Defend Children's Health in Peru

There’s no doubt that we are living in strange, stressful and uncertain times. We are all – in one way or another – affected by the pandemic and coping to the best of our abilities. At AIDA, we feel deeply for everyone affected globally, while our primary concern lies with the health and safety of our team, partners, supporters and the many whom we serve in communities at risk.

The AIDA team, from the safety of our homes, continue working diligently, committed to protecting local communities and the environment across the Americas. In many ways the need for our work is greater today. Threats to remote populations and the drive to develop ecologically sensitive areas haven't stopped, and neither will we.

In the framework of the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve had to adapt the way we work with the communities in La Oroya no ensure that they continue to receive the support they need.

One of the main adjustments has been around the work we are doing with the Human and Environmental Health Table group, for which we have 1) created a calendar for weekly virtual meetings, providing a space to strategize, support and assist with the follow up of activities; and 2) supported the design and implementation of a communications campaign: “reactivation without contamination” focused on addressing direct contamination by heavy metals in the region. At AIDA we have helped create materials, content and provide distribution channels for the campaign, ensuring as higher outreach as possible.

In addition to this work, here are three steps AIDA is taking to continue our legal efforts supporting the communities in La Oroya, and maintaining them engaged and connected during these critical times:

• Diversifying our communication channels with the communities and partners: to ensure the safety of the communities and our team no onsite visits are being conducted at the moment, thus we have moved all meetings to virtual platforms. We are using a messaging application available to all participants to stay connected in a timely manner, and to share useful information on the case and providing materials related to the implementation of the right to health in the context of the current pandemic.

• Continue to work on the legal case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: we’ve had to redistribute tasks and responsibilities to move forward with the document that will compile the requests, arguments and profs related to the case to the Commission. To achieve this, we’ve held frequent virtual coordination meetings with all participants.

• Training cycles: we have worked with members of the Platform on people affected by heavy metals in a proposal to create a series of training cycles available to the public. These cycles should serve as educational as well as a space for reflection and strategy building. AIDA will provide the virtual platform to held these trainings, and will also design and conduct the session on international issues.

Our attorneys are closely monitoring the situation in the region, calling on governments to uphold their international obligations and ensure the pandemic isn't used as an excuse to weaken environmental and human rights protections.