We will explore hunger by journeying with communities in Colombia. Colombia will serve as our prism, but we do not limit the issue of hunger to Colombia alone. Hunger is a local, national and international reality that manifests differently in each context.

 

Hunger Series - Community

Our first piece in the hunger series examines the impact of hunger on community.

Community is understood to be the complex social reality of shared history, culture, relationships and resources that link a group together in relationships of interdependence.

Colombia has struggled with a civil conflict for 60 years. The origins of the conflict started when the power elite repeatedly ignored the call for land reform from poor communities.

The civil conflict began between the Colombian state and different guerrilla groups. As the conflict elongated over time a third armed group emerged, the paramilitaries. The paramilitaries are armed groups that appear to work with the Colombian state and military although this is not proven. These groups entered into the conflict in the late 80s.

Curvarado, a community in the north, was displaced off of their land by paramilitary forces in the 90s. They were told it was due to the presence of guerrilla groups in the region. However, the presence of guerrilla groups in the area was minimal; the paramilitaries took the land to begin an African palm plantation. Palm oil is a rising star amongst “alternative” energy sources and will become a lucrative crop in the future. The community of Curvarado lost their land with no appropriate legal process or compensation.

The loss of the land spiraled the community into deepening poverty that is marked by struggles with hunger. The community struggles to find places to cultivate, hunt and fish. A court in Colombia ruled that the land was legally theirs and should be returned to them. No actions by authorities have been taken to enforce this ruling.

The struggle with hunger has left the community unable to rebuild other facets necessary for living with health, dignity and security. They are unable to build schools, access health care or clean water. They can no longer teach many of the farming and gathering practices that had been taught as the land has been drastically changed from being covered in palm. Hunger limits the community’s ability to be community – to gather, celebrate and ritualize the sorrows and joys of one another. Hunger makes the community have to choose between food and a clinic because in the current context they cannot have both. Hunger against the backdrop of violence is a potent force driving many families to leave; this is, of course, the ultimate hit to any community when its own members have no choice but to flee.

Hunger as a force of destruction in the community life of Curvarado does not act alone, hunger is linked to many other sources of suffering. However, hunger has a particular impact, as food is essential for the survival of a community, a key part of its cultural expression, and source of income. Join us in combating hunger by following the action links below and joining us in prayer. Stay tuned for our next installment!

Video

Watch this slide show that looks at communities in Colombia struggling with the impacts of violence.

Action

Action Against Hunger is an international organization established specifically to combat hunger worldwide. This page describes its efforts in Colombia and gives background information about the situation in Colombia. Several action steps are provided.

At Free Rice, playing fun games provides rice for the hungry which is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program. Each question you get right prompts a sponsor to donate money to the World Food Program.

Meditation

Poverty takes on many forms, such as the poverty of time. Jesus spent time with the apostles and with the people who sought him. What does it look like for us to spend time with someone, especially the person who irritates us, or the person who has told us their story a dozen times?

Jesus and his family were immigrants in a foreign land. Theirs was the poverty of place. For some, like those in Colombia, poverty may mean giving up or being forcibly stripped of their possessions such as safety, home, health, food, community and identity.