Why Help the Children of Colombia ?

Colombia, South America, has been affected by an internal conflict for over 50 years. During the early years of the conflict, the level of fighting was low, with participating guerrilla and paramiltary groups being contained by the government.   Since the 1960’s, these guerilla and paramilitary groups have obtained significantly greater resources through their alliance with Colombian drug lords, and as a result have been able to expand the conflict.  The result has been a great deal of misery for the people of Colombia.   According to Amnesty International, one million Colombians have been driven from their homes and are internal refugees. The livelihoods of tens of thousands of poor farmers and their families have been destroyed.  A particularly heartbreaking aspect of the conflict is the children of displaced families who lose their land, their homes and their source of income. Often, the displaced families move to safer areas to attempt to start a new life. But, the cities where the displaced arrive don’t have an infrastructure large enough to absorb the large influx of people.  The children become lost in an environment in which they don’t know how to survive, deprived of decent housing, food, healthcare, and education. See article.

 

The Link Between Drug use in the US and the Displaced Colombian Children

 

Most cocaine used in the USA comes from Colombia. The debate as to if it is the supply or if it is the demand that drives the drug traffic has been going for years. The answer is probably somewhere in between. There is supply because the profits are so incredibly high that those making them keep pushing the use of drugs. However, there is no denial that the demand plays a very significant role to stimulate the supply.  It is very likely that those who use recreational drugs don't realize the impact that they are having on the countries that produce these drugs. It is almost certain that they don't have any idea of the amount of blood that countries such as Colombia have paid to combat the drug traffic. They don't realize that the money generated by drugs has fueled the internal conflicts as explained in the previous article. They don't realize that every time they buy drugs to enjoy a "high",  they are risking the lives of many, and most of all they are risking the lives of children.

Daily, children die, children are displaced, and children are recruited by the various groups involved in the Colombian conflict. Without help, displaced children are growing to become outlaws, drug traffickers, or the next generation of guerrillas, perpetuating a vicious cycle.

Help us to break that cycle. Help us to educate others of the impact that buying and using drugs have on the lives of the countries who produce them.

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