The Colombian lawyer and human rights defender Alirio Uribe Mu񯺦nbsp; (left) from el Colectivo de Abogados ?Jose Alvear Restrepo? visits Norway 20-23 November to ask for assistance to protect and support human rights defenders and victims of the 40-year armed conflict. (20-NOV-05)
Norwegian language version
Colombian human rights and peace NGOs defend individuals from human rights violations and seek to promote a peaceful solution to the armed conflict in the country. In doing so, they are often subject to harassment and persecution, and many have been assassinated.
Norway has supported the peace process in Colombia. Recently it was announced that Norway is to support the demobilization of paramilitaries, a deadly force responsible for countless assasinations, drug trafficking and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Colombians. However, a number of actors, including international and Colombian human rights organisations and the UN High Commission for human rights in Colombia, have warned that there are serious problems with the demobilization process. Amnesty International have reported that paramilitaries have been recycled into the conflict. What is more, the demobilization has not been carried out in a responsible manner to ensure justice and reparations for the victims of paramilitary violence.
Critics of the demobilization process have received threats. The Human Rights House Foundation (HRH) in Norway believes it is crucial that the Norwegian government helps support and protect peace and human rights defenders.
HRH visited Colombia in June 2005 to consider the needs and possibilities of establishing a Human Rights House in Colombia. The purpose of gathering human rights and peace NGOs under the same roof is to support and protect activists, make them more visible and accessible to victims of abuse and to the public, reduce costs and facilitate cooperation by sharing facilities, and to create a meeting place. The NGOs maintain their independence and are free to set their own priorities.
Alirio Uribe Mu񯺼STRONG> has coordinated the work to set up a Human Rights and Peace House in Colombia together with other Colombian NGOs. In Norway, Alirio Uribe will visit Human Rights Houses in the cities of Oslo and Bergen. He will also meet the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Parliament.
