From the Medellín Youth Movement, 29 May 2009

Cristian Camilo Henao Suaza is currently carrying out military service against his will as a regular soldier since October 7, 2008 in the Pedro Justo Berrio Battalion, part of the Fourth Brigade based in Medellín.

Since then he has declared himself a conscientious objector to mandatory military service, a condition protected by international law. Here is his statement as an objector:

Bello, January 15, 2009. I, Cristian Camilo Henao Suaza, identification card #1020434627 from Bello, Antioquia, give my public declaration as a CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR, based on the rights given to me by the constitution, particularly Article 18.

Perpetuate the Systematic Disappearance of Human Rights and Colombia’s Independence

The Medellín Youth Network is an organization of youth who promote nonviolence, civil disobedience, human rights and conscientious objection by means that contribute to the construction of a demilitarized society.

For us the plans for war, such as Colombian military bases where there are foreign – especially US – soldiers, are more reliable evidence that in this country there is neither sovereignty, nor autonomy, nor independence.

We believe the installation of the new base in Palanquero is not to end either the conflict or drug trafficking, but to aggravate and continue perpetuating the causes that created it, to continue imposing the neoliberal model by the government, with the aim of expanding it across Latin America, turning over our resources and property to foreigners for profit and exploitation at the lowest cost.

PUBLIC STATEMENT

ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE AND PERSONAL INTEGRITY OF YENIFER RUEDA CARDENAS IN COMUNA 13 OF MEDELLÍN

We wish to express our concern and indignation at the acts against the integrity and the life of our friend YENIFER RUEDA CARDENAS, which took place on May 3, 2009 in the district of El Salado in Comuna 13 in Medellín.

March 27-April 6, 2009
Youth Arts and Action Delegation

Building on last year’s dynamic Youth delegation and the fall 2008 Drop Beats Not Bombs Tour, this spring 2009 delegation and organizers exchange to Colombia will continue to expand the network of youth in the US and Colombia who are seeking creative ways to resist militarism. This delegation will also be the focus of a documentary film produced by two participants through the Dar Papaya Project. The Dar Papaya Projects seeks to “tell the story of the delegation through individual experiences of the participants in the form of a film. The film will focus on the meeting of youth from different backgrounds and cultures, what happens when they come together, share their personal experiences and interact while in Colombia.”

“[Invincible is] One of the most talented emcees I've ever heard black or white, male or female..."

-Talib Kweli

Speaking, Workshop and Hip Hop tour, November 2008
Check out our ITINERARY.

The Tour: Who, What, and Why?
Fellowship of Reconciliation’s (FOR) Nonviolent Youth Collective (NVYC) and Colombia program, in collaboration with the Not Your Soldier Project and are putting on a Hip-Hop tour with Colombian and U.S. conscientious objectors (COs) to the military.

Youth and Arts Action Delegation, March 2008

By Liza Maytok Smith

Hurricane Katrina was what did it for Escenthio. At his school in Oakland, he was enrolled in a JROTC program (an army prep course given in high schools) and would have been on his way to joining the military. But one of his teachers invited him to a benefit event about the victims of the hurricane and it made Escenthio question his involvement in the class and our country’s priorities in general. As he said, “why are we over there killing people in Iraq when there are people in need right here?” Soon afterwards, he decided to organize a debate in his school around these issues and invited the JROTC army officers to the table alongside Pablo Paredes, a well-known conscientious objector. The debates created quite a stir -- and Escenthio became one of the central youth activists of BayPeace, an Oakland-based organization doing counter-recruitment work in high schools.

Translation of statement from the Medellí­n Youth Network
April 2007

The recruitment procedures that the national army uses are despicable, especially in our particular experiences in different parts of Antioquia state. There the pursuit and recruitment of youth has become a daily occurrence of intimidation and verbal and sometimes even physical violence, which ends with the placement of these youth onto a path to becoming killers.

As evidence of the cruel recruitment situation in our areas, we describe a case that occurred in the municipality of Cisneros, Antioquia: