VIMA is the abbreviation for Vicaría del Medio Ambiente, the Vicariate for the Environment. Our Office for the Environment is a part of the Social Pastoral of the Vicariate of San Francico Javier del Marañón in Jaén, Cajamarca, the north of Peru.

VIMA and the Vicariate aim to contribute to the development of environmental knowledge and culture in the provinces of Jaén and San Ignacio. We try to obtain this through the educational system.One of the strategies is the formation of ecological promoters, teachers with whom we try to form their ecological sensitivity and knowledge, so that they can pass on their knowledge to the children. The local ecological context taken into consideration, we particularly focus our work onto the most sensitive river basins. In a similar project, we are trying to change the curriculum of the local schools Our aim is to give a more extended formation with regards to the local ecosystem. In a highly agricultural region where an overwhelming majority of the population depends on their relationship with this ecosystem this is obviously very important.

VIMA is very concerned about the plans of Minera Majaz and other mining companies to start mining projects in this particular area.
Although the mining companies state that they bring a certain kind of development, VIMA maintains quite suspicious to this. The infrastructural investments, the small number of created jobs, the poor tax revenues and royalties cannot counterbalance the huge ecological, social, economical and cultural damages. You can find a short overview of the dangers and negative aspects of mining here.

Considering that Mine Majaz is located at the springs of three important river basins, it’s obvious that the impact of any mine project there can become disastrous for a very large area. The cloud forests and paramos of the region form a very special and extremely fragile ecosystem which provides the whole region with sweet water. Any altering to this system can have tremendous consequences on the ecology, as well as on the social, economical and cultural well-being of many farmers. Vima is very aware of these threats and lobbies for a larger sustainable development. Therefore, we support the local farmers in their struggle against the mine and in favour of sustainable development.

Vision

Vima is a small but leading institute specialized in environmental conservation and sustainable development themes. Vima promotes the defense and preservation of natural resources. We want to empower an environmental sensibility by means of sustainable development. VIMA respects the belief or non-belief in the Christian credo. A belief in the humanistic spirit is the most important thing for us.

Mission

The mission of VIMA consists of promoting the environmental capabilities, attitudes and habits of the rural and urban population and this according to the pastoral plan of the Vicariate SFJM. On the hyperlinked page you can find several concrete projects.When the need arises, we are willing and able to take action. Under the section "Mining" you can find out all about one of the main dangers of the region.

Contact

Staff

Francisco Muguiro Ibarra, Manager
Nicanor Alvarado Carrasco, Coordinator                             
Juan Rufasto Zavaleta, Technical Team

Elar Calle Huamán, technical team

Carlos Rojas Ruiz, technical team

Sara Moreno Alberca, technical team

José Luis Salazar Monteza, technical team

Lourdes Chocano Zaraus, adviser of the technical team

History

Starting in the 1950s, large groups of peasants emigrated from the mountains of Cajamarca and Piura to the lower lands of the forested provinces of Jaén and San Ignacio. This forest area of about 800,000 hectares was almost entirely officially protected. These forests are situated at the entry point of river basins located at the origins of the rivers, between huge ravines. The state did not develop an active policy towards the migration and its consequences.

The Romerillo (Podocarpeaceae) Forests, located in the provinces of Jaén and San Ignacio, also attracted timber companies. Without considering consequences, they constructed roads and cut down the forests of Coipa and Chirinos.

In the 50s there were about 800,000 hectares of forest. The result of the migration, the tree cutting and the lack of policy towards this, is that today less than 100,000 hectares of forests have been gone. The cleared area is used for crop growing (150,000 ha), as pastures (200,000 ha) or simply have been abandoned (300,000 ha). This last category is prone to desertification.
The damage to the ecosystem includes water pollution, but also a rapid diminishment of its supplies. This is due to the growth of settlements, the abundant rice farming and the randomly cutting of the Huamantanga forests that give birth to the rivers.

June 27th 1992, a group of masked men killed two guardians of a timber company. Immediately, a brutal persecution of all the leaders of the Defense Group for the Environment (Frente de Defensa del Medio Ambiente) started. This defense group had taken position against the timber company. Eleven leaders and ten other members were imprisoned, amongst them the father of our own Nicanor Alvarado Carrasco. The Superior Public Prosecutor requested 30 years of prison for each defendant. However, most people believed the company itself was behind the attack, in order to criminalize their opponents. In the era of Fujimori, this wasn't too far-fetched an idea. A popular movement with international human rights organizations´support fought for their liberty. The Bishop of Jaén, José Maria Izuzquiza, intervened as well. This movement was successful, as the Supreme Court soon discovered that the evidence was the product of corrupted investigation and that the confessions were optained by torture. After nine months in prison the Defense Group members were released on the 5th of March. (Truth Comission Press Release in English and longer article in Spanish ).

José Maria Izusquiza wanted to do more. To counteract the lack of agro-environmental policy, he created the Environmental Vicariate (VIMA, la Vicaría del Medio Ambiente) on October 1st 1993. VIMA was to be safeguarding the last forests, which are the source of water and thus the source of life for 100 000s inhabitants economically dependent on irrigation agriculture.

Since its creation in 1993, VIMA has been developing a wide range of activities to work towards local sustainable development. We focus on the agricultural activities of the migrants and the timber traffic. At the same time we try to stay alert for new threats in the region.

The presence of mining companies in the  region is the most important new threat. The risks and dangers of mining exploitation brought to the region are presented in detail on this website.

You can read about the dangers of mining under the heading Mining and the topic Mining in the section Library. We present tangible projects under the heading Projects. The reality of everyday in the area is introduced in the chapter Regional Reality.

VIMA is worried about the ongoing mining activities and is working together with other local organizations and institutions.