[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 15, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF CECILIA ZARATE-LAUN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK POCAN

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 15, 2017

  Mr. POCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Cecilia 
Zarate-Laun, a constituent and dear friend of mine who dedicated her 
life to building a more just and peaceful world. I first met Cecilia 
while serving on the Dane County Board of Supervisors in Wisconsin, 
where we worked together on a sister-city relationship between Dane 
County and Apartado, in Antioquia, Colombia. I had the honor of 
visiting Apartado on a delegation that Cecilia led, and worked with her 
to host Colombian dignitaries visiting the U.S. over the years.
  Cecilia was born in 1945 in the Santander Province in Colombia. The 
eldest of five sisters, she studied nutrition in Bogota, and later, as 
a Master's student at the University of Wisconsin. In 1976, she married 
Jack Laun, whom she had met while studying in the United States. They 
celebrated their 40th anniversary together last year.
  Her lifelong mission was to educate and inspire ordinary people to 
become involved in the messy work of democracy. She had an intimate 
understanding that efforts to change government policy here in the U.S. 
had a profound impact on the lives of untold billions across the world. 
By shifting our priorities away from militarism and war-making, the 
United States could instead contribute to sustainable development and 
solving real human needs globally.
  Co-founding the Colombia Support Network (CSN) in 1987, Cecilia went 
on to lead more than 50 delegations of residents of the United States 
to Colombia, supporting the formation of CSN chapters in the U.S. and 
matching them with communities in areas of conflict. CSN sought to 
achieve peace with justice in Colombia by changing U.S. policy and 
minimizing the violence faced by people caught between guerrillas on 
the one hand and state security forces and paramilitaries on the other.
  Cecilia's commitment to social and economic equality, and a deep 
sense of solidarity with people around the world, drove her tireless 
efforts. That passion had a lasting effect on me and will continue to 
inform my work and the values I strive to uphold as a public servant.
  Even in the weeks just before her passing, she worked closely with me 
as we pursued strategies to ensure accountability, truth, and justice 
for the victims of Colombia's 50-year conflict. She lived to see the 
end of Colombia's brutal civil war, which was the fruit of her labors 
and the efforts of persistent, dedicated peace activists just like her. 
Her life is a window into the decades-long commitment from millions of 
people in order to produce real social change.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I recognize the life and 
legacy of Cecilia Zarate-Laun today.

                          ____________________