Rocío Mancha, the young woman who rediscovered her passion for Environmental Law

Rocío Karla Mancha Villa is a law student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). In 2023, she was looking for learning opportunities to deepen her knowledge of environmental law, and the Environmental Law Workshop (TDA) by the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) caught her attention. Unlike other courses, this workshop not only offered training hours but also included several modules, featured specialized professionals, and was completely free. She only had to stand out among 614 applicants nationwide—something she not only achieved but excelled at.

As a law student, Rocío already had some experience participating in spaces like her university’s Environmental Law Team. However, she says that being part of the TDA expanded her understanding beyond just climate change and environmental pollution. It also helped her gain confidence in writing legal articles and gave her the opportunity to work as a pre-professional intern in the Forests and Ecosystem Services Program at SPDA.

Among the topics that stood out most to her, Rocío recalls the fourth part of the workshop, which covered interculturality and socio-environmental management, including Indigenous peoples, prior consultation, and socio-environmental conflicts. For this reason, she recommends the workshop not only to law students but also to professionals from other fields who are interested in environmental issues.

“For professionals or students who aren’t in the legal field, like communicators or engineers, I think it’s useful because the structure and methodology of the workshop start with a general introduction to environmental law. That initial foundation and broader legal context are extremely valuable,” says the PUCP student.

Like Rocío Mancha, dozens of young people from various fields—such as Environmental Engineering, Communications, Sociology, and more—graduate each year from this workshop, which is organized by the Environmental Policy and Governance Program of SPDA. The TDA has been running uninterrupted and in a decentralized format for 23 years. To graduate, it’s not enough to attend classes—participants must also submit a high-level research article on a current environmental issue in Peru.

To date, the TDA has trained 600 young people in environmental law. Thanks to its hybrid format, students from all over Peru can apply and specialize in environmental topics. The next edition returns every August.