Recuperating Dignity: Indigenous Communities in Peru
In its final report, released in August 2003, Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission noted that there was a direct and deadly correlation between being a victim of political violence, and being poor and aboriginal. Of the 70,000 dead or disappeared in Peru's war during the 1980s and 1990s, 75 per cent were indigenous, their first language either Quechua or Asháninka. Eighty-five per cent of the victims registered by the Commission were from the poorest regions of the country.
Since 1989, Inter Pares and Project Counselling Service (PCS) have worked in these poor regions, supporting indigenous communities in their efforts to address the causes and consequences of the violence. In many communities, the majority of adults are women, left to defend and feed their children on their own, their husbands killed, detained, disappeared, or fleeing for their lives. Working with women's federations and mothers' clubs, displaced people's and peasants' organizations, PCS and Inter Pares have accompanied these communities, providing assistance to re-establish agriculture, to access programs for food assistance, to rebuild destroyed irrigation systems, and to defend human rights.
 I lost my son... They took my animals, burned my house. We peasants were left with nothing. Octavia Llacta's son was 23 years old when he was detained by the army. To date, his whereabouts are unknown. |
Now, the women who protected their families and their communities are insisting that the government continue the work of collecting testimonies and exhuming over 4,000 mass graves to find their lost loved ones. These women and their organizations are also participating in the national dialogue on the Truth Commission's recommendations for reparations to those affected by the violence: memorials to keep memory and dignity alive; educational opportunities for the lost generation of indigenous youth; basic services and infrastructure for communities destroyed by war; income generation projects for affected families; and an end to the impunity of perpetrators, which has for so long kept the truth from being known.
In this process, Inter Pares provides women and their families with mental health and post-trauma assistance, information workshops in their own languages, and legal and communications assistance. And with Inter Pares' support, PCS continues to participate in the National Working Group on Reparations, to define equitable and just ways to provide restitution, incorporating the perspectives of those who have been traditionally excluded. In this way, they are overcoming discrimination and racism, as they join with other Peruvians to build a democracy that is inclusive of all people, regardless of ethnicity, language or economic status.
In addition to the generous support of our donors, Inter Pares gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance of the Voluntary Sector Division and Peacebuilding Unit of CIDA, and the Wild Rose Foundation.
From Victims of Violence to Agents for Change
With its gentle climate, Guatemala is often called the Land of Eternal Spring. It is a land of breathtaking beauty, from the green mountains of the western highlands to the jungle in the north. Behind the beauty, however, a seemingly endless cycle of violence continues. Four decades of armed conflict ended with the signing of peace accords in 1996, but for most Guatemalans the dream of a peaceful and dignified life is not yet a reality. Despite the release of a Truth Commission report detailing some of the wartime atrocities, no one has been brought to justice for the crimes they committed. The wounds of the past have never healed, and continue to infect the present and future. Without justice, there cannot be peace.
Inter Pares supports survivors of violence in their struggle for justice in postwar Guatemala. We are working with groups of predominantly indigenous women who were the targets of political violence during the armed conflict, particularly rape and torture by the Guatemalan army. Many of these women were part of the internally displaced population; some became refugees, while others remained in their communities.
With the support of trained professionals, these women have formed groups to address the profound psychological and physical trauma they experienced, trauma that is preventing them from living their lives. A common history of suffering has brought the women together and created a bond, allowing them to share, often for the first time, what had happened to them. In addition, we are providing assistance to explore the legal avenues for justice for these women, both in the national courts, and through the Inter-American Criminal Court system.
Through their participation in this program, women are changing the way they see themselves, and the way they are seen by those around them. From being victims of violence, they are now agents for change. Together, they are finding ways to confront their pain and transform not only their lives, but their communities and their nation. And therein lies the hope for the future.
| Reviewed June 1, 2004 |  |
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