The InterReligious Task Force, in conjunction with Case Western Reserve University, presents the 16th annual Social Justice Teach-In as a great opportunity for people of all ages to learn about critical human rights issues and practice hands-on skills to organize for change. This annual event attracts 500+ participants, many from area high schools and colleges. The Teach-In will provide participants with information, skills, and resources to support their own social justice programming at their schools and congregations.
Colombia has the world's second largest population of internally displaced persons (five million) due to the half-century internal armed conflict—the longest-running war in the Western Hemisphere (since 1964). Control for territory and popular support among the three main groups (left-wing rebel forces FARC & ELN, right-wing paramilitaries, Colombian police/military) has left 220,000 killed, 75% of them non-combatants. Since 2000, the US has exacerbated the violence by sending more than $9 billion in mostly military assistance. Colombia, which has both Pacific and Atlantic coastlines, holds strategic interest for the US for global trade and military posturing.
