IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 6 ENGLISH | Page 104

designing and implementing policies,
plans, protection programs, promoting
rights, and developing the Afro-Peruvian
population. Its goal is to guarantee their
development with an identity on equal
footing and with equal rights. When it
began, it faced many challenges,
especially the lack of statistical
information on the Afro-Peruvian
population. Yet, it took a great step
forward because the 2017 census will
include the Afro-Peruvian ethnic
variable for the first time in more than
70 years of invisibility. This will be a
point of departure for generating
affirmative
actions
aimed
at
development for the Afro-Peruvian
population.
The establishment of a Day of AfroPeruvian Culture is a good reason for
taking the issue out into the public. The
Culture Ministry has been creating
activities for the Month of AfroPeruvian Culture,6 with different
cultural, political, and educational
actions, to make visible the contributions
of Afro-Peruvian society and put its
problems on the agenda with a goal to
discuss public policies that will
contribute to improving their living
conditions. The program for the Month
of Afro-Peruvian Culture also included
conversations, film screenings, and
photographic exhibits designed in an
articulated
manner
with
civic
organizations, academic institutions, and
other State entities.
June 4th, the Day of Afro-Peruvian
Culture that was established in 2006, is
central to the Month of Afro-Peruvian

Culture. This day was established to pay
homage to the birth of Nicomedes Santa
Cruz, a poet and key representative of
Afro-Peruvian social thought. This
version had a really special significance
because it marked the 90th anniversary of
his birth. The Culture Ministry
distinguished
three
Afro-Peruvian
leaders with the title Personalidad
Meritoria de la Cultura (a Person of
Cultural
Merit).
This
time,
it
acknowledged the work on promotion
and on behalf of the development of the
Afro-Peruvian community of researcher
and Afro-Peruvian literary expert
Milagros Carazas, musician Santiago
‘Coco’
Linares,
and
photodocumentarian Martín Alvarado. The
ceremony took place at the Mario
Vargas Llosa Theater at the National
Library. It also distinguished the Zaña
(Lambayeque)
Afro-Peruvian
community as a Living Repository of
Collective Memory in recognition of
their local organizations’ achievements
in preserving the memory, history,
identity, and culture of the Afrodescendant population.
The Culture Ministry is acknowledging
the great contributions of the AfroPeruvian population to the building of
the nation and its economic, social,
scientific, cultural, religious, and artistic
development. Activities carried out this
month are part of the 2014-2015
Decenio
Internacional
de
los
Afrodescendientes (International Decade
of Afro-Descendants), which was
proclaimed by the United Nations.

104