BRIDGE Project: UCU and University of Peru Students Complete Joint Study Program

Ivanka Rudakevych, head of the “Church” division at the UCU Center for the Dignity of the Child, with Ana Caro and Veronique Lecaros of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, conducted a joint online course “Safeguarding Across Cultures.” Students from the Theology and Philosophy Faculty of UCU and future psychologists from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru participated in the training. The course was as part of the international BRIDGE project.

The BRIDGE Project (Building Relationships and Intercultural Dynamics through Global Education with Latin America) is an international educational initiative by UCU Global for collaborative online learning and cultural exchange. It connects UCU with the following five universities in Latin America: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo in Brazil, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and the Catholic University of Manizales in Colombia.

The course, part of which was taught by Ivanka Rudakevych, addressed one of the most complex topics discussed in the BRIDGE program: sexual violence, clericalism, and power within the church.

One of the lecturers, Veronique Lecaros, described the experience as challenging but valuable. It helped participants realize that their own cultural assumptions are not inherently universal and sparked a desire for deeper understanding – for Peru to learn about Ukraine, and for Ukraine to learn about Peru and Latin America.

Ivanna Rudakevych added a detail that illustrated the sensitivity required when teaching topics related to trauma: she and Ana Karo had anticipated that the Peruvian students might not know how to broach the subject of war with their Ukrainian peers, so they had jointly prepared tips for such a conversation in advance.

“I see great value in the beginning of this collaboration because we are interested in each other. Peru has a wealth of experience dealing with the issue of violence in the church, which we can learn from. And Ukraine is unique to them because our clergy are allowed to marry, and consequently, we have different aspects to consider when it comes to prevention,” emphasized Ivanka Rudakevych.

At the end of the course, students from two continents were required to create and present joint video projects.

“As a theology student, it was important for me to learn to ask myself: How can I identify risks in advance? How can I recognize that a child might be in danger before something irreparable happens?” shares UCU student Veronika.

We thank the UCU Global team and our colleagues from Peru for the opportunity to discuss child protection in a global academic context.