This collection contains pamphlets, bulletins, articles, reports, letters, flyers, and other miscellaneous items addressing a wide range of environmental issues in Peru, including conservation, environmental education and community initiatives, human health and the environment, legal and political issues, and mining. The material is produced by a variety of sources, primarily non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with a range of objectives and civic coalitions that have formed in opposition to the interests of mining companies.

Notes: Conflicts between agricultural communities and mining companies seeking to capitalize on local minerals have intensified since the mid-1990s. A mercury spill in the year 2000 in the Department of Cajamarca, caused by an American operated gold mine, has brought different local groups in Cajamarca to openly voice their opposition to mining activity in the zone. A similar issue has arisen in the Tambogrande district of the region of Piura, in the department of the same name, where a Canadian-based mining company, Manhattan, has been negotiating with the Peruvian government in order to gain access to gold deposits in the area. Local citizens have joined in opposition to this endeavor; as of July 2003, the issue remained unresolved. Given the widespread protest around the matter, which holds serious environmental consequences, materials pertaining to mining issues in both Cajamarca and Piura have been organized into their own files in this collection. File 6: Mining, Cajamarca contains mainly documents from NGOs that attempt to educate local populations about the negative effects of mining activities. File 7: Mining, Tambogrande, Piura includes primarily pamphlet materials from local opposition movements, and also several documents published by entities defending the interests of the mining companies.