Peru’s decision to restore voting rights to thousands of people with disabilities is an important step toward ensuring their full participation in society.  More than 23,000 people with mental and intellectual disabilities had been excluded from the voter registry for the 2011 presidential elections in April and June based on previous government policy. 

Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

From the United Nation's website:

Several participants from a recent Heifer Study Tour to Peru kindly shared their poetic reflections on their trip.Hanchipacha, Peru by Tom Hunsdorfer of Albion, Michigan

Ian Hands is an employee of Elanco, one of Heifer's corporate partners. He recently participated in a Heifer Study Tour to Peru and was gracious enough to share his reflections with us.

Ian Hands is an employee of Elanco, one of Heifer's corporate partners. He recently participated in a Heifer Study Tour to Peru and was gracious enough to share his reflections with us.

Ian Hands is an employee of Elanco, one of Heifer's corporate partners. He recently participated in a Heifer Study Tour to Peru and was gracious enough to share his reflections with us.After a very restless night for most due to altitude sickness, we drove for two hours even further up in to the mountains to an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,811 feet).

Ian Hands is an employee of Elanco, one of Heifer's corporate partners. He recently participated in a Heifer Study Tour to Peru and was gracious enough to share his reflections with us.

Ian Hands is an employee of Elanco, one of Heifer's corporate partners. He recently participated in a Heifer Study Tour to Peru and was gracious enough to share his reflections with us.Today we saw an example of Heifer working in collaboration with other organisations with great success. Unusually, this is an urban project approximately one hour from Lima. (Most of Heifer Peru’s projects are focused on the high mountain communities.)

By Carlos Marín, Peru Country Specialist for Amnesty USA

More than half a billion households around the world cook with inefficient stoves that are unhealthy to cook with and bad for the environment.