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The following testimony is a true story written by a women leader from an Afro-descendant community. It details the experiences and history of her community and its struggle for peace. For security reasons, the names of those who wrote the article, as well as the name of the community have been withheld or changed. Afro-Colombian Children in the community of Los Palmitos, Photo by Rachel Chandler Worth As Afro-descendants, we face a lot of economic and social insecurity. Mega-development projects, cattle ranches, and intensive agriculture like sugar cane, have virtually driven out small producers. Many of us are compelled to work in the sugar refineries. With population growth and the forced sale of prime farm lands to large landholders, mining companies, and multinational corporations, we have had to switch from diversified farming to monoculture and charcoal production. This is turning our land into wasteland and has fundamentally changed our social and family organization. As “campesinos,”[1] we have historically witnessed the deterioration of our way of life. Violence in Colombia touches all aspects of our community and daily life. It is rooted in the 1950s and decisions to support development models that fail to take into account the majority, much less the campesinos.
Approximate Word count = 733
Approximate Pages = 2.9
(250 words per page double spaced)
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