Forces of World Poetry for Peace in Colombia

Colombia is experiencing one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies of the Earth. The world is just detecting this catastrophe. The Colombian people are victims of a war that has gone on for over half a century, making it one of the longest wars in human history, and the oldest war being waged in the XXI century, affecting political stability in South America.

This conflict has claimed more than one million lives, and it has left behind an even higher amount of population wounded, maimed, disappeared, imprisoned and exiled. More than four million Colombians have been displaced from their land, (about fourth million hectares), now in the hands of warlords. Colombia, which has two oceans and has access to the Amazon rainforest, is a huge pot of gold, silver, diamonds, gemstones, iron, coal, uranium and coltan. It also has enormous oil wealth. But 60% of its population is poor, while 11% is destitute.

Currently the Colombian government and the FARC are advancing dialogue processes in the pursuit of peace in Havana (Cuba).

The peace of Colombia, a country that deeply loves poetry, will bring greater stability to the democratic processes in Latin America and therefore the world.

The world poetry forces speak out for the strengthening of these peace talks for an immediate ceasefire and for the materialization of agreements leading to a state of social justice, peace, dignity and reconciliation among Colombians.

Poetry, deeply inspired by the need for peace in the world, is set to transform and renew the human spirit, reminding people of the Earth their ancient roots, the immemorial demand of fulfilling poetic justice, the protection of nature and the natural calling for spiritual unity and solidarity in the world.

That is why the International Poetry Festival Palabra en el Mundo, (http://palabraenelmundo.blogspot.com/) which has annually performed thousands of poetry readings in a growing number of countries on Earth, calls to develop a global poetic action, between the 9th and 21st of May, on all continents. This global poetic action may include poetry readings, poetic and artistic activities, concerts and a variety of creative initiatives to support peace talks toward definitive peace in Colombia.

The World Poetry Movement (www.wpm2011.org), composed of 250 festivals and poetry organizations and 1,350 poets from 131 countries of the world, joins this initiative, supporting it in its entirety, and participating in its organization.

Poets from around the world signed on to support the celebration of 12 days of poetic action for peace in Colombia. Artists, intellectuals and academics in the world join in for this great event.

Gabriel Impaglione, Tito Alvarado, poets and representatives of The International Poetry Festival Palabra en el Mundo.
Coordinator Committee of World Poetry Movement (WPM):
Jack Hirschman, poet and director of The International Poetry Festival of San Francisco, United States.
Dino Siotis, poet and director of Circle of Poets, Greece.
Ataol Behramoglu, poet and representative of The International Poetry Festival of Smyrna, Turkey.
Fernando Rendon, poet and director of The International Poetry Festival of Medellin, Colombia, Alternative Nobel Prize 2006.
Peter Rorvik, general secretary of Arterial Network, South Africa.
Rati Saxena, poet and director of International Poetry Festival of Krytia, India.
Alex Pausides, poet and director of International Poetry Festival of Havana, Cuba.
Iryna Vikyrchak, poet and director of The International Poetry Festival Meridian Czernowitz, Ukraine.
Amir Or, poet and representative of International Poetry Festival Sha’ar, Israel.
Juan Gelman, poet, Cervantes Prize, Argentina.
Gustavo Pereira, poet, Víctor Valera Mora Prize, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Amadou Lamine Sall, poet and president of Maison Africaine de la Poésie Internationale Dakar, Senegal.
Gabriel Jaime Franco, Jairo Guzmán, Luis Eduardo Rendon, Rafael Patiño, Felipe Posada, Tatiana Mejía, poets and representatives of International Poetry Festival of Medellín, Colombia.
Roberto Fernández Retamar, poet, Cuba.
Lello Voce, poet and director of Absolut Poetry Festival, Italy.
Sendoo Hadaa, poet, founder and editor-in-chief of the World Poetry Almanac (WPA), Mongolia.
Aitana Alberti, poet and President of Cathedra Rafael Alberti, University of Havana.
Tamara Vonta, journalist and deputy in National Assembly of Slovenia, Slovenia.
Hildebrando Pérez Grande, poet, Casa de las Américas Poetry Prize 1978, Peru.
Pablo Armando Fernández, poet, National Prize of Literature, Cuba.
Antonio Preciado, poet and diplomat, Ecuador.
Vicente Otta, sociologyst, former deputy, Peru.
Stella Calloni, journalist, Argentina.
Arturo Corcuera, poet, Casa de las Americas Priza, 2006, Peru.
Reynaldo Naranjo, National Poetry Prize, Peru.
Juan Cristóbal, National Poetry Prize, Peru.
Winston Orrillo, poet, narrator and journalist, National Prize of Literature, Peru.
Phelelani Makhanya, poet and founder of Funda África NGO, South Africa.
Christian Karlson Stead, poet and novelist, New Zealand.
Kamran Mir Hazar, poet, Afghanistan/Norway.
Andrei Khadanovich, poet, president of Belarusian PEN.
Luis Marré, writer, National Prize of Literature, Cuba.
Ersi Sotiropoulos, poet and novelist, Greece.
Gabriel Rosenstock, poet, Éire/Ireland.
César López, National Prize of Literature, Cuba.
Morela Maneiro, poet, Kari´ña Nation, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Hussein Habasch, poet, Kurdistan/Syria.
Louis-Philippe Dalembert, poet and novelist, Haiti.
Nancy Morejón, National Prize of Literature, Cuba.
Fahredin Shehu, poet and writer, Kosovo.
Rogelio Martínez Furé, Theatre National Prize, Cuba.
Michael Augustin, poet & broadcaster, Germany.
Rodolfo Alonso, poet, translator and essayist, Argentina.
Satoko Tamura, poet, Japan.
Ayo Ayoola-Amale, lawyer, poet, writer, public speaker & Director, Splendors of Dawn Poetry Foundation, Ghana/Nigeria.
Alpidio Alonso, deputy, director of Poetry Magazine Amnios, Cuba.
Bengt Berg, poet and editor, Sweden.
Lina de Feria, poet and essayist, National Poetry Prize Nicolás Guillén, Cuba.
Paul Lobo Portugés, poet, professor and filmmaker, United States.
Mario Martínez Sobrino, poet, National Poetry Prize Nicolás Guillén, Cuba.
Hemant Divate, poet, editor, publisher and translator, India.
Maruja Vieira, poet, Colombia.
Sergio de Zubiría, filósofo y académico, Colombia.
Álvaro Oviedo, university profesor, Colombia.
Galel Cárdenas, president of the Union of Writers and Artists of Honduras (UEAH).
Oscar Saavedra Villarroel, poet and coordinator of The Descentralización Poética, Chile.
Giovanna Mulas, writer, Italy.
Pedro López Cerviño, poet and screenwriter for TV, Cuba.
Tamer Öncül, poet, Cyprus.
Gaston Saint-Fleur, poet, writer and executive director of Foundation Prokilti, Haiti.
Carmen González, coordinator of Laboratory Writings, La Havana, Cuba.
Renato Sandoval Bacigalupo, poet, Peru.
Julio Salgado, poet, Argentina.
Sinecio Verdecia, poet and performer, Cuba.
Silvia Nellys Cesin, poet, dance teacher and corporal expression, Uruguay.
Oscar Cruz, poet, CubaPoesía Prize 2012, Cuba.
José Luis Díaz-Granados, poet, Colombia.
Haydé Marín, musician and university profesor, Colombia.
Deysi Elizabeth Cheyne Romero, Red En Defensa de la Humanidad, El Salvador.
Susy Delgado, poet and cultural promoter, Paraguay.
Pierre Bernet, organizar of The International Poetry Festival of Havana, Cuba.
Dennis Dancan Mosiere, poet, musician, actor, writer/editor Human Rights educator and a Fahamu Pan African fellow For Social Justice, Kenya.
François Szabo, poete, France.
Alejandro Aguilar, organizer of The Festival Al Sur está la Poesía, Cuba.
Lucía Muñoz, poet, Cuba.
Juanita Conejero, poet, writer and cultural promoter, Cuba.
Claude Darbellay, poet, Switzerland.
Luis Carlos Suárez, poet and writer, Cuba.
Marion Bethel, poet, Bahamas.
Omar Felipe Mauri, deputed, writer and researcher, Cuba.
Juventina Soler, president of Granma section, Association of Writers, Cuba.
Bob Holman, poet, Bowery Poetry, Endangered Language Alliance, United States.
Abel Guerrero Castro, poet, Vice-president UNEAC, Granma, Cuba.
Alexander Besú, poet and radial realizer from Niquero, Granma, Cuba.
Gustavo Ramirez, organizer of The Festival World in the World, Granma, Cuba.
Daer Pozo, organizer of The Festival Word in the World, Holguín, Cuba.
Roberto Manzano, poet and essayist, National Poetry Prize Nicolás Guillén, Cuba.
Gloria Chvatal, painter, Colombia.
Juana García Abás, writer, Cuba.
José Luis Fariñas, painter and writer, Cuba.
Miguel Cantilo, poet and singer, Argentina.
Juan José Dalton, journalist and representative of The Roque Dalton Foundation, El Salvador
Miriam Cairo, writer, Argentina.
José Antonio Cedrón, poet, Argentina.
Carlo Bordini, poet, Italy.
Samir Delgado, poet, Islas Canarias.
Beatriz Ortega, audiovisual communicator, Colombia.
Nidia Naranjo, visual artist, Colombia.
Rosina Valcárcel, writer, anthropologist, Peru.
Carlos A. Ostolaza, visual artist, pintor, Peru.
Norma Segades, writer and educator, Argentina.
Leydy Acevedo, poetry workshop leader and educator, Colombia.
Natalia Rendon, painter, Colombia.
Rafael Quiroz, painter, Colombia.
Ingrid Chicote, writer and educator, Bolivarian Republic of de Venezuela.
Cecilia Todd, composer and singer, Bolivarian Republic of de Venezuela.
Mohammed Bennis, poet, Morocco.
Antonieta Villamil, poet, editor, translator, Colombia/United States.
Annalisa Melandri, writer and journalist, Italy.
Olga Liliana Reinoso, writer, Argentina.
Osvaldo Ballina, poet, Argentina.
Isis M. Leyva Acosta, poet and representative of Casa Museo José Lezama Lima, Cuba.
José Luis Ayala, poet, writer and journalist, Peru.
José María Pallaoro, writer, Argentina.
Carlos Meneses, writer, Peru.
Julio Pavanetti, poet and president of Liceo Poético de Benidorm, Uruguay/Spain.
Dorothy (Dottie) Payne, poet, painter and director of ArtInternationale! Gallery and Art Lounge, United States.
Humberto Mello, poet, Brazil.
Nechi Dorado, poet and journalist, Argentina.
Jorge Rivelli, poet, Argentina.
Cristina Castello, poet, writer, editor and journalist, Argentina.
Benny Franklin, poet, Brazil.
Ernesto Carrión, poet, Ecuador.
Ana María Intili, poet, Argentina/Peru.
Abbar Yassin Hussin, writer and poet, Iraq/France.
Homero Carvalho Oliva, writer, Bolivia.
Diva Caballero, lawyer, Colombia.
Eduardo Hurtado Montalvo, poet, editor and essayist, Mexico.
Marta Ortiz, poet and narrator, Argentina.
Manuel Pachón, poet and professor, director of Escritura sin Límites, Colombia.
Alireza Abiz, poet, Iran/UK.
Ingrid Wickström, poet, Sweeden.
Hugo Muleiro, journalist, Argentina.
Cristian Avecillas, poet and founder of Grupo Teatromiento, Ecuador.
Horacio Duque Giraldo, writer, Colombia.
Salvador Tio, journalist, Puerto Rico.
Ofelia Rosales Giménez, journalist, Argentina.
Marta Speroni, journalist and human rights defender, Argentina.
Orlando Villa, writer and photographer, Colombia.
Miguel Navarro, poet, Spain.
Rosa C. Báez, journalist, Cuba.
Mikel Itulain, writer, Spain.
Ferruccio Brugnaro, poet, Italy.
Norton Contreras Robledo, poet, writer, journalist and member of Society of Writer of Chile (SECH), Chile.
Herman Schiller, journalist and director of radio programs Leña al fuego and Aguantando de pie, Argentina.
Marcelo Colussi, citizen standing, Guatemala.
Fernando Sabido Sánchez, poet, Spain.
Lobo Cruz, poet and founder Poets Party, Argentina.
Lena García Feijoo, historian, teacher and disseminator, Mexico.
Hugo Gómez, lawyer, Spain.
Augusto Rivero Mas, architect, Cuba.
Dick Emanuelsson, journalist, Sweeden.
Miriam Emanuelsson, journalist, Honduras.
Aníbal Garzón B., sociologist and journalist, executive member of Web Kaosenlared.net, Bolivia.
Ingrid Storgen, writer and journalist, Argentina.
Carmen Campos Pino, poet, writer and profesor, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Ana Daglio, translator, Argentina.
Yury Weky, profesor, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Sergio Badilla, poet, Chile.
Angye Gaona, poet, Colombia.
Anandi Fernández, poet, Argentina/India.
Jimmy Javier Obando, poet, Nicaragua.
Ramon Danilo Correa, poet and journalist, Dominican Republic.
Soledad Fariña, poet, Chile.
René Silva Catalán, poet Chile.
Ráger Santivánez, poet and profesor, Peru.
Jaime Huenún, poet, Chile.
Juan Carlos Ramírez, poet, Chile.
Enrique Winter, poet and lawyer, Chile.
Ximena Troncoso, poet and director of Society of Writers of Chile.
Verónica Aranda Casado, poet and translator, Spain.
Rubén Sacchi, poet, writer and director of magazine Lilith, Argentina.
Minor Arias Uva, writer and profesor, Costa Rica.
Eduardo Sanguinetti, philosopher, poet and artist, Argentina.
André Chenet, poet and editor, France.
Tristan Cabral, poet and philosopher, France.
Emmanuelle K., poet, writer, music and filmmaker, France.
Christian Andersen, poet, Belgium.
Sandrine Féraud, poet, France.
Albert Anor, poet, Switzerland.
Yelby Ramirez Rengifo, syndicalist, Colombia.
Eddy Rafael Pérez, poet, editor, cultural promoter and professor, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Beatriz Palmieri, professor of art, coordinator of Proyecto Cultural SUR, Lomas de Zamora, Argentina.
Winston Morales Chavarro, poet, Colombia.
Natacha Santiago, poet, profesor and cultural promoter, Cuba.
Félix Contreras, poet, Cuba.
Juan Carlos Taborda, narrator, Argentina.
Eric Cobas, compositor, singer, writer and poet, Cuba.
Nelson González Bustos, lawyer, Chile.
Ron Ridell, poet, New Zeland.
Sergio Leyva Peña, lawyer, Cuba.
Pedro A. Rodríguez , academic, Cuba.
David Palmer, poet, wroter and journalist, Colombia/Canadá.
Toni Solo, worker, Ireland.
María Isabel García Mayorca, poet, Colombia.