PDCI member Socios Peru has trained over 3000 community members in 45 rural communities in the Apurimac  region, in the Andes of Peru, in the frame of the project "Capacity Building for Democracy, Conflict Management  and Poverty Reduction in Peasant Communities of Apurimac," funded by the European Union. This project aims  to contribute to poverty reduction, affirmation of democracy and social dialogue, addressing problems associated  with high social conflict, weakness of democratic mechanisms and institutional precariousness.

Peasant communities, ancestral forms of organization of the rural population of the Peruvian Andes, belong to the  Andahuaylas, Abancay and Aymaraes provinces in the Apurimac region, located close to Cusco. In recent years,   large tracts of this territory have been concessioned to mining companies, which has generated a wave of   protests and conflicts in the population who fear losing their land, being relocated to other villages, and in defense of possible contamination of their natural resources. In addition, levels of conflict with local governments have increased due to their inability to properly manage resources from mining royalties, and thus contribute to the well-being of people affected by mining.

Socios Peru’s role is to strengthen peoples’ capacities, so that they can make free and informed decisions concerning mining activity in their area, negotiate properly with extractive companies, and supervise their authorities in the execution of public resources. The project uses a participatory methodology, carrying out training programs in conflict resolution, training workshops, dissemination of topics of interest to community leaders and social organizations, and replication workshops for all community members.