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MOCHE, Inc. |
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Mobilizing Opportunity Through Community Heritage Empowerment |
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| MOCHE, Inc. was incorporated in the Spring of 2006 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Peruvian archaeological sites in a manner that sustainably benefits local communities. We are a federally recognized 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. |
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Nearly a decade ago, Brian Billman and Jesus Briceño began a long-term archaeological project in the Moche Valley. After the first season, they faced the same problems every project faces in Peru: looting of archaeological sites and rural poverty. Typically, archaeologists will hire one or two people to protect an archaeological site during the off-season, a strategy that usually is not very successful. In 1998, they embarked on a different path, hiring the entire village of Ciudad de Dios to protect their archaeological site by offering to fund $1200 worth of development projects each year the site remains untouched. At that time, Ciudad de Dios still had not been recognized by the local government and lacked even the most basic services. Since the program began, looting has effectively stopped at Ciudad de Dios, and a number of community-defined development projects have been completed.
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| Click here to read more: |
| History (English) |
| Historia (Español) |
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Founder and Director of MOCHE, Inc;
Associate Professor of Archaeology, UNC– Chapel Hill;
Director of Archaeological Field School (Moche Origins Project)
Advisor, fearless leader and general Head Honcho |
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Email: billman@savethemoche.org |
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MOCHE is dedicated to protecting, teaching, and studying the rich cultural heritage of Peru by creating partnerships with rural communities. Although heritage tourism in Peru generates over a billion dollars in revenue each year, the unique archaeological heritage of Peru is in constant peril, due to widespread looting, an uninformed public, and the socio-economic exclusion of the rural poor. A concerted effort to preserve Peru’s cultural heritage within the context of sustainable community development projects has become imperative. Unless communities realize direct benefits from the preservation of archaeological sites, continued destruction of sites is inevitable. Our goal, simply stated, is to apply entrepreneurial techniques to the intertwined problems of heritage preservation and rural poverty. We fund the preservation of archaeological sites, the implementation of sustainable rural development projects, and the furtherance of archaeological research and teaching in Peru by offering archaeological field schools, educational tours, and service-learning programs. In our view, the best way to save archaeological sites is by helping rural communities, and the best way to help rural communities is by saving archaeological sites. Our objectives are as follows:
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| Education & Research: |
- Construct and maintain a museum and research center using green technologies in association with the community of Ciudad de Dios in the Moche Valley, Peru;
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- Develop and operate educational programs in Peru, including archaeological field schools, educational tours, and service-learning programs for students and tourists;
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- Create and implement curricula for public schools in Peru on the richness of Peruvian cultural heritage and the importance of its conservation;
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- Create opportunities for undergraduate and graduate research and teaching in the USA and Peru on Andean archaeology, anthropology, ethnohistory, and sustainable rural development;
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- Conduct research on the archaeology of the Andes in association with local communities, including archaeological survey, excavation, and laboratory analysis.
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| Rural Development: |
- Improve the standard of living of rural communities in Peru by promoting programs focused on health and well being, education, and sustainable economic development. Our projects include the construction of potable water and sewage treatment systems, medical clinics, parks, and schools; electrification of rural communities; and investment in small-scale economic enterprises;
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- Promote the use of green technologies in rural development projects;
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- Harness the social capital of local communities to promote the development of a sustainable and inclusive tourist infrastructure in Peru.
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| Heritage Preservation: |
- Work with local communities and the Peruvian government to preserve and protect archaeological sites;
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- Develop archaeological parks and reserves that are beneficial to local communities and promote the values of heritage conservation;
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- Work with local communities and the Peruvian government to preserve archaeological collections by constructing appropriate facilities for the proper curation, storage, and exhibition of artifacts.
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