Hi there
Just found this message on the pbi website (where it's published in Spanish, so the following is my own translation):
15 Sep 2010
News Flash:
Human Rights Defender, David Ravelo Crespo, in Detention
Social Forum of Barrancabermeja and Magdalena Medio [Colombia], 15 Sep 2010
Today, on 14 Sep 2010, at 3:05pm, various officers of the Fiscalía General de la Nación, the Colombian General Attorney, arrived at the headquarters of CREDHOS, the Regional Corporation for the Defense of Human Rights, in the city of Barrancabermeja, presenting a warrant for the arrest of Human Rights Defender, David Ravelo Crespo, a member of the CREDHOS management committee and outstanding community leader in the Magdaleno Medio region of Colombia.
[…]
In our view, the prosecution and detention of David Ravelo Crespo is part of the Colombian state's strategy to legally prosecute social leaders and human rights defenders in an attempt to silence those it has not been able to intimidate by weapons. Therefore, the state resorts to other strategies to weaken their resolve to fight on for social justice. In return for cash and the benefits afforded by the so-called "Law for Justice and Peace", paramilitaries detained in Colombia's prisons have been making false, libellous and injurious allegations against leaders of social, community and unionist movements, against human rights defenders, against victims' and small-holding farmers' organisations.
Moreover, according to the latest bulletins issued by the General Attorney, we have been able to ascertain that the DAS – Administrative Department for Security – has ordered to push for the legal prosecution of male and female defenders of human rights, using construed, fictitious accusations, in order to put behind bars those who are opposed to the national government.
We, the social organisations, defenders of human rights, labour unions, associations of victims, communities and small-holding farmers in Barrancabermeja and Magdalena Medio, trust that due process will be observed and that David Ravelo Crespo's rights as a citizen will be respected.
We express our solidarity with and unconditional support of David Ravelo Crespo and his family. We know that David is someone deeply committed to human rights and to the victims of the political, social and armed conflict that has been afflicting Colombia.
Barrancabermeja, Magdalena Medio, 14 Sept 2010"
Showing posts with label peace brigades international -- pbi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label peace brigades international -- pbi. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Human rights defender under threat in Colombia
Hiya again
One of my pbi friends posted this video on facebook. It's a short documentary about a human rights defender in Barrancabermeja, an oil town in Colombia, who has received many death threats:
Thank you for supporting the cause of PBI – Peace Brigades International – who have been providing unarmed accompaniment to David Ravelo and his organisation, CREDHOS.
One of my pbi friends posted this video on facebook. It's a short documentary about a human rights defender in Barrancabermeja, an oil town in Colombia, who has received many death threats:
Thank you for supporting the cause of PBI – Peace Brigades International – who have been providing unarmed accompaniment to David Ravelo and his organisation, CREDHOS.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Colombia: Threats to Human Rights Defenders and Social Organisations in Barrancabermeja
Hiya again
Those who know me also know that a big part of my heart beats for the fantastic country of Colombia. By marriage on my brother's side, I have family there. But I also studied Spanish language and literature (longer ago than I care to remember) and have been fascinated by the literature of Ibero-America, especially Colombia.
Not long ago, the country made big headlines when a branch of the armed forces under the current government of Alvaro Uribe Vélez managed to liberate several long-held hostages, including the Colombian-French former presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancour -- everyone must have heard of that near-magical feat of subterfuge. [Addendum on July 25: Since I wrote this, I learnt that the "near-magical feat" involved pretending to be a Swiss human rights organisations, which I think is tantamount to abuse. Some papers reported that the liberators pretended to be from the Red Cross, but I've not seen it confirmed in an interview with one analyst from the International Crisis Group, who was recently interviewed in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung-NZZ (see http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5588&l=1 ). So I'm deleting the word "deeply" in the next sentence.] Although I am highly sceptical of Uribe's government, I must admit that I was ------ impressed with the way this liberation was achieved -- no bloodshed, no violence. That is quite a feat in a country that has known so much of both in the past forty years (and much longer). Anyone can take a leaf out of that particular book (the peaceful, non-violent liberation of the hostages, not the violence...).
However, all is far from well in what could easily be one of the wealthiest countries on earth. The government is staunchly right-wing, arch-liberalist and totally anti-human rights (except where its own cronies are concerned).
That is why I am today forwarding to you a call for urgent action on behalf of OFP - the Popular Women's Organisation of Barrancabermeja. Last July 20th [2008], these courageous women "celebrated" the 36th anniversary of the foundation of their organisation to defend freedom and social justice and gender equality (luchando por la libertad, la justicia social y de género).
Because the OFP (and other social and labour organisations) are a thorn in the fascist side of the paramilitaries, that -- to say the least -- enjoy the tacit protection of the Uribe government, the OFP have for more than ten years had to rely on the "unarmed bodyguards" of pbi - Peace Brigades International.
Read for yourself/yourselves. The following is an edited version of the English call for urgent action that I found in my in-box this morning.
*****
BARRANCABERMEJA, MIDDLE MAGDALENA (Magdalena Medio Dept.), COLOMBIA:
THREATS TO SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
URGENT ACTION
The Space of Social Workers and Human Rights Defenders in Barrancabermeja and the Middle Magdalena denounces and publicly rejects the wave of assassinations of male and female members of the community, as well as the death threats against five social organizations and human rights defenders in the city of Barrancabermeja. We call on the regional, national and international community to come to our assistance and to call on the government of Colombia to put a stop to these nefarious events.
The victims of recent threats and attacks have been the Regional Corporation for the Defense of Human Rights (Credhos), the Popular Women's Organisation (OFP), the Corporation for Development and Peace of Magdalena Medio (CPDMM); the Workers' Labour Union (USO), and the labour unions SINDISPETROL and FERTICOL.
We are deeply concerned that "structures of death" (aka death squads) continue to operate in the city and region of Barrancabermeja while the state's civil and military authorities declare their complete ignorance of such presence, and fail to use their legal powers of action and constraint; nor do we any see action to break up such structures.
SOME FACTS:
[In Barrancabermeja, in just three days from July 18 to 21, 2008, five people were killed, one man in intensive care with serious injuries after an assassination attempt, and one premature baby also in intensive care whose young mother was murdered:]
• July 18, 2008, in the "22nd March" neighborhood, commune 3: a young couple were murdered: ALEXIS ARMANDO CASTILLO BALANZA (18) and his GERALDIN JIMENEZ POSADA (15). She was seven months pregnant and rushed to the Magdalena Medio Clinic, where she died. (Her baby was saved and is in intensive care.)
• July 18, 2008: stabbed to death, Diego Fernando QUIROGA BETANCURT (27). His assassin gave himself up to the authorities, stating that he killed D.F. Quiroga because he violated his two young daughters, 5 and 4 years of age.
• July 19, 2008, ca. 8:30 p.m., in the so-called "UNO" section: murder of NIVALDO MARBLE ZAPATA (39), resident of “The Chicó” neighbourhood.
• July 19, 2008, 9:30 p.m., in the “San Jose obrero” neighbourhood: murder of JAVIER DÍAZ ROOMS (40), resident on the Road to “Pozo Siete”, opposite the "Torres" neighbourhood.
• July 19, 2008, 9:30 p.m., in the "Corales" neighbourhood: ELIAS GUTIERREZ (39) attacked and seriously injured; he is in intensive care.
• July 21,2008, "Buena Vista" Neighbourhood, commune Four: leaflets containing the following death threat were distributed:
"ANTIOQUIA, JULY 20, 2008 -- COMMUNIQUE
"OUR ORGANIZATION AFTER DOING AN EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION HAS DECIDED TO TAKE BARRANCABERMEJA BY BLOOD AND FIRE IN ORDER TO APPEASE HER OF ALL WHO CAUSE VIOLENCE.
"IN THIS SENSE WE DECLARE THE FOLLOWING TO BE MILITARY TARGETS: THE FARC, LEFT-WING SOCIAL AND HUMAN-RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS (OFP, CREDHOS, PDP), DISARMED PEOPLE [former paramilitaries who surrendered their weapons against fairly substantial state support to be "reinserted" into civil society], LABOUR UNIONISTS (USO, SINDISPETROL, FERTICOL), THE SO-CALLED “AGUILAS NEGRAS” ["Black Eagles", a notorious paramilitary organisation] AND ANYONE WHO COMMITS ILLICIT [DEEDS] TO THEIR OWN BENEFIT.
"THIS RECAPTURE OPERATION WAS INITIATED ON JULY 01 OF THE PRESENT YEAR AND WE HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL LEND US ITS SUPPORT SO WE MAY NOT NEED TO TAKE REPRISALS AGAINST IT.
"FOR A BARRANCABERMEJA IN PEACE THROUGH BLOOD AND FIRE“
"DON MARIO, COMMANDER [of] HEROES OF CASTAÑO [Castaño is a notorious paramilitary leader]"
We hold responsible the civil and military authorities, by omission, of the events that have occurred in Barrancabermeja and the region
We hold responsible the Colombian state, and its civil and military authorities for any [harm] that may be done to the life and integrity of the members of threatened organizations.
We demand State protection, in fulfillment of its constitutional duty, for the threatened organizations, their members and relatives; as well as for the victimised communities.
We demand investigation of these facts, and the adoption of the necessary and appropriate measures against the persons responsible for these actions.
We call on the International Community to be watchful and to ensure this serious matter is pursued, and to lodge their complaints with the national Government [of Colombia] against these facts that affect the life and integrity of the victimised communities and of the threatened organisations.
SPACE OF MALE AND FEMALE HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS
BARRANCABERMEJA, MIDDLE MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA
JULY 23, 2008.
Please send your e-mails and letters of concern to the following addresses:
Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Fax:+57.1.566.20.71; E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
Sr. Francisco Santos, Vicepresidente de la República,
Téls. (+571) 334.45.07, (+57310) 7720130; E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co; buzon1@presidencia.gov.co
Programa DDHH de Vicepresidencia: ppdh@presidencia.gov.co
Observatorio DDHH de Vicepresidencia: obserdh@presidencia.gov.co
Dr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz, Defensor del Pueblo, Calle 55 #10-32, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.640.04.91; E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co
Doctor Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana, Fiscal General de la Nación,
Diagonal 22-B # 52-01, Bogotá.
Fax: + 57.1.570.20.00; +57.1.414.90.00, Extensión 1113; E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón, Procurador General de la Nación, Cra. 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49; +57.1.342.97.23; E-mail: cap@procuraduria.gov.co; quejas@procuraduria.gov.co; webmaster@procuraduria.gov.co; cap@procuraduria.gov.co;
reygon@procuraduria.gov.co; anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co
Fax: +57.1.342.97.23
Dr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Ministro de la Defensa, Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.222.18.74; E-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co; mdn@cable.net.co
Dr. Carlos Franco, Director del Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario (DIH).
Fax. +57.1.337 46 67; E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co, Clle 7 N° 5–54 Bogotá, D.C.
Dr. Fabio Valencia Cossio , Ministro del Interior y de Justicia, Avenida El dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Bogotá Fax. +57.1.222 1874; E-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co
***
Thank you!
Peace! Paz!
Those who know me also know that a big part of my heart beats for the fantastic country of Colombia. By marriage on my brother's side, I have family there. But I also studied Spanish language and literature (longer ago than I care to remember) and have been fascinated by the literature of Ibero-America, especially Colombia.
Not long ago, the country made big headlines when a branch of the armed forces under the current government of Alvaro Uribe Vélez managed to liberate several long-held hostages, including the Colombian-French former presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancour -- everyone must have heard of that near-magical feat of subterfuge. [Addendum on July 25: Since I wrote this, I learnt that the "near-magical feat" involved pretending to be a Swiss human rights organisations, which I think is tantamount to abuse. Some papers reported that the liberators pretended to be from the Red Cross, but I've not seen it confirmed in an interview with one analyst from the International Crisis Group, who was recently interviewed in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung-NZZ (see http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5588&l=1 ). So I'm deleting the word "deeply" in the next sentence.] Although I am highly sceptical of Uribe's government, I must admit that I was ------ impressed with the way this liberation was achieved -- no bloodshed, no violence. That is quite a feat in a country that has known so much of both in the past forty years (and much longer). Anyone can take a leaf out of that particular book (the peaceful, non-violent liberation of the hostages, not the violence...).
However, all is far from well in what could easily be one of the wealthiest countries on earth. The government is staunchly right-wing, arch-liberalist and totally anti-human rights (except where its own cronies are concerned).
That is why I am today forwarding to you a call for urgent action on behalf of OFP - the Popular Women's Organisation of Barrancabermeja. Last July 20th [2008], these courageous women "celebrated" the 36th anniversary of the foundation of their organisation to defend freedom and social justice and gender equality (luchando por la libertad, la justicia social y de género).
Because the OFP (and other social and labour organisations) are a thorn in the fascist side of the paramilitaries, that -- to say the least -- enjoy the tacit protection of the Uribe government, the OFP have for more than ten years had to rely on the "unarmed bodyguards" of pbi - Peace Brigades International.
Read for yourself/yourselves. The following is an edited version of the English call for urgent action that I found in my in-box this morning.
*****
BARRANCABERMEJA, MIDDLE MAGDALENA (Magdalena Medio Dept.), COLOMBIA:
THREATS TO SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
URGENT ACTION
The Space of Social Workers and Human Rights Defenders in Barrancabermeja and the Middle Magdalena denounces and publicly rejects the wave of assassinations of male and female members of the community, as well as the death threats against five social organizations and human rights defenders in the city of Barrancabermeja. We call on the regional, national and international community to come to our assistance and to call on the government of Colombia to put a stop to these nefarious events.
The victims of recent threats and attacks have been the Regional Corporation for the Defense of Human Rights (Credhos), the Popular Women's Organisation (OFP), the Corporation for Development and Peace of Magdalena Medio (CPDMM); the Workers' Labour Union (USO), and the labour unions SINDISPETROL and FERTICOL.
We are deeply concerned that "structures of death" (aka death squads) continue to operate in the city and region of Barrancabermeja while the state's civil and military authorities declare their complete ignorance of such presence, and fail to use their legal powers of action and constraint; nor do we any see action to break up such structures.
SOME FACTS:
[In Barrancabermeja, in just three days from July 18 to 21, 2008, five people were killed, one man in intensive care with serious injuries after an assassination attempt, and one premature baby also in intensive care whose young mother was murdered:]
• July 18, 2008, in the "22nd March" neighborhood, commune 3: a young couple were murdered: ALEXIS ARMANDO CASTILLO BALANZA (18) and his GERALDIN JIMENEZ POSADA (15). She was seven months pregnant and rushed to the Magdalena Medio Clinic, where she died. (Her baby was saved and is in intensive care.)
• July 18, 2008: stabbed to death, Diego Fernando QUIROGA BETANCURT (27). His assassin gave himself up to the authorities, stating that he killed D.F. Quiroga because he violated his two young daughters, 5 and 4 years of age.
• July 19, 2008, ca. 8:30 p.m., in the so-called "UNO" section: murder of NIVALDO MARBLE ZAPATA (39), resident of “The Chicó” neighbourhood.
• July 19, 2008, 9:30 p.m., in the “San Jose obrero” neighbourhood: murder of JAVIER DÍAZ ROOMS (40), resident on the Road to “Pozo Siete”, opposite the "Torres" neighbourhood.
• July 19, 2008, 9:30 p.m., in the "Corales" neighbourhood: ELIAS GUTIERREZ (39) attacked and seriously injured; he is in intensive care.
• July 21,2008, "Buena Vista" Neighbourhood, commune Four: leaflets containing the following death threat were distributed:
"ANTIOQUIA, JULY 20, 2008 -- COMMUNIQUE
"OUR ORGANIZATION AFTER DOING AN EXHAUSTIVE INVESTIGATION HAS DECIDED TO TAKE BARRANCABERMEJA BY BLOOD AND FIRE IN ORDER TO APPEASE HER OF ALL WHO CAUSE VIOLENCE.
"IN THIS SENSE WE DECLARE THE FOLLOWING TO BE MILITARY TARGETS: THE FARC, LEFT-WING SOCIAL AND HUMAN-RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS (OFP, CREDHOS, PDP), DISARMED PEOPLE [former paramilitaries who surrendered their weapons against fairly substantial state support to be "reinserted" into civil society], LABOUR UNIONISTS (USO, SINDISPETROL, FERTICOL), THE SO-CALLED “AGUILAS NEGRAS” ["Black Eagles", a notorious paramilitary organisation] AND ANYONE WHO COMMITS ILLICIT [DEEDS] TO THEIR OWN BENEFIT.
"THIS RECAPTURE OPERATION WAS INITIATED ON JULY 01 OF THE PRESENT YEAR AND WE HOPE THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL LEND US ITS SUPPORT SO WE MAY NOT NEED TO TAKE REPRISALS AGAINST IT.
"FOR A BARRANCABERMEJA IN PEACE THROUGH BLOOD AND FIRE“
"DON MARIO, COMMANDER [of] HEROES OF CASTAÑO [Castaño is a notorious paramilitary leader]"
We hold responsible the civil and military authorities, by omission, of the events that have occurred in Barrancabermeja and the region
We hold responsible the Colombian state, and its civil and military authorities for any [harm] that may be done to the life and integrity of the members of threatened organizations.
We demand State protection, in fulfillment of its constitutional duty, for the threatened organizations, their members and relatives; as well as for the victimised communities.
We demand investigation of these facts, and the adoption of the necessary and appropriate measures against the persons responsible for these actions.
We call on the International Community to be watchful and to ensure this serious matter is pursued, and to lodge their complaints with the national Government [of Colombia] against these facts that affect the life and integrity of the victimised communities and of the threatened organisations.
SPACE OF MALE AND FEMALE HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS
BARRANCABERMEJA, MIDDLE MAGDALENA, COLOMBIA
JULY 23, 2008.
Please send your e-mails and letters of concern to the following addresses:
Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Fax:+57.1.566.20.71; E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
Sr. Francisco Santos, Vicepresidente de la República,
Téls. (+571) 334.45.07, (+57310) 7720130; E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co; buzon1@presidencia.gov.co
Programa DDHH de Vicepresidencia: ppdh@presidencia.gov.co
Observatorio DDHH de Vicepresidencia: obserdh@presidencia.gov.co
Dr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz, Defensor del Pueblo, Calle 55 #10-32, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.640.04.91; E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co
Doctor Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana, Fiscal General de la Nación,
Diagonal 22-B # 52-01, Bogotá.
Fax: + 57.1.570.20.00; +57.1.414.90.00, Extensión 1113; E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón, Procurador General de la Nación, Cra. 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49; +57.1.342.97.23; E-mail: cap@procuraduria.gov.co; quejas@procuraduria.gov.co; webmaster@procuraduria.gov.co; cap@procuraduria.gov.co;
reygon@procuraduria.gov.co; anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co
Fax: +57.1.342.97.23
Dr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Ministro de la Defensa, Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.222.18.74; E-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co; mdn@cable.net.co
Dr. Carlos Franco, Director del Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario (DIH).
Fax. +57.1.337 46 67; E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co, Clle 7 N° 5–54 Bogotá, D.C.
Dr. Fabio Valencia Cossio , Ministro del Interior y de Justicia, Avenida El dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Bogotá Fax. +57.1.222 1874; E-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co
***
Thank you!
Peace! Paz!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Moving...
Hello again!
Saturday evening and it’s a gorgeous day out there, with some cloud but the evening sun lighting up the old part of the city. I’ve been soooo lucky with everything in the last few days. Bar the internet hookup hickup last week everything has gone very smoothly so far.
I’m in a rush to get everything ready for when my relatives come tomorrow morning to collect my big old wardrobe and two bookshelves as well as my old stereo. The flat will feel really empty then, with almost all the furniture gone except what I’m taking with me to Scotland. But it’ll make life much easier for the removalists.
Keep fingers crossed that all will go well with the big piece (the wardrobe is really much too big for the staircase, even in its individual components) tomorrow. And that I’ll be ready when everyone arrives.
It’s been a fantastic experience. One should move house and relocate at least every five years or so. That way it would be much harder to accumulate too much stuff.
But I've had fun letting go of many valued possessions -- hundreds of books have found new homes, and pots and plants and dishes and pieces of furniture. My friends and companions have been exceedingly generous: I've been able to send a nice little sum to each of my favourite human rights NGOs, i.e. pbi – Peace Brigades International – and ask! – Arbeitsgruppe Schweiz-Kolumbien. (For anyone wishing to donate: go to their websites:
http://www.peacebrigades.ch or http://www.peacebrigades.org and
http://www.askonline.ch -- thank you!)
I've lost weight in the process, grown muscles on my legs and arms, feel totally fit and healthy, have been sleeping better than ever -- this is an adventure that seems to agree with me. I must be one big adrenalin junkie...
Mind you, not all is easy. I went to say good-bye to my writing friends today and that was really hard. Almost as hard as saying good-bye to my parents and brothers and sisters-in-law and niece and nephews. I will really miss everyone! But many of them have promised to visit. And anyway, it's not as if Oban was on the other side of the globe. But it will be too far for some of my older, frailer friends to come and see me out there.
Here's hoping the last few days will go well.
Finally, guess what this photo shows...
Saturday evening and it’s a gorgeous day out there, with some cloud but the evening sun lighting up the old part of the city. I’ve been soooo lucky with everything in the last few days. Bar the internet hookup hickup last week everything has gone very smoothly so far.
I’m in a rush to get everything ready for when my relatives come tomorrow morning to collect my big old wardrobe and two bookshelves as well as my old stereo. The flat will feel really empty then, with almost all the furniture gone except what I’m taking with me to Scotland. But it’ll make life much easier for the removalists.
Keep fingers crossed that all will go well with the big piece (the wardrobe is really much too big for the staircase, even in its individual components) tomorrow. And that I’ll be ready when everyone arrives.
It’s been a fantastic experience. One should move house and relocate at least every five years or so. That way it would be much harder to accumulate too much stuff.
But I've had fun letting go of many valued possessions -- hundreds of books have found new homes, and pots and plants and dishes and pieces of furniture. My friends and companions have been exceedingly generous: I've been able to send a nice little sum to each of my favourite human rights NGOs, i.e. pbi – Peace Brigades International – and ask! – Arbeitsgruppe Schweiz-Kolumbien. (For anyone wishing to donate: go to their websites:
http://www.peacebrigades.ch or http://www.peacebrigades.org and
http://www.askonline.ch -- thank you!)
I've lost weight in the process, grown muscles on my legs and arms, feel totally fit and healthy, have been sleeping better than ever -- this is an adventure that seems to agree with me. I must be one big adrenalin junkie...
Mind you, not all is easy. I went to say good-bye to my writing friends today and that was really hard. Almost as hard as saying good-bye to my parents and brothers and sisters-in-law and niece and nephews. I will really miss everyone! But many of them have promised to visit. And anyway, it's not as if Oban was on the other side of the globe. But it will be too far for some of my older, frailer friends to come and see me out there.
Here's hoping the last few days will go well.
Finally, guess what this photo shows...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Catching up...
Empty sunning planks at Marzili, Bern.It's been ages since I last wrote here. So just a few thoughts on packing up and moving house. Interesting process. Liberating. Letting go of old habits, old objects, old places, old friends, family. Strangely, I feel that we are reaffirming relationships, many people around me -- myself included, of course -- are reconsidering what really matters in life.
Only a few days more than three weeks to go until my departure day. Most things are in place. The old flat has found a new tenant; the old office as well -- two young part-time dads who share their office work. Finding them was a breeze, actually, but a major headache until contracst were signed as I'd have had to pay rent until end July -- really glad this has been resolved.
Most of the furniture I'm not taking with me has also found new owners. One of my favourite pieces, a beautiful 1918 dining room cupboard/sideboard is going to a good home, and for a good price, too. Does that make me sound mercenary? Hope not. I do want to sell off as much of my stuff as I can as I have pledged to give 1/4 to two of my favourite human rights NGOs -- ask!-Arbeitsgruppe Schweiz-Kolumbien and pbi-Peace Brigades International. So the more people pay me the more those NGOs get. Simple, really.
I've had two trial runs at "garage sales" already but still lots more stuff to flog. A few pieces -- big posters in good aluminium frames, a fabulous handmade glass dish -- seem to please only me. It'll be a drag to just give them away.
As my flat is on the top floor and there's no lift, I've used the stairs to display some of my objects. Works pretty well, but setting everything out is quite a lot of hard work. Free gym time, so to speak. :)
The upside of being in such a period of upheaval is that my appetite is down and I've actually managed to shed about eight pounds without even thinking about it. Very nice indeed.
The Marzili on Monday, 24 March. Aare temperature: 6°C!I'm inserting some totally unrelated photos here -- the only tenuous link being the weekday on which they were taken: three weeks ago exactly (Easter Monday). The natural world still looks almost as bleak as then -- the cold and wet weather we've had has blighted what blossoms came out on what have been maybe four lovely, warm days since Easter. Our magnolia trees are struggling, some of them already going brown, yet their blossoms hardly opened. Shame. But that's the way it is.
Today we've had some hail and torrential rain and lots of low-hanging cloud -- pretty miserable but great weather to be sitting at the computer all day.
Saturday and yesterday were quite sunny, if breezy and still on the chilly side. A taste of spring. At least the kids could run around outside...
The wide expanse of the sunning lawn at Marzili is empty. The Marzili has been one of my favourite summer haunts in Bern.But it's fine not to be here this summer or next summer or whenever...
We were four or five hundred taking part in this year's Peace March on Easter Monday, March 24, 2008.This is the head of the cortège going across the little hump-back bridge at the lower end of Marzili.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Peace March 2008, Bern, Switzerland
Hello!
Peace in the world needs our support and protection more than ever.
Peace seems to languish – music and fellowship can be roads toward peace.
NGOs like pbi - Peace Brigades International (http://www.peacebrigades.org) are essential as they "make space for peace", accompanying the local human rights and peace workers to provide non-violent, unarmed protection. 
Let's give Peace a lift!
The very young and their parents are a ray of hope!
Older people play an important role.
Peace in Palestine!
Peace in Tibet!
Peace! Pace! ¡Paz! Pax! Friede! Paix!
Peace in the world needs our support and protection more than ever.
Peace seems to languish – music and fellowship can be roads toward peace.
NGOs like pbi - Peace Brigades International (http://www.peacebrigades.org) are essential as they "make space for peace", accompanying the local human rights and peace workers to provide non-violent, unarmed protection. 
Let's give Peace a lift!
The very young and their parents are a ray of hope!
Older people play an important role.
Peace in Palestine!
Peace in Tibet!
Peace! Pace! ¡Paz! Pax! Friede! Paix!Wednesday, December 12, 2007
pbi Switzerland, Bern Regional Group: baking day for Human Rights
Hiya again
Last Friday afternoon and evening, three women from pbi's Bern regional group met at the ancient bakery of Buempliz, a suburb of Bern (once an independent municipality), to bake Peace Doves. We enjoyed the assistance of the "Oven Team", Kathrin and Hanspeter. Very many thanks to you!
Here are some visual impressions from the baking. Our "oven master" prepared the oven (and took some of these photos with my camera).
We used a very traditional "Zuepfe"*) recipe to mix the dough (from 10 kgs of flour) in the old-fashioned way: eight hands worked in a big trough made of beautiful white sycamore wood.
(*Zuepfe = traditional tressed loaf made of white flour, butter, milk, yeast, and painted with egg yolk)
It was great fun to knead all the week's frustrations into the mix of white flour, butter and yeasty milk.
The big lump of dough at the end was almost too heavy for any one of us to lift. We shaped the doves by rolling small lumps of dough into a "sausage" and twisting it into a simple knot.
A snip with a kitchen knife cleft the little tail in two to give the dove a more birdlike look.
Above: the freshly tied doves; below: after about half an hour the doves have risen and rounded out. These are ready for painting and adding the currant-eyes before they go into the oven. 
Two currants marked the eyes, a brush of egg-yolk made sure the doves would turn out golden and shiny.
We baked them in the wood-heated oven -- that was probably the quickest step in the whole process, which lasted about four hours. (Above: the glowing embers before Hanspeter scraped them out of the oven)
The next day, a couple of days before the actual International Day of Human Rights (always on December 10), we sold the delicious doves to appreciative supporters of human rights. The count isn't in just yet, but we did manage to augment the pbi coffers. :) The sale went well, despite people already being stressed out with Xmas shopping. It was a cold, fairly wet day but six people sold some 140 doves within about three hours. Shame I didn't take photos of the finished product.
Peace!
Last Friday afternoon and evening, three women from pbi's Bern regional group met at the ancient bakery of Buempliz, a suburb of Bern (once an independent municipality), to bake Peace Doves. We enjoyed the assistance of the "Oven Team", Kathrin and Hanspeter. Very many thanks to you!
Here are some visual impressions from the baking. Our "oven master" prepared the oven (and took some of these photos with my camera).
We used a very traditional "Zuepfe"*) recipe to mix the dough (from 10 kgs of flour) in the old-fashioned way: eight hands worked in a big trough made of beautiful white sycamore wood.(*Zuepfe = traditional tressed loaf made of white flour, butter, milk, yeast, and painted with egg yolk)
It was great fun to knead all the week's frustrations into the mix of white flour, butter and yeasty milk.
The big lump of dough at the end was almost too heavy for any one of us to lift. We shaped the doves by rolling small lumps of dough into a "sausage" and twisting it into a simple knot.
A snip with a kitchen knife cleft the little tail in two to give the dove a more birdlike look.
Above: the freshly tied doves; below: after about half an hour the doves have risen and rounded out. These are ready for painting and adding the currant-eyes before they go into the oven. 
Two currants marked the eyes, a brush of egg-yolk made sure the doves would turn out golden and shiny.
We baked them in the wood-heated oven -- that was probably the quickest step in the whole process, which lasted about four hours. (Above: the glowing embers before Hanspeter scraped them out of the oven)The next day, a couple of days before the actual International Day of Human Rights (always on December 10), we sold the delicious doves to appreciative supporters of human rights. The count isn't in just yet, but we did manage to augment the pbi coffers. :) The sale went well, despite people already being stressed out with Xmas shopping. It was a cold, fairly wet day but six people sold some 140 doves within about three hours. Shame I didn't take photos of the finished product.
Peace!
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Tadaaaaa! - the first tram/streetcar
Hello again
Had to do some shopping in downtown Bern today and -- lo and behold -- came across the very first tram/streetcar to test the new tracks that have been laid in the heart of the city, from the train station to Kaefigturm.
The official inauguration is scheduled for this Saturday/Sunday – should be a party! Here's hoping for some good weather.
My pbi friends and I will be out and about with baskets to sell peace doves home-baked in a real wood-heated oven. It is, after all, the International Day of Human Rights on Monday, December 10.
Come again! :)PS: Probefahrt = test drive
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Summer 07 -- what summer? -- in Bern
Hello againIt's cold out there! Over lunch at work we were talking of the hot days of April past when I even ventured into the river for a quick, refreshing swim. This morning -- and a late morning it was, too, more about that perhaps later -- I cycled to work wearing socks and warm shoes, long-sleeved t-shirt, scarf, woolly cardigan, coat. For the past hour or so I've been contemplating putting the scarf back on because I've felt chilly about my neck and throat. Mad, this!
A year ago we were sweltering in +30°C or thereabouts, and I was introducing a Scottish friend to the magic of our gorgeous river. We also ventured up to the Jungfraujoch (tomorrow a year ago exactly), where we chanced into friends of his from Inverness -- what a gas it was to be cavorting about in the cool snow under a perfect blue sky. Unbelievable, but true, as this photo proves:
Well, right now the view from Jungfraujoch must be of swirling cloud and white mist and in the river there's no swimming at all. These days, anyone who tries must be suicidal: the rivers in this area are all full to almost flood level, and so are the lakes. The river's waters are murky, carrying a lot of broken-off branches of trees and other debris, and hiding dislodged rocks. Only about a week ago, the police found the body of a young lad, about seventeen, who had suddenly vanished in the swiftly running river some ten days earlier, on one of the rare summery days this past June. Someone saw a body being carried down the "Schwellenmaetteli"-barrier in the "Matte". Search teams couldn't find the body until it washed up quite a bit further downstream, in one of the "combs" holding back debris and flotsam from the inlet to a small hydropower station.Luckily, the forecast for the weekend is rather better, so, after all, I might not need to buy a rain cover for myself and my backpack for a day's walking in the Jura. In fact, they're calling for very hot weather.
This yo-yo system -- changes of over 10°C in less than a day, with the snow-line down to about 2000 m asl today, which at least might mean the glaciers aren't melting off quite so fast -- is taxing everyone: after a week of very chilly weather, we had a middling Friday and a very hot Saturday, followed by a day of rain and much cooler temperatures and doctors have noticed a lot of flu patients flocking to their surgeries.
Here, just to underpin memories of sunnier days, here are a few photos of last Saturday, when Berne saw the kick-off event to a petition drive to encourage our government to up funding of development projects in the third world to 0.7 per cent of GDP. I was helping out at the stand of one of my favourite NGOs, pbi-Peace Brigades International, far from the only one to do so:
Public attendance and interest was pretty good, and it wasn't only young people who were curious to see what was inside the boxes hanging from threads:
A helper at alliance sud's neighbouring stall:
Monday, June 25, 2007
55 and counting...
Hiya again
Today is day two of my fifty-fifth year. Still feeling a little under the weather from all the partying.
It's rare for my birthday to be on a Saturday so I grabbed the opportunity and had about forty people in my not very large flat. Those of you who know my home will appreciate that things got a wee bit cramped. Mind you, I've heard that everyone enjoyed the wonderful mix of people.We had a United Nations of sorts, with friends and family of Italian, Spanish, Colombian, Chilean, English, American, German and Swiss extraction. I am proud and happy to be part of such a fascinating, truly multicultural network of friends and family. If everyone had been able to come that I invited, South Africa, Ghana, the Caribbean, Wales, Australia, Canada, France, Poland, Mexico, Scotland and Indonesia would also have been represented, and I'm sure there would be more. I'm naming all these countries in absolutely no particular order, just in the order in which they pop into my mind.
I had some of my closest family with me on my special day -- my Mum dropped by with berries and cherries, the very, very, very last harvest from the garden of the old house: come July 2nd, it will be in new hands that are unrelated to us. Good! I'm glad to know it'll be taken care of by a different set of people, people with different ideas, a different approach. May they be very happy there! -- both my brothers, my two sisters-in-law here in Switzerland, my one niece and two of my three nephews also came. The second nephew had two musical gigs on Saturday so he couldn't make it. Good for him to have work, though! One of my mother's two sisters also came, which gave me great pleasure.If you think I'm quite a family "animal", you're right. Even though I don't have kids of my own, I think family matters. But friends matter just as much. They're the people we can choose to enrich our lives, while family is kind of thrown on us, or we on them.
At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed having everyone at my home for a few hours. I appreciate their generous and wonderful, original and thoughtful gifts. Most of all, I'm proud to say that quite a nice little sum of money came together -- I asked not to bring gifts but to donate cash, which will go 50:50 to two of my favourite human rights NGOs, i.e. PBI-Peace Brigades International (http://www.peacebrigades.ch) and ask!-Arbeitsgruppe Schweiz-Kolumbien (http://www.askonline.ch) . Thank you for your generosity, everyone!
So, this is me 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10, or 5 x 11 years and two days old (thank you, brother Stefan, for that marvellous mathematical formula!). Some days it feels exactly like this, some days I feel like I'm still eighteen, some days more like eighty, but I suppose that's to be expected. Not a spring chicken any more, but still full of plans, full of beans. Until the next time, maybe when I'm 6 x 10 or 5 x 12 ... :)
I received some marvellous gifts, too, some of which were beautiful flowers. Does anyone have an idea what this one's called? It exudes a white milky sap when the stem or leaves are cut. The bud is a perfect pentagonal pouch. I was blown away by these, despite their total lack of fragrance. Otherworldly-looking, Australian, perhaps? Definitely exotic...
This rose lasted until almost two weeks later [which is when I'm adding these photos and comments -- some of the best things are long in the making, ha ha!]. No fragrance, either, but perfect petals.
Cheers! Peace!
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