On June 21, Congress gave José and his younger brother, Edward, good reason to smile.
The House passed a foreign-assistance bill that takes a significant step toward improving U.S. aid to Colombia by better balancing military aid with
social and economic assistance vital to helping 3.8 million Colombians - los desplazados - who were forced off their lands by Colombia's long-running conflict.
The bill includes a large increase in humanitarian aid - aid to help Colombians displaced as a result of conflict, strengthen the judicial system, invest in rural development and help farmers turn away from growing coca, the main ingredient in cocaine.
Specifically, this bill:
shifts funding from 76 percent military and police aid and 24 percent development aid to a more balanced 55-45 split;
increases support to strengthen the rule of law, including to establish a victims' protection program, provide legal representation for victims, and to implement the paramilitary demobilization law; and
includes $15 million for economic-development activities benefiting Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.
Mercy Corps joined dozens of other groups asking Congress to reorient U.S. aid policy. We've taken a critical step forward - but our work is not finished.
Soon, the U.S. Senate will take up the foreign-assistance bill and consider the question of how best to aid Colombia. Help us persuade the Senate to do the right thing and endorse this new approach to U.S. aid to Colombia!
We signed the “Support the Peace Process and Demobilization in Colombia” petition!
# 18,917:
3:19 pm PDT, Jul 25,Nick McGuire, Ohio
# 18,916:
11:18 am PDT, Jul 20,LuCy J Boogaard, Netherlands
# 18,915:
11:13 am PDT, Jul 20,Tamarah Swensen, Netherlands
# 18,914:
2:28 am PDT, Jul 12,Ann Ewing, Tennessee
# 18,913:
8:09 pm PDT, Jul 8,Tracey Messercola, New York
# 18,912:
10:09 pm PDT, Jul 6,Hubert Delgrange, France
# 18,911:
9:11 am PDT, Jul 5,Cassie Pulsifer, New York
# 18,910:
10:38 am PDT, Jun 21,Aleasha Casaretto, Texas
# 18,909:
9:59 pm PDT, May 31,Miguel Julca, Peru
# 18,908:
11:21 pm PDT, May 24,Tierfreunde Gr Katerini, Greece
# 18,907:
11:14 pm PDT, May 23,Jonatan Nyberg, Finland
# 18,906:
10:58 am PDT, May 22,Name not displayed, Canada
# 18,905:
9:35 pm PDT, May 20,Tori Bush, Florida
# 18,904:
12:12 pm PDT, May 13,Judyta Dymkowska, Poland
# 18,903:
8:25 pm PDT, May 6,ADRIANA BLANDO CORDERO, Mexico
# 18,902:
2:43 pm PDT, May 2,Laura Rodrigues, Portugal
# 18,901:
9:06 am PDT, May 2,Ashley Simpson, New York
# 18,900:
12:11 pm PDT, May 1,Name not displayed, United States Minor Outlying Islands
# 18,899:
8:21 pm PDT, Apr 22,Aloki Patel, Connecticut
# 18,898:
5:27 pm PDT, Apr 8,Andrea Brooks, Arizona
# 18,897:
2:06 pm PDT, Mar 30,Silky Wyld, Wisconsin
# 18,896:
9:24 am PDT, Mar 29,Ines Seidel, Germany
# 18,895:
3:01 pm PDT, Mar 27,Anne Seidel, Germany
# 18,894:
9:05 am PDT, Mar 26,Ginger Geronimo, Alabama
# 18,893:
8:07 pm PDT, Mar 24,Angela Jasper, Texas
# 18,892:
11:15 am PDT, Mar 23,Suzie Gordon, New Hampshire
# 18,891:
7:55 am PDT, Mar 22,Jaylena Greenfield, Ohio
# 18,890:
3:12 am PDT, Mar 22,Art Deco, Maine
# 18,889:
9:35 pm PDT, Mar 21,JOCELYNE ANNIE, Canada
# 18,888:
12:21 pm PDT, Mar 21,Linda Carpenter, Florida
# 18,887:
1:03 am PDT, Mar 15,Shannon Sultan, Wisconsin
# 18,886:
7:48 am PST, Mar 4,Danielle Norberg, Virginia
# 18,885:
4:45 pm PST, Feb 17,Laura Zanoli, Italy
# 18,884:
7:24 pm PST, Feb 16,Kiku Nitta, California
# 18,883:
10:24 am PST, Feb 8,Neal Ryder, Massachusetts
# 18,882:
5:03 pm PST, Feb 3,Name not displayed, New York
# 18,881:
9:28 am PST, Jan 31,Kyna Crain, Montana
# 18,880:
7:19 pm PST, Jan 30,Gale Weaner, Texas
# 18,879:
1:12 pm PST, Jan 28,Anton Oscar Iorga, Canada
# 18,878:
5:22 pm PST, Jan 27,Jennifer Weich, Michigan
# 18,877:
12:50 pm PST, Jan 23,Billi Du Preez, South Africa
# 18,876:
3:44 pm PST, Jan 21,Ali Leitza, Arkansas
# 18,875:
8:04 pm PST, Jan 15,Name not displayed, California
# 18,874:
5:58 pm PST, Jan 12,Adriana Aldana, New York
# 18,873:
12:56 pm PST, Jan 10,Jeannie Blackwell, Florida
# 18,872:
10:15 pm PST, Jan 9,Leslie Graff, California
# 18,871:
4:38 pm PST, Jan 9,Annica Klein, Germany
# 18,870:
5:07 pm PST, Jan 7,Cassie Slaughter, Australia
# 18,869:
3:17 am PST, Jan 6,Terry L. west, West Virginia
# 18,868:
1:45 pm PST, Jan 2,Name not displayed, Romania
# 18,867:
10:59 am PST, Dec 31,Simos Tarabatzis, Greece
# 18,866:
2:37 pm PST, Dec 29,Harrison Fine, Canada
Like I always say, we must find peace within ourselves before we even cultivate possible peace with others.
To live simply is to live peacefully. We must embrace that we are individuals of equal order and never must we think that one individual holds power over that of another. We are not animals but men and humans and the human race.
# 18,865:
10:40 pm PST, Dec 28,Nancy Okita, Illinois
# 18,864:
7:09 pm PST, Dec 28,Lisa Raffaelli, Minnesota
Spending billions on a war that shouldn't have been is ridiculous to say the least, we could be spending it on things to make the world a better place for all to live in!
# 18,862:
8:22 pm PST, Dec 26,Tessa Eldridge, Missouri
# 18,861:
8:18 pm PST, Dec 26,Zeline Wright, Oklahoma
# 18,860:
4:53 pm PST, Dec 26,Name not displayed, Connecticut
# 18,859:
9:13 am PST, Dec 26,Name not displayed, New York
# 18,858:
11:09 am PST, Dec 25,Anna Angel, Ohio
# 18,857:
8:28 am PST, Dec 24,Peter Neathery, Virginia
# 18,856:
5:21 am PST, Dec 18,Victoria Mary Stong / Civil Rights Activist, New York
Because crime anywhere is a crime against all. Unrest in Columbia is unrest everywhere as there are ALWAYS ripple affects around the world. Give Columbia a chance to have peace and security!
# 18,855:
10:06 am PST, Dec 17,Michelle Brown, Virginia
# 18,854:
11:51 am PST, Dec 14,Jillyanne Michelle Cape, Missouri
