Guardians of the Land: Human Rights and Care of Creation 

In the highlands of southern Peru, indigenous communities often face significant threats to their ancestral land, water sources, and traditional livelihoods, frequently linked to extractive industries and development projects undertaken with limited consultation or regard for local rights. These pressures place both cultural survival and environmental sustainability at risk simultaneously.

Through partnerships with local organizations, Maryknoll supports leadership training, legal advocacy, environmental stewardship, and community education initiatives designed to help these communities protect their interests. Grounded explicitly in Catholic social teaching regarding human dignity and care for creation, this ministry treats environmental protection and human rights as two dimensions of a single, interconnected concern rather than separate issues.

This ministry directly embodies two closely linked Catholic Social Teaching principles: Care for God’s Creation and the Rights and Responsibilities owed to indigenous communities whose land, water, and culture are too often disregarded by outside interests. It reflects Maryknoll’s prophetic charism of standing publicly with those defending their rightful place on the land, treating environmental protection and human dignity as a single, unified cause.

Gifts to this project support leadership training, legal advocacy, and environmental education that empower indigenous communities in southern Peru to protect their rights, preserve their culture, and safeguard the natural resources they depend on.