Exploring the Northern Andes, Traditional Culture & Untapped Opportunities
for Growth

The 2009-2010 DDI program will take participants to Perú’s northern department of Cajamarca.  At nearly 9,000 feet above sea level, Cajamarca sits nestled in the lush Northern Highlands of the Andes mountain range and is the gateway to the Amazon basin.

Cajamarca holds a special place in Peruvian history and culture. Cajamarca City, sister city to Cusco, was the northern capital of the Incan Empire. It was the primary residence of the last Incan Emperor, Atahualpa, who was captured & killed by the Spanish Conquistador, Pizarro, in the city’s main plaza.  Cajamarca was later one of the first region’s in South America to declare independence from Spanish rule.

After centuries of isolation, Cajamarca is beginning to  emerge into the 21st century.  Its vast gold and silver deposits have made its economy one of the fastest growing in South America.  However, the region still has some of the poorest communities in the Americas.

During the DDI stay in Cajamarca, participants will gain a unique inside perspective into a city and region in the process of development, at the crossroads of a number of influences, from multinational corporations, to their own social development, NGO programs, a growing tourism industry, and an abundance of microfinance lending.