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Church and organizations in Peru defend human dignity and human rights
The Church, representatives of social organizations, Indigenous peoples and communities, grassroots groups, and human rights defenders from nine regions of southern Peru gathered in Cusco to share experiences, hear about the different realities across the territories, and develop common proposals in favor of dignity, justice, peace, and the common good, as part of the Southern Macro-Regional Meeting, “Weaving Voices for Dignity.”
Vatican News
Representatives of social organizations, Indigenous peoples and communities, grassroots groups, leaders, and human rights defenders from Ayacucho, Puno, Ica, Arequipa, Madre de Dios, Apurímac, Tacna, Moquegua, and Cusco gathered in Cusco for the Southern Macro-Regional Meeting, “Weaving Voices for Dignity: For Human Rights and the Common Good.”
The gathering provided a space to share experiences from different territories, identify common challenges, and develop proposals in response to the main human rights issues facing the country.
The first day brought together diverse realities from southern Peru and sought to strengthen cooperation among organizations, communities, and institutions committed to defending human dignity, justice, peace, and the common good. During the opening session, Bishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cusco and Secretary General of CELAM (Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council), emphasized that defending human rights is a responsibility that concerns both society and the Church.
“Defending human dignity, justice, peace, and the common good are not matters unrelated to faith,” he said, stressing that these principles are part of the Church’s Social Doctrine and its commitment to walking alongside people.
The meeting addressed a reality that transcends the borders of individual regions. Inequality, violence, discrimination, conflicts over land and water, environmental damage, and demands for recognition of rights are among the concerns voiced from different parts of the country.
Against this backdrop, the theme “Weaving Voices for Dignity” highlights the need to strengthen listening and social cooperation. For Bishop Estrada, no voice should have to stand alone, and national problems cannot be fully understood without listening to the people and communities who experience them directly.
At the same time, southern Peru was presented as a region of memory, organization, resilience, wisdom, and hope, where communities and organizations continue to develop proposals and seek alternatives in response to situations affecting their rights and living conditions.
Dignity as a national commitment
One of the key messages of the gathering was that defending human rights cannot be limited to statements; it must be translated into concrete action.
Along these lines, the meeting sought to move from diagnosing problems toward developing proposals and collective commitments. The aim is for the experiences of the different regions to contribute to a shared agenda for human rights and the common good. The participation of representatives from nine regions also demonstrates the macro-regional scope of the process and the need to strengthen channels of dialogue among the country’s different territories.
Church, civil society, and building bridges
The gathering was attended by Tania Pariona, Executive Secretary of the National Coordinator for Human Rights; José Antonio Lapa, Director of Derechos Humanos Sin Fronteras in Cusco; Victoria Taco Choquipuma, representative of the Espinar Platform for People Affected by Toxic Metals (PAMETEC); and Ruth Luque, representative of Cusco.
Bishop Miguel Ángel Cadenas, Bishop of Iquitos, also participated, contributing a pastoral perspective and drawing on the teachings of the Church in reflecting on the challenges involved in defending human dignity.
In this context, Bishop Estrada clarified that the Church’s presence is not intended to take the place of social organizations or to offer all the answers, but rather to listen, accompany, build bridges, and allow itself to be challenged by reality. This message takes on particular significance in a country marked by deep territorial and social divisions, where building consensus requires spaces for dialogue capable of incorporating different experiences and perspectives.
Toward a common agenda for the common good
The meeting also highlighted the need to turn the concerns and demands expressed by organizations into concrete proposals and commitments.
As the bishop put it, the goal is to move “from scattered voices to a shared word; from wounds to paths of reconciliation; from concern to proposals, and from proposals to concrete commitments to life, justice, peace, and the common good.”
From this perspective, the Southern Macro-Regional Meeting seeks to contribute to a broader conversation about Peru’s future, placing human dignity, the rights of communities, and the need to strengthen a society grounded in justice, participation, and peace at the center.
The initiative is also part of the preparations for Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit to Peru, creating a space for dialogue among the Church, social organizations, human rights defenders, and representatives of different territories to hear their voices and strengthen commitments in favor of human dignity and the common good.
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