Peruvian Bloggers Raising Social Consciousness

Peruvian bloggers are raising social consciousness.

I recently became aware of two projects worthy of note. One has to do with housing for the poorest Peruvians, and the other with discrimination of workers by elite employers.


At Slayer_X, I read about the Un Techo Para Mi País project, which is very similar to the American Habitat For Humanity, in which volunteers build houses for needy people. This project began in Chile a few years back, and has now expanded to various Latin American countries. It not only seeks to assist the poorest residents; but, also to create relationships and networks between them and the volunteers.

The wording of the poster for the Peru project is powerful:

You're lucky. This is not your house.
52% of Peruvians don't have the same luck.

Un Techo Para Mi País Perú is calling for 450 volunteers between the ages of 17 and 26 to come together in solidarity to build homes for residents in three very poor areas in Greater Lima. The recipients of the new homes do not get them for free; they contribute either a small monetary contribution or in-kind labor. Construction dates will be from January 17 to 20.


Meanwhile, la página de milanta, brings us news of the Operativo Empleada Audaz, or Operation Audacious Employee.

In the elite seaside resort of Asia, south of Lima, local citizens and the municipality have passed a series of stringent measures meant to curtail the behavior of the nannies, maids, and other servants who work in the exclusive resorts and homes of the areas. One of the most egregious laws passed was that servants could only go to the beach after 7 p.m. This goes against Peruvian laws that state that Peruvian beaches cannot be privatized and must be open and accessible for all.

The Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, National Human Rights Coordination, an umbrella organization of various human rights, anti-racism, and anti-discrimination groups in Peru, is calling for a protest on January 28. It is asking as many people as possible to come to Asia on that day dressed in the uniforms of nannies, maids, and other household servants, and mount en masse protest at the beach there in solidarity with the household workers at the resort. Ironic that those Peruvians who have the most resources are among the most lacking in compassion.



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