The Role of Grassroots Support Organizations in Situations of Political Violence in Peru

Grassroots support organizations (GSOs) or development promotion centers have played a crucial role in rural development in Peru. Their impact goes far beyond the amount of funds invested in the countryside. They have served as social laboratories in efforts to break through the bottlenecks of development in the Peruvian Andes. They have frequently provided a safety net and catalyst for grassroots organizations and local communities. By mustering strength and resources, the emerging social groups have staked a claim as protagonists on the regional and national stage since 1980, a rising tide of political violence has swept across the country. By the end of the decade, the conflict had cost nearly 20,000 lives and billions of dollars in damages. The social and political dynamics set loose by this trend have called into question the viability of civilian institutions and democratic government itself. It has also blocked development prospects in rural areas of the country. Naturally, this violence touches the centers along with Peruvian society and communities which are the objective of their programs. Indeed, they have found, at times, that they become targets for the belligerent forces.