Topic: Dealing with Civil and Political Unrest
Country: Colombia
Delegate Name: Wilson Wolf
School: Fishers High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Colombia position papers GLIMUN 2014 committees
Colombia feels that peace keeping is the best course of action when it comes to civil and political unrest. It believes that protecting the rights and interests of the people living in the areas where there is unrest is the most important thing. Colombia feels that the most effective way of dealing with political and domestic unrest is international pressure on the countries if peacekeeping is not going to be effective. This would provide an incentive for the countries involved to come to a speedy and peaceful solution.
The threshold for intervention should be when innocent people are being harmed and/or when human rights are being violated. The UN should deal with governments that reject intervention efforts with international pressure and if need be economic sanctions. Colombia has and ongoing situation with unrest. The conflict started in 1920 when there were disputes over the Samapaz and Tequendama regions. In 1948 Jorge Galitán was assassinated and that lead to rural warefare between the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party. As the Colombian Conservative Party started to decline, many communist focused groups started to appear. There are many organizations throughout Colombia that are fighting and some of their reasons for doing so vary. Unfortunately the only way to deal with some of these organizations is armed conflict. The most prevalent group that is fighting is the FARC. They believe they are fighting for the poor in Colombia. They want to provide social justice through communism. Colombia is fighting to maintain order and stability for the rights ant interest of its citizens. As a republic, Colombia does not feel that communism is a beneficial governmental system.
Unfortunately, there is a fine line in between legitimate protesting and assaults on public order. Colombia believes that if protesters are peaceful and provoked by the government help is required. If the protesters are peaceful and there is no provocation then there should be no intervention and finally if the protesters and/or the government are being violent the outside aid is required.
In conclusion, Colombia feels if the protesters are peaceful and there is no provocation from the government, then there should be no intervention, if the protesters are peaceful and the government provokes the protesters intervention is required and if the protesters and/or the government are being violent the outside aid is required.
