First Part – International Judicial Forums “New Proposals for the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide”

Transcription

International Judicial Forums

 “New Proposals for the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide”

 

 She is Jahel Quiroga, a woman, who in the 80s, lived through the most terrifying persecution on account of her ideals and still does not know how she miraculously escaped an assassination attempt.

 

—Jahel Quiroga. Victim of the Patriotic Union genocide—

"Unfortunately, they murdered my secretary instead of me."

 

Jahel was part of the Patriotic Union, a Left Party founded in 1985, which was created as an integrated political proposal by various guerilla groups and members of other communities.

 

—Jahel Quiroga—

"It was going to be the means to end all of the internal armed conflicts, at least with the Farc guerillas, and they were incorporated into civilian life with all other sectors that were in the Patriotic Union."

 But this desire for peace became the most cruel, brutal and systematic persecution of its members.

 

—Jahel Quiroga—

"Some were left without their limbs, others quadriplegics, orphaned people, everyone was terrified, every day we thought: “Whose turn is it today?”

 

According to numbers from the “Corporation Renacer”, the long list of dead would be composed of 2 presidential candidates, 8 congressmen, 13 deputies, 70 councilors, 11 mayors and more than 6,000 of his followers; according to the victims, by paramilitary groups, intelligence agencies and state security, interested in stopping this movement from growing.

 The crime of the Patriotic Union under Colombian law is classified as Genocide. The term genocide comes from Greek “genos”: origin, ancestry or race; and from “cidio”; death.  It refers to targeted or systematic assassinations against groups, for ethnic, racial, political or religious reasons.

 But the extermination of the Patriotic Union is just a sad example; there are many of these crimes registered throughout history. One of the worst was the Holocaust, which killed more than 20 million victims, among which were: Jews, gypsies, Jehovah’s witnesses, disabled and homosexuals.

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—Dr. William Soto Santiago. Global Ambassador of Peace—

"The atrocities committed during that period in mankind’s history, show the need to treat genocide as a separate crime and international law."

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Due to its severity, and ensuring that it does not happen again, the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace, designed the project “Justice for Peace”, in which forums are developed under the name “New Proposals for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”; international judicial events that will be held in major cities worldwide.

 

—Dr. Camilo Montoya. Prosecutor before the Superior Tribunal of Bogota—

"The idea of this forum is that we assertively finish making clear whether or not the revision of these instruments of international criminal policy is appropriate. That is the call that the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace has made."

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In response to this call, the Universidad Libre at the capital of Colombia, gathered 14 of the most prominent lawyers in 7 Latin-American countries, to discuss this reprehensive crime.

 

Dr. William Soto Santiago, leader of this initiative gave official opening to these Forums:

—Dr. William Soto Santiago. Global Ambassador of Peace—

"I urge the Congress and Legislative Assemblies of different countries where the crime of genocide has not been yet criminalized, that in respect of human dignity and without ignoring the sovereignty and independence of the people, amend the Criminal Code and criminalize what the international community identifies as the crime of crimes, in other words, genocide."

—Dr. Jesus Hernando Alvarez. Dean of the Law Faculty of the Universidad Libre—

"Universidad Libre is very honored, extremely honored to be the academic forum of this great international event, I understand it is… it will not be the only one, I understand there will be other forums in other latitudes."

—Dr. Daniel Rafecas. Federal Judge in Argentina—

"Education is the fundamental shield to prevent new genocides from occurring. If we build democratic citizenship…"

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Addressing more than 700 people, including students, academics, lawyers and activists for peace from several cities of this country, different speakers talked about the importance of these areas of analysis and study.

—Dr. Martin Ubaldo Mariscal. Federal Judge - Mexico—

"And Dr. William Soto for this noble, humanitarian work, generating awareness among the population of the human family. It is a fundamental concept I had not heard of and surely, if it takes root in our society, it will have much fruit."

—Mg. Ati Quigua. Indigenous Leader - Colombia—

"That ethnocide is considered; and ethnocide be studied in the academic fields. In Colombia there are 32 indigenous villages near the Constitutional Court…"

—Camilo Montoya Real – Student Representative, Universidad Andes—

"The youth in the Colombian society is now consolidating mechanisms that will eventually serve as a response to the prevention and censorship of the genocidal atrocities and contexts. This evidence is the approved proposal of this semester by the Universidad de Los Andes and it is called the interparty table."

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The Global Embassy of Activists for Peace, Universidad Libre of Colombia and international lawyers, laid the foundation stone of what they aspire to be an international movement in preventing the most terrible of all crimes.