January 2006: at the suggestion of the Colombian NGO, Planeta Paz and the FICIB (International Federation of Ingrid Betancourt committees), several hundred academics and liberal citizens worldwide are releasing a manifesto in which they express their sorrow and shame regarding the fate of the hostages in Colombia and, through them, their concern at the extent of the humanitarian tragedy in Colombia which stifles civil life and makes a mockery of the fundamental principles of human dignity.

At the time of publishing this document, more than 300 have signed, 228 are Colombians. Among them: 

• Nancy Fraser, philosopher, Professor at the New School of Research, American
• Laura Restrepo, novelist, Alfaguara Novel Prize2004, Colombian
• Noam Chomsky, linguist, professor at MIT, American
• Michel Serres, philosopher, Professor at Stanford, French
• Pierre Hassner, political scientist, Professor at Science Po, Paris, French
• Victor Juan Gelman, poet, Cervantes Prize 2007, Argentinian
• Orlando Fais Borda, sociologist, Professor at the National University of Colombia, Colombian
• Francois Houtart, anthropologist, Professor at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgian
• Juan Manuel Roca, poet, Lezama Lima Prize 2007, Colombian
• Boaventura de Sousa Santos, sociologist, Professor at the University of Coimbra and of Wisconsin, Portuguese
• Alain Touraine, sociologist, research director at EHESS, french
• Arturo Escobar, anthropologist, Professor at the University of North Carolina, Colombian
• Manuel Moncayo, former rector, the National University of Colombia, Colombian
• Michel Molitor, former assistant - rector at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgian
• Philippe Texier, magistrate at the Court of Cassation, President of the UN Committee for Economic ,Social and Cultural Rights, French

In this document, they wish to condemn out of hand the practice of hostage-taking, but also condemn with similar vehemence the irresponsible attitude of the Colombian government that refuses to recognise the existence of the armed conflict and to use principles of International Human Rights, as well as the policies of some members of the International Community, in particular members of the US Government and of the European Union. 

At the end of this statement, the International Federation of Ingrid Betancourt Committees (FICIB) and Planeza Paz invite you to sign an on-line petition, so that you, too, can express active support for the countless victims of the tragedy in Colombia, and lend support for efforts being made to bring it to an end.

Read the Manifesto :

• "Contra la barbarie cotidiana"
• "Contre la Barbarie Ordinaire"
• "Against every-day barbarism"

See the list of the 300+ first signatories

Sign the petition in support of this statement