Connecting to Self, Others, Culture & the Planet
La Paz International
Foundation
A 501(c)(3) founded by Dr. Luciana Passeri — where philanthropy and personal transformation are the same work.
THE WORK ON THE GROUND
Where Alignment
Meets Action
The La Paz International Foundation funds and leads projects that restore dignity, build economic independence, and create beauty in communities that have been overlooked. This is not charity. It is partnership — built on the belief that when people are given the tools to create, they transform not just their circumstances, but themselves.
For over 25 years, Luciana Passeri has led groups through transformational journeys in Guatemala, Tanzania, Europe, India, Thailand, Peru, and beyond — always with the same intention: to encounter the world at its most raw and beautiful, and to return changed.
Dr. Luciana Passeri
Founder, La Paz International Foundation
Decompress
People have the right to take time for themselves, relax, enjoy life, and design the life of their dreams. Rest is not a reward — it is a prerequisite for service.
Connect
All human growth is achieved through connection. Connection to self is primary — the connections we form with others and the planet mirror the relationship we have with ourselves.
Ascend
All humans have the right to expand in pursuit of the life they dream to live. Ascension comes when we are free to learn, grow, fail, and try again.
Reciprocity
We move from charity to justice, from separation to connection, from service to a true reciprocal sharing of life. We do not extract — we partner.
HOW WE WORK
Our Oath
We will not pretend to know your story. We will ask, and we will stay long enough to hear the answer.
We will not confuse our discomfort with your suffering. Our discomfort is ours to manage. Your story is yours to lead.
We will bring our full selves — not the polished version, not the expert — because the full self is the only thing that creates real contact.
We will walk into cultures we do not fully understand with reverence, not rescue. We are guests. We will behave like ones.
We will use our privilege as a bridge, not a platform. If we are in the room, it is to open the door for someone who was not invited.
We will fail, and we will say so. Because the only thing more dangerous than failure is the organization that pretends it never happens.
We will come back. Not for a photo. Not for a report. Because relationships are not projects, and people are not outcomes.
— Dr. Luciana Passeri & La Paz International Foundation
I am not here to ignite the fire I think you should have.
I am here to help you find the one that is already burning inside you —
the one you were told to put out.
Dr. Luciana Passeri
Upcoming Expeditions
Journey
With Luciana
These are not tours. They are transformational expeditions — opportunities to step out of the familiar, encounter the world at its most raw and beautiful, and return knowing yourself more deeply than when you left.
Peru: Ruins, Culture & Adventure
History, Culture & Inner Transformation
Journey to the heart of the Inca world — Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. Walk ancient stone paths, stand inside a civilization that understood the relationship between the cosmos and the self, and return with a fundamentally different relationship to your own story. This is not sightseeing. It is a reckoning with what it means to be fully alive.
This journey is offered in partnership with Hance Financial, combining personal transformation with intentional financial alignment.
Journey Highlights
Cusco city exploration — Inca temples, colonial architecture, and living culture
Sacred Valley immersion — Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and the Urubamba River
Machu Picchu — guided sunrise access to the lost city of the Incas
Cultural exchange with Quechua artisan communities
Daily group reflection and alignment sessions with Luciana
Kilimanjaro, Safari & Zanzibar
Two extraordinary weeks in East Africa. Summit Mount Kilimanjaro — the highest free-standing mountain in the world — and then descend into the heart of the Serengeti for a private safari through three of Africa's most iconic parks. This journey will expand what you believe is possible.
The Itinerary
Sound Healing - Pai
Sixteen days across two of Thailand's most distinct worlds. Week one begins in Bangkok — temple tours, a street food deep-dive, a traditional cooking class, and the city's legendary markets. Week two moves north to Pai, a mountain valley town where Antonio leads immersive sound healing sessions and Luciana guides daily alignment work. Connection to self, others, culture, and the planet — all four pillars, one journey.
“You don't find yourself by looking inward alone. You find yourself in contact — with other people, with cultures that see the world differently, with landscapes that remind you how small your stories are.”
— Dr. Luciana Passeri
Interested in a private group journey to Peru, Tanzania, Thailand, Italy, or another destination? Luciana has led more than 1,000 people through transformational journeys across Guatemala, Tanzania, Europe, India, Thailand, Peru, and more.
Email [email protected] to inquire about a private journey.
An Invitation
Come Walk
With Us
There are two ways to walk with us. You can step onto the path yourself — joining a journey that will change how you see the world and how you see yourself. Or you can make it possible for others to walk — by investing in the projects that restore dignity, preserve culture, and create lasting economic opportunity in communities that have been overlooked.
Either way, you are part of something that matters. The world needs people who are willing to move — toward each other, toward the unfamiliar, toward the life they know they are meant to live.
Online donations are temporarily unavailable while our banking systems are being updated. To donate, please contact us directly — we will ensure your generosity reaches exactly the right place.
Our Mission
To offer opportunities for international immersion experiences in economically challenged communities in support of social entrepreneurial opportunities to indigenous peoples.
We advocate for a world where people move:
La Paz International Foundation · 501(c)(3)
Active Projects Seeking Support
Give to the
Foundation
La Paz International Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Every dollar goes directly to the projects below — no overhead bloat, no intermediaries. This is not charity. It is partnership with people who are building something extraordinary.
Online donations are temporarily unavailable while our banking systems are being updated. To donate, please contact us directly — we will ensure your generosity reaches exactly the right place.
Peru — Cusco · Artisan Apprenticeship
In Their Shoes
A structured apprenticeship program in Cusco, Peru — training indigenous artisans in traditional cobbling and weaving through hands-on mentorship with Master Cobblers and Quechua weavers. Apprentices learn to create wearable art that carries the stories of their ancestors, then sell it to a global market through PASSERI.
We have proof of concept: a thriving factory, eight Master Cobblers, and a four-family weaving cooperative. The program is ready to scale. What it needs is sustained investment in people.
Peru — Cusco · Cultural Infrastructure
A Design Center
in Peru
A physical Design Center in Cusco — a cultural showcase and working studio where visitors participate in the creation of custom-made shoes, guided by artisan apprentices who serve as both craftspeople and cultural ambassadors. Guests choose their materials, learn the process, and leave with something made by hand and made with meaning.
The Design Center is the anchor for the apprenticeship program — the space where slow fashion becomes a lived experience for travelers, and where artisans step into visible, valued roles in their community.
La Paz International Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Questions? Contact Luciana directly: [email protected]
Journey Archives
From Charity
to Justice.
From separation to connection. From service to a true reciprocal sharing of life. These are not archives. They are proof.
Peru · Sacred Valley
Peru Journeys
Tanzania · East Africa
Tanzania Journeys
Thailand · Southeast Asia
Thailand Journeys
Philanthropic Work
Service in
Action
The Foundation's philanthropic work is grounded in reciprocity, not charity. We do not extract from communities — we partner with them, learn from them, and invest in their sovereignty.
Tanzania — Usambara Mountains · 2017–2018
Tanzania Women's
Pottery Project
A collaboration between La Paz International Foundation and women potters in the Usambara Mountains. The project supported the creation of a women's cooperative social enterprise dedicated to pottery making — enabling women to sell their work to tourists and markets throughout the region and world. The project included the construction of an outdoor kiln and bread oven.
Thailand · Firefly Scientists Foundation
Thai Stove
Project
In partnership with the Firefly Scientists Foundation (FSF), La Paz International supported the introduction of clean-burning cook stoves to rural communities in Thailand. The project addressed indoor air pollution — one of the leading causes of preventable illness in rural Southeast Asia — while reducing deforestation and fuel costs for families.
This work reflects the Foundation's commitment to service that is practical, community-led, and grounded in the dignity of the people it serves.
Peru — Andes Mountains · Ongoing
Artisan Apprenticeship Program
The Foundation's flagship program supports indigenous Quechua artisans in the Andean Mountains through a structured apprenticeship that preserves traditional weaving, cobbling, and textile arts while generating sustainable economic opportunity. This program is the heartbeat of PASSERI's slow-fashion mission — connecting wearable art to the hands that create it.
Charity
Justice
Separation
Connection
Ignorance
Awareness
Hatred
Understanding
Bigotry
Diversity
Service
Reciprocity
Come Serve With Us
The World
Needs You Now
Whether you join a journey, support the Apprenticeship Program, or simply share this work with someone who needs it — your participation matters. We have grown and changed over 25 years in an effort to meet the world's need for service that is relational, not transactional.
Our values and mission have not wavered. Come be a part of our success. The world needs you now.