By Sylvie St-Pierre, Secretary of the St-Jérôme–Mont-Laurier diocesan council and participant in the 2026 solidarity trip
Our two-week solidarity trip to Peru has already come to an end! We’ve retuned home with our minds and hearts filled with love and emotion. What a warm welcome we received from all our partners and everyone we met along the way, including the nuns at the Casa de Las Doroteas, who warmly opened the doors of their convent to us and treated us to generous meals.
As soon as we arrived, we explored the neighbourhood and got to know the people of Miraflores by taking a walk through the beautiful Parque del Amor, which features mosaics inspired by the famed Antonio Gaudí. The magic was already taking hold within our group, and a strong sense of cohesion was developing. We were eager to meet our partners and hear them tell us about their projects and concerns.
Our experience began with a meeting with José Luis Franco, the architect of our tour program, which he developed jointly with Mary Durran, the Latin America programs officer at Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada (DPCC). We were welcomed by Silvia Caceres, director of the Bartolomé de Las Casas Institute (IBC; see website in Spanish), a civil society organization founded in 1974 by the theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez and a group of Catholic professionals. It was through this key partner that we would later meet with representatives from other organizations under it accompanies, as well as other highly active partners such as the Amazonian Center for Anthropology and Practical Application (CAAAP; see website in Spanish), the Centro Labor (see website in Spanish) and the Episcopal Commission for Social Action (CEAS; see website in Spanish).
Our journey was enriched by numerous talks led by dedicated partners and highly committed, knowledgeable individuals: lawyers, sociologists, anthropologists, researchers, university professors, students and Indigenous leaders, among others. They explained the serious problems that Peruvians face every day. We heard about food insecurity, rampant environmental contamination caused by mining and oil extraction, deforestation, the destruction of ecosystems, corruption, political instability, human trafficking, criminal groups involved in drug trafficking, and so on.
Our partners also shared with us their areas of focus and the resources they deploy to support communities affected by these social, environmental, economic, legal and political issues. They train women, young people and community leaders to empower them to take charge of their own lives, assert their fundamental rights and defend their cultural identity. Every day, however, we realized that their task is monumental, the needs all being equally pressing.
I saw that the people are suffering greatly and that their problems are often complex and interrelated. I quickly felt overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation and the sheer scale of the work needed to bring them relief and offer them a glimmer of hope. Our field visits literally shook me to the core. Is it right that our sisters and brothers are forced to live in such conditions? The discharge of heavy metals and toxins into the water and air by the mining industry has a huge impact on their health and safety, which is often compromised. Among the consequences of pollution are intellectual disabilities in some children, various diseases, and reduced life expectancy. I can only salute the courage and resilience of the people who survive amid such suffering.
What outraged me most of all were the cruelty and the pursuit of power. It is said that humans are capable of both the best and the worst. Unfortunately, I saw some of the worst during our trip. These people are not only impoverished, but they are also socially and politically disadvantaged and feel excluded. Despite all the adversity and difficulties they face, they are determined to continue the fight to improve their living conditions and assert their rights at every level—women’s rights, social justice, land rights, access to clean water, and so on. Every small step is a victory; they know the battle will be long and arduous.
This trip confirmed to me that our solidarity is bearing fruit and strengthening the autonomy of local communities in the face of challenges. I saw firsthand the realities and challenges on the ground. Peru has left a deep impression on me. Let us continue, together, to stand with those who are working for sustainable change. Let us support DPCC in whatever way we can to build a more just future.