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“Don’t Worry, Mom – Go Fight for Us” Our third partner profile is someone you will recognize as Amazon Watch was proud to have Mayalu Txucarramãe as our guest of honor at our 2013 annual Luncheon. Daughter of Kayapó Chief Megaron and grand niece of legendary Chief Raoni, Mayalú comes from a long line of Xingu warriors whose unwavering strength and skills led to the demarcation of the Xingu Indigenous Park. She was born a warrior – fierce and determined to defend the rights of her people. “Resistance is in my blood!” she proclaims. Mayalu continues the fight against the devastating Belo Monte Dam complex – we stand with her.
Fearless, strong, and a mother of two, Mayalu’s motivation springs from her ancestral roots and the dream that her children and grandchildren will inhabit a healthy Amazon, with its rivers and forests preserved and thriving for future generations. |
Tag Archives: Xingu River
Eye on the Amazon: Belo Sun No!
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Belo Sun No!
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Bring Back the Voices of the Xingu!
 Helio Alves da Silva, a fisherman who until recently made his living from the Xingu River. |
 Yesterday we sent you Voices of the Xingu, a powerful video collage of voices uniting to stop the Belo Monte dam in the Brazilian Amazon. Did you watch it yet?If you haven’t, stop right now and click here. I’ll wait.
These are the voices, the faces, the people who you are supporting through your support of Amazon Watch. These are the people who have been suffering as the Brazilian government and dam builders Norte Energia have pushed forward the Belo Monte dam project. These are also the people who have been fighting for their rights and for justice in this struggle. We must continue to support and stand with them. Over 3,000 people joined demonstrations in Altamira calling for Justice Now! and a halt to construction of the Belo Monte dam. But their voices continue to be silenced and ignored. We can help change this! The dam builders are up against the ropes – they’re facing fines and possible construction delays for violating social and environmental conditions. They’re under investigation for corruption, for harboring an illegal brothel holding underage sex slaves, and they recently admitted that the dam project has gone over budget by $1 billion dollars. Add your voice to the chorus for justice and help continue to bring support to the frontlines through advocacy, organizing and activism. Amazon Watch is bringing allies together across river basins, proposing viable alternative energy pathways and bringing the world’s attention to issues that the Brazilian government has the responsibility and the power to change now. So skip the latté or lunch out today, or simply invest in this great effort to bring hope to the people of the Xingu, to people like Helio. Help nurture this active resource that grows as we all chip in together. Give today for a free-flowing Xingu River and the people who depend on it. For the people of Xingu,
P.S. I promise you that every dollar you give is going make a difference, add strength to these voices, and help the people of the Xingu stay strong in the face of such challenges. |
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Amazon Watch
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Since late June protests across Brazil have not stopped. Over 3,000 people in the city of Altamira joined the demonstrations calling for Justice Now! and a halt to construction of the Belo Monte dam on the Xingu River. But their voices continue to be silenced and ignored by the Brazilian government and dam-builders Norte Energia. It’s time that the voices of the Xingu are heard! Watch and share Voices of the Xingu today! This past spring I spent months in the field near the dam site, meeting with Amazon Watch allies in Altamira and digging deep into their struggle to defend the Xingu and their lives. We want to share their voices with you. Voices of the Xingu depicts men, women, elders, workers, farmers, fishermen, students, activists and indigenous leaders united under a common dream: to stop the Belo Monte dam. While construction on the dam continues, a recent report by IBAMA – Brazil’s Environmental Protection Agency – confirms what communities have been saying all along: Norte Energia has grossly neglected their legal responsibility to mitigate the project’s social and environmental impacts. The report not only threatens to halt construction of the project, but also shows clearly the level NESA and the Brazilian government are willing to go to build Belo Monte. This monster can still be stopped! Show your support for the people of the Xingu, share their dream and join the chorus to stop the Belo Monte dam. Xingu Vivo Para Sempre!
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Stop the Belo Monte Dam.
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Tell the Brazilian government: Stop the Belo Monte Dam.
The Brazilian rainforest and the indigenous peoples who live in it are endangered by the construction of the Belo Monte Dam, which would be one of the largest, most devastating infrastructure projects ever to be built in the Amazon. It would divert the flow of the Xingu River and flood over 100,000 acres of rainforest, displacing over 40,000 people and threatening the survival of indigenous communities. On August 26, the Brazilian government signed the concession to build the Belo Monte Dam, despite concerns over its financial viability, growing resistance amongst indigenous groups and social movements, and predictions of technical experts that the dam will be one of the worst engineering projects in Brazil’s history. The consortium responsible for building Belo Monte could receive a license to initiate the project any day. So now is a crucial time for the international community to speak out and stand up to defend the Xingu River and those who depend upon it. That is why we are joining our friends at International Rivers and Amazon Watch in taking action. This petition will be delivered to:
About 25,000 indigenous people from 24 ethnic groups live along the Xingu River. These people are a living symbol of Brazil’s cultural diversity and defenders of some of the last intact forest in the Amazon. Yet their lives and culture are under threat from the enormous Belo Monte Dam. This mega-project would leave indigenous and traditional communities along a 100 km stretch of the Xingu known as the “Big Bend” without water, fish, or a means of river transport. And communities upstream, including the Kayapó Indians, would suffer the loss of migratory fish species that are a crucial part of their diet. If Belo Monte goes ahead, it will unleash a chain of dams in the Amazon, threatening the very future of the Amazon rainforest and the web of life it supports. The Brazilian government needs to hear from people around the world that we will not sit idly by while the rights of indigenous and forest people are violated. Thank you for working for a better world. Matt Lockshin, Campaign Manager |
Be a Seed for Change 