A program to address the impacts of the gold extraction industry, especially in the Amazonian region of Peru: trafficking and prostitution of young girls, withdrawals of children from school, water pollution, disappearance of traditional agricultural activities. In Switzerland, we carry out advocacy work.
The high increase of the gold exchange rate has speeded up the impacts of gold mining, especially in the Amazonian region of Peru: young women victims of trafficking and prostitution, children dropping out of school , water pollution, loss of traditional agricultural activities.
Terre des Hommes Suisse’s action
Terre des Hommes Suisse develops various work focus with different partners, with the aim to act globally:
- A social focus on prevention and fight against children trafficking (protection of children victims of trafficking);
- A production focus and alternatives for farming communities (CAF-Agrobosque cooperative);
- A mining focus with new perspectives for the communities of gold washers (Wipa and Edana).
Various actions are therefore carried out in the field: welcoming of victims, voluntary networks of protection of children rights, awareness campaigns for the population and authorities, prevention in Andean regions, reinsertion of victims in their families, farming alternatives and help to the formation of farmers, vegetable gardens for the families and the schools, technological improvement to avoid mercury uses, etc.
An advocacy work is on-going in Switzerland as well as collaborations with other active organisation on the theme of gold.
