This is the story of a struggle for survival in the Andes. Ravaged by the excesses of nature and a brutal insurgent conflict, and more recently by inroads made by economic globalization, the Serranos (inhabitants of the Peruvian sierra) face the prospect of ever-increasing poverty and the withering away of their villages and cultural traditions. Worldwide recession, or its threat, simply magnifies the problem. Although there are no permanent solutions, purely local initiatives centering on community-organized and community-operated enterprises have produced some creative approaches. These may offer alternatives and hope to other communities, and they are the focus of this study.
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