Formation In Human Rights And JPIC

By: Katty Huanuco, CCVI

With joy and thanks I share with you that together with two well know institutions we organized the first Training in Human Rights and Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation for those responsible for this area within their religious congregations in Peru.  

John Holloway has said, “Social change is a result of the transformation which is barely visible from the daily activities of millions of people (…) we look for the sources of hope, the attempts to break with the logic of destruction (…) it is better to recognize the immensity of ways that people are fighting back and try to connect them.”  That is how it was from May 23-27 in Lima.   Our days were filled with learning, listening, sharing, and reflecting on the gospels as the foundation, center, and end to who we are and what we do as animators of justice, peace, and integrity of creation (JPIC) in our Congregations. 

This first Training in Human Rights and JPIC was sponsored by the Permanent Commission of Human Rights and JPIC of the Conference of Religious in Peru (CRP) in coordination with the Episcopal Commission of Social Action and the Bartolome de las Casas Institute in Peru.  There were 51 total participants from the coast, the mountains, and the rainforest of Peru.  We represented more than 40 different religious communities throughout Peru.  And over half of the participants had just recently taken on the JPIC leadership role in their congregations in the past year. 

Each participant from this first training left happy; yes very happy! Our days together were truly blessed.  I know because of all the hugs I received at the end.  All of this was possible thanks to the work teams who got together before the training.  I feel very privileged to have been part of this experimental Permanent Commission of Human Rights and JPIC in the CRP.  I am extremely grateful for all the different groups that formed to make this event truly a sacred and informative space for everyone.  Thank you to each of the 20 Religious Congregations that make up the Permanent Commission, because your trust and care allow us to serve through this ministry. 

For me, this experience has been revitalizing.  Gathering together with other women and men developing this ministry within their Congregations with such passion, courage, and kindness gives me a lot of strength.  I trust that our dream will become reality in time.  We will continue working to knit together the networks of human rights and JPIC in Peru, and through that better respond to the needs of human rights and JPIC in the larger society through our Evangelization.