catholic, the Church will gain many supporters in their efforts to end the drug war. While the Church actively participates in the "war" on drugs by opposing it, as seen through the work of the Catholic Relief Service, there will not be a long lasting change in the course of the drug trade, without the minds of the people of society changing permanently (Colombia). A new way of thinking must exist and the Church can create this by advocating the principles of their faith.

     Catholic Social Teaching calls for the dignity of work. According to the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops, members of society should participate in dignified work that preserves God's creation (Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching). Dignified work is work that benefits all aspects of society and allows the individual to reach his or her potential. Contrary to this teaching, working in the drug industry does not benefit society as a whole, for it produces many effects that actually hinder its success. By advocating and incorporating this idea, and working toward bettering the economy, which bishops believe should be conducive to providing people with "good" work, the Church can make even greater strides in the war against the drug trade. Therefore, through advocating the most fundamental themes within the Catholic faith, and as a result, changing the thinking of members of society and raising awareness to the need for change, the Church can become one step closer in ending the drug trade permanently.

"Colombia." Catholic Relief Services. CRS, 2012. Web. 13 May 2012. http://crs.org/countries/colombia.

"Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching." Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching. Web. 13 May 2012. http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm.

Sarah Levine Religion Blog Post

            Colombia, a country that is over 80% Catholic (U.S. State Department), is overridden by violence and human rights issues.  Thus, it is natural that Catholic churches, organizations, and leaders have stepped up to try to fight this problem, at times risking their own lives to do so.  Churches in Colombia courageously work to maintain international support, raise awareness, and directly help the victims of the conflict.
            The element most stressed in the missions of many Catholic organizations that are involved in this conflict is to keep many countries involved in the ongoing peace efforts in Colombia.  Monsignor Hector Fabio Henao is the Secretary General of Caritas, a religious organization in Colombia.  He wants to ensure that “ensures that the Colombia peace process is kept high on the international agenda” (Caritas).  Henao believes that “peace is possible” in Colombia, as evidenced by Caritas’s “Peace is Possible” campaign.  This campaign attempts to instill in the minds of Colombians a sense of hope and the prospect of a positive future.  In addition, the organization provides shelter and basic necessities to those displaced or victimized by the conflict and violence in Colombia. 
            Colombian bishops have reached out to other countries in order to aid them in their difficult tasks.  Caritas is a part of the National Social Ministry Secretariat in Colombia, which is a direct partner with Catholic Relief Services of the United States.   Working in Colombia for more than 50 years, the main goal of CRS in the present is to aid and strengthen the Secretariat.  “The Colombian bishops have called for international support for a negotiated path toward peace, policies that address underlying social and economic problems, and humanitarian aid for the millions of victims of the conflict.”  Catholic Relief Services seeks to assist these bishops by working with other Catholic groups in the US and abroad to raise awareness of Colombia’s situation and “encourage advocacy that responds to our Colombian Church partners' concerns.”  It is imperative that Colombian Catholic organizations receive international aid, because it is a task too great and dangerous for the Colombians to handle on their own. 
           The Colombian Church has made enormous strides in the right direction by reaching out to help their situation, but they have a long way to go. However, the church is in a good position because they have gained the trust of both sides of the conflict, enabling them to facilitate negotiations between the two groups.  Priests and other religious risk their lives by trying to protect children, young people at risk for recruitment into the conflict, and women and families left behind after their family members were killed.  Other ministers help victims by providing health care and finances (Fallon).  In order to make any progress in Colombia, many risks must be taken.
           The most important aspect of Catholic involvement in the Colombian conflict is hope.  Organizations like Catholic Relief Services and the National Social Ministry provide this hope by ensuring Colombian citizens that peace is possible.  Church members themselves risk their lives every day to help those most affected by the conflict, and work with both partisan groups in an attempt to work toward peace. Catholics in Colombia need to continue doing what they are doing, despite many naysayers that argue that peace in Colombia can never be achieved. 





"Colombia." Catholic Relief Services. CRS, 2012. Web. 13 May 2012. http://crs.org/countries/colombia.

"Secretariado Nacional De Pastoral Social - Caritas Colombiana." Secretariado Nacional De Pastoral Social. 2010. Web. 13 May 2012. http://www.pastoralsocial.org/inicio-pastoral-social.html.

"Peacebuilding in Colombia: Interview with Msgr. Hector Fabio." Caritas.org. Caritas. Web. 13 May 2012. http://www.caritas.org/activities/peace_reconciliation/PeaceColumbia.html.

Fallon, Joan. "Lighting the Path to Peace in Colombia." The College of Arts and Letters. The University of Notre Dame, 17 July 2007. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://al.nd.edu/news/12754-lighting-the-path-to-peace-in-colombia/>.

Religion- Colombian Drug Trade- Maciek

Though Colombia is not atheist or agnostic, the Colombian constitution states that the country has no official church or religion. Most Colombians are Roman Catholic, because that was the country's official religion before the adoption of the constitution in 1991. In Colombia, the country does not require students to learn religion in the public schools, but the church and the government have an agreement to provide education in rural areas that do not have public education. (Compassion)
The drug trade and the violence that comes along with it are still growing in Colombia. The church sees this as a horrible crisis, and want to help. The problem is, any church or community leaders that speak up against the violence committed by the armed groups, become victims of disappearances and killings.
The World Council of Churches believes that the government of Colombia, needs to step up and do something about these killings and crimes committed against the country's people. During the United Nations Advocacy Week, held in 2009, Colombian church leaders and ecumenical partners discussed deeply the possible ways of stopping this drug related violence. What they came up with was ways to accompany the churches and the people of Colombia in their struggles.(World Council)
A statement made by the WCC describes what the reason for the drug violence is. They said, “for the Colombian Churches and other civil society organizations, the root of the conflict does not lie in the drug-trafficking or in the violence of the armed guerrilla movements (though these too are to be held to account), but in the long history of social injustice, the concentration of economic and political power in the hands of the few, competition for control of potentially rich oil fields and a social structure built on the pillars of exclusion, inequalities and impunity”. (World Council)
The WCC also came up with ways for church leaders as well as regular people to help in stopping this drug related violence and trade going on in  Colombia. Here are some of the ideas they came up with.
1. Religious leaders in Colombia should continue their efforts in promoting a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the disarming of the paramilitary and the restoration of the rule of law;
2.Prayers and actions of concrete solidarity and exploration of possibilities for accompaniment programmes to support the churches and people in their peace work;
3.Churches should advocate for the full respect of the human rights of Colombian citizens and to support actions aimed at putting an end to impunity, such as the preliminary investigation in Colombia that was launched by the International Criminal Court ;
4.The churches in the United States of America should press their government for an immediate cessation of “Plan Colombia”, and for foreign assistance to Colombia to be redirected from military to humanitarian purposes and for a renewed emphasis on strengthening respect for human rights in the country; (World Council)
By taking these steps, the church, through Social Catholic Teaching, tries to help with this drug situation. Although, the church doesn't have much power over the Colombian people, they can still try and get the attention of the believing citizens, and try to get them to spread the message. Getting other countries like the United States involved is another good idea, although the U.S already spends billions on aiding the drug trafficing surveillance. Without the Colombian government stepping up, external help won't be of much use. That's why the churches should try and negotiate with the government officials to try and end all this murder, kidnapping, and destruction. 


"Minute on Violence in Colombia." World Council of Churches. 26 Feb. 2010. Web. 12 May 2012. <http://www.oikoumene.org/resources/documents/executive-committee/bossey-february-2010/minute-on-violence-on-colombia.html>.


Colombia Facts." Colombia Facts. Web. 12 May 2012. <http://www.compassion.com/about/where/colombia.htm>.

Rise of Drug Trade in Colombia - Danielle Visconti

     The drug trade in Colombia has been facilitated by a number of factors including farmers’ dependency on the production of coca plants, major cartels that remained under the radar for decades, and the contributions of rebel groups and paramilitary groups.

     In the late 1900s, Colombia experienced a devastating recession, which played a crucial role in the rise of drug trade within the country. It was hard for many to make a living, for the number of jobs available decreased as the country experienced “one of the worst recession it has seen in decades” (The Absurdity of the Drug Trade in Colombia). Farmers were among the groups of people who felt first hand the effects of this recession, for without anyone buying their crops, the prices plummeted and an overproduction occurred. Overproduction of popular commodities like cotton, bananas, and coffee, was devastating for farmers who were forced to turn toward a crop that would produce a significant profit (The Absurdity of the Drug Trade in Colombia). This is where the production of the coca plant really took off, for farmers immediately saw the value in this crop and reaped its benefits. While Colombia’s “ideal climate” facilitated the production of coca, farmers saw an increase in demand for this valued product. Another result of the recession was unemployment, but with the cultivation, production, and trafficking of cocaine, many were provided with jobs (An Honest Citizen). Therefore, because of the fragile economy within Colombia, a rise in the drug trade occurred as people saw this as a profitable industry to get involved with.

     Major cartels, like the Medellin and Cali cartels, proved to be significant forces that drove the drug trade to new heights. According to Bruce M. Bagley’s article “Colombia and the War on Drugs”, it is estimated that the Medellin cartel brought in somewhere between $2 billion and $4 billion a year from this drug trade. The Medellin cartel used new methods to improve the accessibility of cocaine in different areas, including using small planes to smuggle these drugs to other countries and areas (The Absurdity of the Drug Trade in Colombia). The Cali cartel also proved to be a major factor that contributed to the rise of drug trade, for, even with the government and anti-narcotic agencies’ efforts, remained under the radar for decades. They hired engineers to develop technologies that would prevent them from getting caught by the government (The Absurdity of the Drug Trade in Colombia). This worked for a long time and allowed the drug trade in Colombia to steadily grow and increase without being influenced too greatly by government opposition.

     The contributions made by rebel groups and paramilitary groups in the drug trade were truly responsible for its spread. Rebel groups, like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and paramilitary groups, like the ELN, played a huge role in facilitating drug trade. Both these groups had a significant amount of military power and force, which made them perfect for the job of protecting and guarding fields and labs where cocaine was being produced. In exchange for their service, these groups made a profit, for they received “taxes” on smuggling the cocaine throughout the country (The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and Illicit Drug Trade). Therefore, the contributions made by these groups, motivated by the profits they made, enabled the drug trade to grow in influence throughout Colombia.

     For all these reasons, and because of many conditions within Colombia, drug trade is a strong force that remains a major problem the government wishes to eradicate.

“An Honest Citizen”. PBS. Web. 01 May 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/an-honest-citizen/map-colombia-cocaine-and-cash/colombia/536/>.

In a predominately Catholic country, how can the Church in Colombia foster Catholic Social Teaching to bring about change in a world so rampant with drug abuse and addiction?

Drug Wars as seen by Dee

Although it was due to the lack of care by the officials within the country that led many citizens who had been forced into poverty to turn to growing coca plants in order to make a decent living, it is due to the paramilitaries and FARC, as well as other organizations like them, that the actual drug wars began and continue  today.

The lower class peasants began to truly suffer due to the separate political parties within Colombia starting their own unofficial civil war in the 1940’s.  Violence and rebellions from groups of armed peasants continued as the liberals and conservatives in the government fought against each other as well.  The economy slowly became worse and worse to the point that civilians could not make enough money to support their families with their meager earnings.  Since Colombia has the perfect climate and geographical settings for growing the coca plant, which is used to make cocaine, many turned to growing it because they would be guaranteed a profit from it.  Simultaneously, a group of people began to create what would be later known as FARC, in order to protect themselves from the conflict between the two governmental parties.  After people migrated to their controlled areas in order to grow coca, and they grew increasingly profitable from it, FARC became much more powerful and formidable.  (Leech)

Of course, with power comes great opposition.  Once the drug lords of the area became wealthy enough they realized that they did not need the support of FARC any longer.  This is where the real drug wars began.  It is critical to understand that there had always been violence and conflict within Colombia, especially within the government.  It is exactly because of these conflicts that Colombia’s authorities could not control their country and so many guerilla and paramilitary groups sprouted.  It is also essential to recognize that with most of the profits, FARC offer aid, “in the areas of credit, education, health, justice, registry, public works, and ecological and cultural programs,” as well as buy better arms and protection (Molano).  The turning point of their goals was in the 1970’s and 80’s when they started to lose money and power to the drug lords and realized that only by kidnapping and using more violence they would get it back.  “FARC tactics include bombings, murder, mortar attacks, kidnapping, extortion, and hijacking, as well as guerrilla and conventional military action against Colombian political, military, and economic targets.”(NCTC)  This was also the peak of the narcotic problem in Colombia.

Slowly but surely the drug problem in Colombia, as well as the power of the different organizations, is decreasing.  Unfortunately, it is realistic to believe that the drug problem will never truly go away.  There will always be someone willing to sell them, grow them, and buy them.  Also, it seems as though Juan Manuel Santos, the president elected in 2010, wants to defeat FARC after 50 years of its existence.  The problem with this is that although the US is supplying Colombia with massive amounts of money to apparently help with this issue, there have been instances in the past where its “war on drugs” has actually prevented the Colombian government from their goals (Leech).  With the way events are happening and people are reacting, this is one war that will never be won.

Alfredo Molano, “Violence and Land Colonization,” 214.

Leech, Garry. "Fifty Years of Violence." History. Colombia Journal. Columbia Journal, May 1999. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.

"Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - Terrorist Groups." Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - Terrorist Groups. National Counterterrorism Center. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. 

                                                -cited as NCTC