Appeal to the International Community

4th NATIONAL FORUM FOR UNIVERSITIES REGARDING ARMED AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS

The Colombian Association of University Students – ACEU, urgently calls upon the International Community to stop stigmatizing and repressing the Colombian’s student movement. In the past two years, under President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, about 10 student leaders were detained, 30 were threatened of death, 20 were deported and 8 students were assassinated. These facts tragically demonstrate that we, university students of Colombia, are facing serious aggressions and persecutions.

Although the situation is dramatic, the Colombian student movement keeps struggling against repression, for a public university of quality, accessible to anyone without distinction. Moreover, the Colombian student movement is in favour of a critique and creative university able to result in solutions for the instant problems of Colombia.

We are conscious that the oppression will not defeat hope and utopia; that the sacrifice of deceased, deported or intimidated companion, people whom rights were ignored, cannot be in vain. For these significant reasons, we invite everyone from student, youth, social and human rights organisations of every nation, to participate to the 4th NATIONAL FORUM FOR UNIVERSITIES REGARDING ARMED AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS. The forum will take place in Bogota, Colombia, on June 7th, 8th, and 9th 2007.

The presence of international delegates can only enlarge the sentiment of solidarity and fraternity between the peoples of the world, as though send a clear message to the government. Along history, governments that used despotism in order to maintain power or domination were confronted to the voices of resistance. These voices raise the veil of injustice and mark in people’s memory, the story of the past battles for rights and liberty.

We invite you to shout in unison that Colombian universities MUST be an open space for debates and confrontation of ideas. Universities MUST support the freedom of mind, in order to apply nothing less than the essential founding of a democracy.

Participation

We invite every organisation of the world (individuals also), interested to participate to the 4th NATIONAL FORUM FOR UNIVERSITIES REGARDING ARMED AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS. The forum will take place in Bogota, Colombia, on June 7th, 8th, and 9th 2007. Join us at

derechoshumanos@aceucolombia.org

Way to participate

With the purpose to put in evidence the international solidarity existing with the Colombian student movement, we thought of different forms of participation.

1. Send delegates on June 7th, 8th and 9th, in Bogota, Colombia, to participate to the 4th NATIONAL FORUM FOR UNIVERSITIES REGARDING ARMED AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS. Present delegates will also be able to participate to the INTERNATIONAL COURT FOR DENONCIATION.

The INTERNATIONAL COURT FOR DENONCIATION will be presented as a trial with witnesses, jury, judges, and attorney (that will be played by the human rights secretary). In this symbolic space, international delegates will be able to listen to detailed reports regarding violations of the human rights. All these violations occurred inside the universities of Colombia.

2. If it is impossible to send delegates to the forum, organisations that wish to manifest their solidarity and support can write to the following electronic address: solidaridadinternacional@aceucolombia.org
The communiqués will be read during the event and will later be published with the memories of the event on the Internet web site www.aceucolombia.org

3. We also encourage any organisations to support the Colombian student movement in organizing conferences, panels, discussions, manifestations, in their own cities. It would be pertinent to organize these events before June 7th 2007, in order to present any documents or pictures emanating from the different actions to the forum. Please send it to the following electronic address: solidaridadinternacional@aceucolombia.org

4. Finally, we have raised a human concern petition (For the respect of human rights of Colombian students) to show Colombian university students and the Colombian government of Alvaro Uribe Velez that the student movement is not alone! You can also send us a picture where you show yourself, sign in hands, with a message of support to Colombian students at the following address: solidaridadinternacional@aceucolombia.org . For example:

* I support the Colombian student movement – Marie Pier Corriveau, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

* Stop assassinating, stop the threatening of death, stop deportings – Immediate liberty to the political prisoners of the Colombian student movement.

The participation (whatever the form) of student, social, political organisations, to the 4th NATIONAL FORUM FOR UNIVERSITIES REGARDING ARMED AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS will confirm a wonderful concept:

“Solidarity is tenderness between the people”

For more information

www.aceucolombia.org
solidaridadinternacional@aceucolombia.org
derechoshumanos@aceucolombia.org