[NOTE: In September 2023, the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order, HRH Prince Pedro of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, travelled to Peru to preside at the inauguration of the Peruvian Commission of the Order. The Constantinian Order’s Royal Commission for Peru is the first Constantinian commission to be established in a Spanish-speaking country of South America. A link to an article describing this 2023 visit is given below.]
A delegation from the Royal Commission for Peru of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George visited the Center for Studies and Integral Human Development (CEDHI) “Nueva Arequipa” in August 2025. CEDHI is located in the Industrial Park of Small and Medium Industry, in the Northern Cone of Arequipa, City of God. Here, thousands of families from the Andean regions of southern Peru began living in poverty about 30 years ago. Due to low academic standards in schools and the lack of higher education institutions, young people in the Northern Cone are particularly vulnerable to risks such as gang activity (gangs composed, in many cases, of adolescents seeking a collective identity), crime, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Faced with this situation, the Archdiocese of Arequipa launched a socio-educational project in 2009 to offer these young people the opportunity to access high-level technical and professional training, supported by a solid foundation of values. The Constantinian Order has joined this project, promoted by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Arequipa, the Most Rev. Javier Del Río Alba, Constantinian Chaplain Grand Cross of Merit and Principal Chaplain of the Order’s Royal Commission for Peru.
This project benefits hundreds of low-income youth in the northern Arequipa region each year, providing them with a better education and access to higher vocational training at CEDHI Nueva Arequipa. This center already hosts several classes of students, trained and prepared according to the values of sacrifice, commitment, and mutual respect. This will allow them to access formal, dignified, and well-paid jobs, enabling them to become responsible citizens and architects of their own lasting and sustainable development.
The Constantinian Order’s Donation
The Constantinian Order’s collaboration was realized through a financial donation to the project’s development. Distinguished members of the Royal Commission for Peru, led by His Excellency Ambassador Carlos José Pareja y Ríos, Constantinian Knight Grand Cross of Merit, met to address issues of vital importance for both the present and the future, within the scope of its comprehensive programs and services in the areas of medical care, laboratories, chaplaincy, infrastructure, academic excellence, and equipment needs.
The Project
The CEDHI Nueva Arequipa project, dedicated to higher technical education and integral human development for disadvantaged youth in the Archdiocese, was inaugurated in 2010 on a 20-hectare plot of land granted by the Regional Government of Arequipa to the Archdiocese. It is being developed with the support of local governments, national and international institutions, and individuals.
As an educational community of the Catholic Church dedicated to the personal and human development of low-income youth, CEDHI Nueva Arequipa adheres to Christian, ethical, and moral values. It seeks the truth honestly and fairly. It instills in young people a positive mindset to achieve academic excellence through equity and inclusion. The private Higher Education Institute “Nueva Arequipa” offers higher technical education based on integral human development, promoting research and innovation, and contributing to the construction of a more prosperous and participatory society, committed to the common good. It is committed to training highly qualified professionals with solid ethical and moral principles, capable of acting as agents of change for the common good of society. With a history spanning over a decade, the Institute has established itself as a benchmark in integral education, training competent technical professionals and citizens committed to the sustainable development of their community. This institutional identity is based on academic excellence, social commitment, and the holistic education of its students, promoting values such as responsibility, ethics, and solidarity, ensuring that graduates are not only competent professionals but also committed citizens for the good of the community.
Values
1. Honesty – Firm and consistent adherence to the principles of truth, justice, and moral integrity, always striving to put truth first in thoughts, words, and actions.
2. Teamwork – The belief that the synergy of all parties leads to a better achievement of the common goal, while maintaining good communication and coordination.
3. Respect – Courteous and professional treatment of all members of the educational community, following standards and principles that promote mutual trust and the institution’s credibility.
4. Responsibility – The ability to fulfill one’s duties, assuming the consequences of one’s actions and decisions, and ensuring correct and fair behavior.
5. Service – The willingness to seek the good of others, dedicating time, effort, and energy with enthusiasm, as an essential part of an education in Christian values and integral human development.
