As I packed up to move to Colombia, I decided to bring four books with me aside from my journal and Bible. Three of them were history books which I have been reading side by side, moving along through history and currently finding myself in the mid nineteenth-century. The fourth book I loaded into my messenger bag was entitled, The Dispossessed: Chronicles of the Desterrados of Colombia, which I finished this afternoon. Within its pages are eight life tales of displaced people, each more heart-wrenching than the last. There were points where I simply could not understand how much tragedy could occur in one person´s life. Accompanying these first hand accounts are a few essays to offer perspective on the situation of crisis that has been plaguing Colombia for decades. Even if you do not totally agree with the somewhat leftist analysis provided by the essays, the information is solid and the stories speak for themselves. If anyone is looking to have a clearer idea of what displacement in Colombia looks like on the ground and would like to attempt to begin to understand the complexity of the issue, I would highly recommend giving this book a read.
I will get this book, Nick.
ReplyDeleteThe significance of civil peace and justice is overwhelming.