Identity and Leadership in the Afro-Peruvian Communities of San Luis de Canete, Peru

Abstract

The municipal development program was an innovative project whose aim, at first, was strengthening the leadership capacity of afro-descendants and later grew to include several community organizations. A small workshop on "Development with Identity" was the first facet of the project. As a result of this workshop, the community of San Luis de Canete and the municipality developed and implemented a number of actions. These included: building a cultural center with a photo exhibit of the community and its most prominent local leaders (cooks, singers, musicians, etc); developing campaigns to beautify the city; and, organizing fairs where all projects, initiatives and peoples could show the community what they did and what they could offer. This last project, the fair, involved all kinds of organizations and people; from food sellers and musical groups to theater groups; and even municipal police officers were present with a stand where local groups and the police discussed issues of citizenship among others. The project, and the initiatives that stemmed from it, helped the community rescue its multicultural roots, reaffirm its identity and empower them to demonstrate what the community as a whole was capable of.