Success Stories!

US Policy toward Colombia is finally changing and you helped make that happen

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a new aid package to Colombia through its version of the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Act increasing support for critical social, economic and humanitarian needs and decreasing funding to a military implicated in serious human rights violations.

For over a decade, AIUSA has advocated for a different approach to US policy toward Colombia. We have highlighted the role of the Colombian Armed Forces in serious human rights violations, the killing of thousands of civilians by the military, paramilitary and guerrilla’s, the attacks against human rights defenders, the internal displacement of millions of Colombians and have communicated our concerns over cases of human rights violations to the US government.

Because of the emails you sent, letters you wrote, and phone calls you made, the new aid package went from 76% military and 24% social and economic aid (what the Bush Administration asked for) to 55% military and 45% social and economic aid, including support for victims of the conflict.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all AIUSA activists who contacted their congressional representatives asking the New Congress to create a New Policy Toward Colombia! There is much more work to be done and we must continue to insist on change in our foreign policy, but this is the beginning of a more humane and balanced approach to supporting Colombia and we thank you all for having been a part of shaping it.

Stay tuned for the Senate version of the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. We will need your help to ensure that the Senate also passes more balanced aid package for Colombia.
2007-06-25

U.S. Military Assistance to Nepal Halted

With over 10,000 emails to Secretary of State Rice and a very successful rally at the State Department, Amnesty International USA activists have succeeded in halting lethal military assistance to the government of Nepal! The U.S. decision was confirmed when it became public last week that the U.S. had suspended a scheduled shipment of M-16 rifles to Nepal, where over 12,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 1996.
2005-07-05

International Arms Trade Treaty

French President Jacques Chirac issued his government's support for an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) during a speech on 20 June. This is an important victory for the campaign as France is a major arms exporter. Following the French announcement, the governments of Norway and Germany also issued strong support for the ATT. This followed similar statements from Ghana and Senegal issued over the last few weeks. Learn more about international arms trade.
2005-06-20