By Daniel St-Pierre, Chair of the St-Jérôme–Mont-Laurier diocesan council and participant in the 2026 solidarity trip
This trip changed my life because it made me aware of the socioeconomic, political and environmental situation in this South American country, as well as the enormous challenges being faced by its impoverished and marginalized groups, including the Indigenous peoples who make up more than a fifth of Peru’s population.
Our journey gave me the opportunity to meet the wonderful people who work in collaboration with our partners, the Bartolomé de Las Casas Institute (IBC; see website in Spanish), the Amazonian Center for Anthropology and Applied Research (CAAAP; see website in Spanish) and the Episcopal Commission for Social Action (CEAS; see website in Spanish). They were all friendly, down-to-earth and highly competent individuals. I was impressed by their expertise in their respective fields and by their deep commitment to the values we uphold at Development and Peace ― Caritas Canada (DPCC), including the preferential option for the poor, social and environmental justice, women’s and Indigenous rights, education for democracy, the fight against pollution, solidarity and more.
We also met with the people trained by our partners, who are the leaders of various organizations. I was moved by the presentations they gave us on access to clean drinking water, uncontaminated food and a healthy environment; respect for human rights and dignity; accessible, high-quality hospital care; the right to education in their communities and to stable, paid and safe work; and so on.
They were all committed, dynamic people, who are ready to fight for their rights to the very end, no matter the cost (threats, job loss, poverty, authorities ignoring their needs, etc.) for the good of their communities. These are people who encourage their fellow citizens to take charge of their own lives, identify problems, find solutions and take peaceful action to improve their situation. They are determined to bring about change despite the magnitude of the task and the obstacles they face, no matter how long it takes—often years—and despite having limited support and receiving little financial assistance.
For my part, I will continue to work tirelessly to raise funds and support campaigns to raise awareness among Canadians about the problems faced by people in the Global South—problems that are often caused by us, the people of the Global North. Based on what I’ve seen on the ground, I am convinced of all the good our partners are doing in Peru and around the world. I can assure you that your donations to DPCC are managed with the utmost care and invested with trusted partners in projects that have a tangible impact on the communities they serve. This helps to Create hope and open up new prospects for the future in people’s lives.
I implore you to support DPCC’s various campaigns so that they can continue helping these the amazing people who are doing extraordinary work with limited resources to build a better world of peace and justice.