TORONTO, May 17, 2001 -- To foster a better understanding of the causes behind the civil conflict in Colombia and to explore possible Canadian policy alternatives towards promoting a peaceful resolution, York University is hosting a conference entitled Violence and Peacebuilding in Colombia Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25.
The conference, co-organized by York University’s Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) and the Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption, will bring together leading researchers, policy makers, and human rights activists to examine the conflict in one of the Western Hemisphere's most politically repressive and violent countries. The conference will also examine the impact of "Plan Colombia" – the U.S. attempt to eradicate drug production and trade.
"Colombia represents today the worst case of human rights abuses in the hemisphere," says CERLAC director Viviana Patroni. "While political violence is not new in this country, over the last decade the conflict has acquired brutal characteristics. This conflict is poorly understood by many who tend to identify violence there exclusively with drug production and trafficking. This view is closely connected to the premise underlying U.S. policy toward the country, particularly its promotion of Plan Colombia. Sadly, though, Plan Colombia is threatening to increase militarization in Colombia, undermining peacebuilding alternatives."
"The purpose of this conference is to foster a dialogue on the causes of violence and the alternatives for peacebuilding in Colombia with the expectation that informed dialogue can positively affect foreign policy and support peace initiatives in this war-torn country."
Among the conference’s papers and presentations:
•The Evolution of Drug Trade-related Violence, Francisco Thoumi, Senior Visiting Scholar at the Latin American andCaribbean Center, Florida International University (formerly with the UN Drug Control Program)
•U.S. Foreign Policy toward Colombia, George Vickers, Executive Director, Washington Office on Latin America
•Tendencies in Organized Crime, Juan Gabriel Ronderos, Nathanson Centre for the Study of Organized Crime and Corruption, York University
•Internal Displacement, Amanda Romero-Medina, Quaker International Affairs Representative for the Andean Region
The conference will be held in the Founders Senior Common Room (Room 305 Founders College) York University Campus, 4700 Keele Street. The conference will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, and 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, May 25.
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For more information including a full conference agenda, please visit: www.yorku.ca/cerlac/EVENTS.html, or contact:
Marshall Beck
CERLAC
York University
416-736-2100, ext. 88705
mbeck@yorku.ca
Viviana Patroni
Director, CERLAC
York University
416-736-2100, ext. 22038
vpatroni@yorku.ca
Ken Turriff
Media Relations
York University
416-736-2100, ext. 22086
kturriff@yorku.ca
YU/061/01
