About this site

SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, three Colombian academics have been murdered. In May Hernan Henao, professor of anthropology, was slained during a faculty meeting. In April Dario Betancourt, professor of history, disappeared. His body was found in September of this year. On September 16 Jesus Bejarano, professor of economics, was gunned down on campus while walking with a group of his students. Concerned with the increasing vulnerability of Colombian academia, we are setting up Day of the Dead Altars honoring the three Colombian professors murdered. A Day of the Dead Altar is a Mexican and Mexican/American tradition celebrated whereby the living express their feelings for dead relatives and friends and remind them that their presence is still very strongly felt. We, as members of the U.S. academia, believe this to be a good way to express our solidarity with Colombian intellectuals. Day of the Dead is November 2nd.

    A Day of the Dead Altar consists of a shrine with flowers (the traditional Altar flower is the yellow marigold), candles, and photos of the people honored. These are the basics, and from here the Altar is open to individuals' creativity. Altars can include letters to the dead, a biography of the dead, small objects and mementos that have any meaningful relationship with the dead, fruit, bread, and drinks. We have included photos and a short biography of each of the three Colombian professors murdered. We invite you to make your own printouts of these to include in your altar.

    Colombian academics are asking for any type of international pressure to demand:

1. That any solution to conflict in Colombian should be a product of NEGOTIATION.
2. That the civil population be left out of the violent conflict (e.g. no more kidnappings, no more massacres, no more displaced, no more disappearances, no more destruction of villages by warring parties).
3. An immediate cease fire.