Another Relocation

THE SECOND WEEK OF DECEMBER 2009, all of the families that make up the settlement called Las Américas, located in Nuevo Chimbote district, were asked to leave the land that each of them was occupying until then and to relocate around the perimeter of the settlement. All this with the goal of leaving available the whole land (where all of the blocks were previously located) for staff of Urban Planning and Development Office of Provincial Municipality of Santa could proceed to start to demarcate the land and so defining the specific land for each family of Las Américas settlement.

For several days every family in Las Américas had to dismantle their own houses and build them again in the place that was indicated for each family. So, from very early in the morning to midnight, even some families were working all night long, all of them moved their houses and belongings to their new location. Most of these houses are made of mat or "estera" in Spanish (estera is a flatiron made of woven cane and whose cost is cheap.) They use them to build the walls and the ceiling of their houses.

Those days you could see many people among children, young and adult people carrying esteras, sticks, doors, tables, chairs, beds, etc. Leaders of each block were leading relocation and neighbors had to be organized and alert to prevent that unscrupulous people such as thieves, new invaders, traders of land, etc. could cause any kind of disturbance.

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Preparing Community Leaders

The project called "SEVENTH LEADERS SCHOOL FOR DEFENSE AND DEVELOPMENT": Strengthening of citizen participation for sustainable development of Santa province and Ancash department, is headed to young people, women and leaders of social organizations in order to contribute in training and participation of local development processes, as a means for capacity building of local leaders, institutions and for modernization of democratic system of our province and region.

For seventh consecutive year it has been conducted this Leaders School which is organized by Pacha Mama Institute (whose director is Mrs. Yolanda Cadenillas) and co-organized by San Pedro Private University, National University of Santa, La Casa de la Mujer (The House of Woman), Atusparia Cultural Association, Women Association of Chimbote, Ethichs and Governance Network, Chimbote Social Justice Commission, Interquorum Youth Network and the help of The Defense and Development Line of Santa Province - FEDEPS.

The main goal of this project is to strength instruments of citizen participation provided in the Political Constitution of Perú and exosting laws; to support participatory planning exercises; to increase coordination among young people, women and local leaders to warrant thier inclusion and participation as active groups at local and regional level.

School was developed through Conferences, Workshops, Group Works, etc. seeking to wake up in the involved actors, exchange of experiences, recognition of problems and concerted solution alternatives. The project had a pluralistic character, diversity of ideas were presented and was multiparty.

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