| Paz y Esperanza Office in Bolivia Opens 4/26/2010 3:39 PM
"In Santa Cruz we want to focus on the first stage of reducing violence against women. According to official statistics from 2007, Santa Cruz is the second Bolivian city with the highest number of reported cases of domestic violence against women, and, regrettably, it is the city with the highest rates of sexual abuse" says the new executive director of the Bolivian office, Eva Esther Morales. Morales is a psychologist by profession who specializes in social research and has post-graduate studies in Theology. "Our society still tolerates and allows physical and psychological abuse against women and children. As christians we should be the first to fight for this to change so that we may see a new generation in which it is not normal to put at risk the health and lives of women," goes on to state Morales. Founded in 1996 by a group of professionals and pastors in Lima, Peru, Paz y Esperanza is a non-profit organization that promotes social justice and holistic development for the poor and marginalized. In its early years, the organization mainly provided legal, social and psychological assistance to hundreds of victims of the internal armed conflict that occurred in Peru between 1980 and 2000. Since then the organization went on to establish offices in the poorest regions of Peru to combat violence against women and children, to work with indigenous populations to protect their land and culture, and to provide emergency services to survivors of natural disasters. In 2002, Paz y Esperanza established Peace and Hope Partnership International (now known as Peace and Hope International) in the USA; and in 2009 it established its first office in Ecuador. Today, in addition to its work in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and the USA, Paz y Esperanza also works in partnership with other organizations and local ministries in Colombia, Argentina, Nicaragua and other countries. Paz y Esperanza in Bolivia will provide legal, phychological and social services to abused women and it will work with other organizations and institutions to carry out public education that promotes the healthy treatment of women and children. The official inauguration of Paz y Esperanza's work in Santa Cruz, Bolivia will take place at 7:30 p.m. on April 26, 2010 in the auditorium of the Hotel Coninental. | |
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