Restore Health in Cerro de Pasco

March and April were important months for the members of Source International and Red Interquorum Pasco.

Albert (21) and Mireya (22), two young activists from Red Interquorum Pasco—a student organisation committed to justice and human rights in Cerro de Pasco—undertook an impactful journey to Italy. Thanks to the support of Source International, they received the Operation Daywork Human Rights Award, which gave them the opportunity to travel to Italy and share their story.

Albert and Mireya arrived in Bolzano in early March and spent three weeks engaging with Italian high school students through awareness-raising workshops in more than 20 classrooms. In each session, they shared personal testimonies about the ongoing environmental and human rights violations suffered by the people of Cerro de Pasco as a result of decades of mining.

After this first phase, the Pasco Tour in Italy began—an awareness campaign that brought Mireya and Albert, along with Clara and Flaviano from Source International, to cities across the country: Trento, Milan, Genoa, Rome, Naples, and Florence.

During these events, Mireya and Albert gave powerful testimonies: how they became aware of the destruction caused by mining, and how—through their work with Red Interquorum Pasco—they are organising their community, educating their peers, and resisting normalized violence. 

Source International complemented their voices with insights drawn from over ten years of scientific research and advocacy in the region. We presented the results of our environmental health studies, our legal fights, and the small but meaningful victories achieved together with local communities over the years.

Throughout the tour, we built strong connections with both young people and adults in Italy, and we expanded our international network of solidarity and support. 

What is the objective of all this?

To make the case of Cerro de Pasco as widely known as possible. We want to amplify the voices of those living through this crisis and bring their stories into public discourse and institutional spaces. The more people become aware, the stronger the pressure for accountability. The greater the international resonance, the closer we move toward justice.

We want environmental crimes - like the one unfolding in Cerro de Pasco - to be recognized and prosecuted under international law.

That is why we are heading to... Geneva!

Together with several partners—including the University of Oxford, Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC), TRIAL International, Physicians for Human Rights, and Justice Rapid Response—we are organizing a high-level expert consultation to kickstart the development of practitioner-oriented guidelines for documenting and investigating international environmental crimes.

This initiative responds to the urgent need for stronger international mechanisms to address environmental harm as a criminal offense. The consultation will bring together legal experts, scientists, civil society leaders, and academics from across the globe to: identify key challenges in documenting and prosecuting environmental crimes; share lessons learned and best practices; promote multidisciplinary collaboration; develop robust and reliable standards for investigation and litigation.

We are proud to announce that Mireya will join us in Geneva to represent the voices of those directly affected by environmental crimes. Her testimony will be a vital contribution to the conversation—offering not just data and facts, but lived experience, resilience, and the urgent demand for justice. 

Links:

• Source International website