A talk and discussion led by Mary Anne Perrone, local activist and member of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice Latin America Task Force and Dr. Sharon Lean, WSU Department of Political Science

Tuesday October 30, 2007
12:00 - 1:30pm
3339 F/AB, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI

On June 14th, 2007, intruders broke into the Bogotá office of the Christian Center for Justice, Peace, and Non-Violent Action (Justapaz). They stole two computers that contained sensitive information on victims and witnesses of human rights abuses. The theft of human rights information is a tactic designed to silence human rights and peace advocates, and, in the Colombian context, represents a serious threat to the individuals named in the documents. The Justapaz break-in was not an isolated incident: it is the sixth in a series of recent “political” thefts in Colombia.

Mary Anne Perrone is a Southwest Michigan activist and member of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice Latin American Task Force. In September 2007, she participated in a nine-day delegation to Colombia organized by Justapaz and Witness for Peace. The delegation traveled throughout Colombia to demonstrate international solidarity with the Colombian human rights movement and to learn more about the current situation. In her talk, Mary Anne will recount her experiences in Colombia and call attention to the need for protection of those who work for human rights and peace. Dr. Sharon Lean will facilitate the subsequent discussion. Dr. Lean is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science, and a Latin American politics specialist.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC • REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED