Sister Elsa Maria Rueda Jaimes	Carlos Sanchez

Mr. José Amin Cortes, former director of the Human Rights Office of the Archdiocese of Cali, and Sister Elsa Maria Rueda Jaimes, coordinator of the Displaced Persons Program in Chocó, Colombia, explored the current challenges human rights defenders face in Colombia. They addressed the financial interests behind the violence as well as its disproportionate affect on indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. The speakers explained the separate demands of the various actors in the conflict—paramilitaries, guerrillas, and the military—as well as the relationships between these groups. A recently released documentary on the Bojayá massacre of 120 civilians was shown, spurring debate in the audience. The talk was part of a six-city West coast tour sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, one of the most active humanitarian agencies in Colombia. More than thirty people attended the discussion.