(no subject)
The chief Raoni cries when he learns that brazilian president Dilma released the beginning of construction of the hydroelectric plant of Belo Monte, even after tens of thousands of letters and emails addressed to her and which were ignored as the more than 600 000 signatures. That is, the death sentence of the peoples of Great Bend of the Xingu river is enacted. Belo Monte will inundate at least 400,000 hectares of forest, an area bigger than the Panama Canal, thus expelling 40,000 indigenous and local populations and destroying habitat valuable for many species - all to produce electricity at a high social, economic and environmental cost, which could easily be generated with greater investments in energy efficiency.
~ http://ver2go.tumblr.com/post/6010657491/the-chief-raoni-cries-when-he-learns-that
Just like that, I'm not feeling "okay" anymore.
This makes me cry.
Because I know what it's like, in my own way, as an Indigenous person. I know what it's like to have your entire existence thrown around like a ball. And the ball's never really in your court. You rely on the hope that the government will, for once, do something right for you and your people.
You find people who care and understand as you do, you have to surround yourself with people who do, or else you will break down. Despair. The numbers pile up, you may ignore the other side because your heart will break if you see the numbers are not in your favour. They most often aren't.
You get your hopes up. Then it all comes down. Even if the numbers are in your favour, oh yes, the colonizers are above it all.
Apparently 600 000 cries of protest and the fate of an entire nation of Indigenous people is not enough to stop the power-hungry.
My heart is 100% with the Xingu peoples right now and I would be right in the front of this fight if I was able to.
I feel so helpless. I've been conditioned to feel this way. Fuck the world.
I will make post more about what you can do as I find out. In the meantime, please sign the petition:
http://amazonwatch.org/take-action/stop-the-belo-monte-monster-dam
Please spread this article. It's so important.