Displaced people in Tierralta, Córdoba, where Cristo El Rey (Christ the King) Peace Sanctuary Church has provided them with support in obtaining land, building homes, and establishing livelihoods.
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The Sal y Luz project partners six communities of faith in Iowa , Minnesota and South Dakota with Colombia 's courageous Peace Sanctuary Churches.
"Sal y Luz" means "salt and light." This is what the Peace Sanctuary Churches aspire to be: places of refuge and hope in a country ravaged by five decades of violence. Thousands of individuals have been killed and millions have been displaced from their homes in Colombia 's civil war. More than 40 Protestant pastors were murdered in 2003 alone. In the midst of this violence, many congregations have declared themselves Peace Sanctuary Churches. These congregations boldly pursue peace, feed the hungry, shelter the displaced, establish new economies, and open dialogues to reconcile relationships.
While these Peace Sanctuary Churches have achieved astonishing successes in building peace, little is known about their experiences outside of the local areas where they take place. Through this partnership with communities of faith in the Upper Midwest , the Peace Sanctuary Churches seek to document the lessons learned over their years of peacebuilding experience. Three Churches in Colombia 's Atlantic Coast region are now engaged in an intensive process of documenting their achievements, to share the good news that peace is truly possible in Colombia .
The partnership is focused on prayer, relationship-building, advocacy and education: in a word, solidarity. It does not involve financial support.
For congregations, educational institutions and communities, this solidarity includes:
- Exchanging prayers, stories and photographs with their partner Peace Sanctuary
- Learning about Colombia 's war and the Peace Sanctuary Churches' work
- Collaborating with the Peace Sanctuary Churches as they document how they are building peace, so that lessons they've learned can be shared with U.S. audiences
- Inviting representatives from the Peace Sanctuary Churches to visit the U.S. communities, engaging in education and relationship building
- Sharing experiences with our communities, media, and Congressional offices
- Learning about U.S. policy's key role in shaping the daily lives of our Colombian brothers and sisters
- Helping the U.S. to envision new political priorities for Colombia , and engaging in advocacy to bring about a U.S. policy based in peacebuilding principles
- Creatively bringing the message of peace inspired by the words of Jesus into our homes, daily lives, and global community
Versión en español >>
Explore the links on the right-hand side of the page to learn more about Sal y Luz.
Through the Sal y Luz ("Salt and Light") partnership, communities of faith spread the good news that peace is truly possible in Colombia .
