Peru's Bicentennial
Today, Peruvians get together to celebrate the first 200 years of Independece. For Amantani, this is both a moment of celebration and reflection about our liberty; how we use it, the respect it deserves and what are the responsibilities that come with it.
Last week, we met with the team virtually to share our feelings regarding our country and this upcoming moment in history. The conversation started with the question, “What do you value most about Peru?” and we took a moment to listen to each team member. Rodrigo, our Executive Director, began by sharing that what he values most is “the pluricultural aspect of the population.” Ruth Karina, one of the young Mentors, said, “diversity is what makes us special,” and Chris, our Head in the UK, added that, “he finds surprising how communities that are so close to each other can be so different at the same time.” In general, the team agreed on the fact that the population’s uniqueness makes Peru a one-of-a-kind country. “That’s why foreigners who come visit, don’t ever want to leave!” said Marizol, Ethical Trade Coordinator, to which Thilo Böck, our External Consultant of German nationality and Rodrigo, of Chilean nationality, replied by nodding and laughing. Alioska, Administrative Assistant also shared that what she values most is the inner strength of Peruvians, while Tania, Programme Coordinator, mentioned she feels Peruvians are ‘magical.’
Nonetheless, the team also shared that diversity brings its own share of challenges. “Politically speaking, it’s very hard to unite a population of 33 million people who see the world and the country’s future so differently,” said Chris. The team also mentioned that this was not the only political problem in the country, given that, in the last few decades, the popular word and theme had been ‘corruption’. “It will take us many years before we regain trust in our authorities,” said Sara. The debate on corruption led Hector Raul, one of the young Mentors, to reflect and conclude that, “Maybe, there’s a bit of corruption in all of us.”
When it came to education, the team explored its own experiences as both students and people who work in this complex industry. “I think Peru has a structural problem. The social and educational regulations are run by each Government, but for them to work, they need to be run by the State. Each Government has its own personal agenda,” mentioned Rodrigo. The whole team agreed on how frustrating it has been to witness the slow-paced development in the country’s education during the last decades. “Education is terrible,” commented Abelardo, one of the young Mentors. “I’ve travelled in Peru and many times I’ve found children selling things on the streets. When I’ve asked them if they were studying, they’ve told me they were, when in reality, they were barely listening to their classes on the radio whilst they kept selling.”
This bittersweet feeling towards Peru, that combines its irreplaceable qualities as well as the challenges and injustices that cause so much frustration, led the team to share their thoughts on the following question, “What advice would you give to the next generation of children who will have to deal with Peru’s complexities?” “Don’t forget you have rights,” said Thilo, to which Marizol added, “and that you also have duties. Be responsible with them.” Sara commented, “Don’t be afraid to have your own opinion and say it out loud.” Tania, Marizol and Alioska agreed with Sara, and added that they should believe in themselves too. Shirley and Abelardo suggested they read about history and Peru’s reality, mentioning they should, “leave their mobile phones aside sometimes,” or, like Shirley specified, “they should read less Fantasy and more History.” Marleni, another of the young Mentors, also commented that, “it’s important they continue to study. The world gets more competitive by the second and I wouldn’t want them to fall behind.”
In this first Bicentennial, we send every Peruvian a warm hug and invite all of you to explore your own personal and group thoughts and reflections. The team and participants of Amantani wish you all the start of a new century with more dialogue, union and respect so that we can all work towards building a country with better opportunities for all.
Today, and always, ‘¡que viva el Perú!’