!!! URGENT GUARANI CAMPAIGN !!!
<< You may have already received this once, I tried to email
this before but do not believe it worked. Anyway, this is an
updated text. This particulare letter is mainly ment for
organizations, however if you are an individual, please write a
letter and send it to the addresses listed on the group letter.
And if you have questions, please email us with GUARANI
CAMPAIGN in the subject. Thank you in advance. Shane
Caraveo smc@pipeline.com >>
Dear Friends,
The Guarani-Kaiowa urgently need our help. As you may know,
ranchers are once again trying to expel the Guarani from their
traditional lands. After being expelled three times, tired of
being humiliated, cold and hungry, the entire community of
Jaguapire, 140 Guarani-Kaiowa, along with 22 leaders from
surrounding Guarani communities, have decided they would rather
die by suicide than be expelled from their lands once again.
They are prepared to fight to the end to remain on their lands.
In the past five years over 300 Guarani have committed suicide
rather than be expelled from their rightful lands. The time is
now for a comprehensive international campaign to put pressure
on the judges responsible for these cases.
THE SITUATION TO DATE:
In November of 1993 Judge Jean Marcos Ferreira gave FUNAI,
Brazils National Indian Agency, 60 days to expel the Guarani
from Jaguapire. The Nucleus for Indigenous Rights-NDI, FUNAI
and the Federal Prosecutors Office appealed the decision. That
appeal now rests in the hands of Judge Pedro Rotta. Due to the
international attention this situation has already drawn, Judge
Pedro Rotta is delaying decision hoping that the attention will
die out. If we allow this is to happen, the only apparent
outcome is a decision in favor of the ranchers, effectively
wiping out the Guarani-Kaiowa of Jaguapire, and setting a
standard policy for dealing with other communities in the area
that are facing similar problems. Over 9000 Guarani have
already been forced from their federally recognized lands by
local judges, and are now living in shantytowns and camps
alongside highways, forced into working in sugar cane and
alcohol factories. Another example of this is that of the
community of Takuaraty, which returned to its lands on June 24,
1994, only to be threatened with eviction by a rancher who has
razed all of the forest in the area in order to make a profit
from these "benefits". Both Judges Pedro Rotta and Jean Marcos
Ferreira are also sitting on this case.
THE AMANAKA'A CAMPAIGN
We MUST put as much pressure as possible on Judge Pedro Rotta
to force him into deciding on this issue in a way that will
permanently protect the lands of the Guarani.
During Amazon Week V, Marta Silva Vito Guarani, coordinator of
the Kaguateca Association for Displaced Indians, asked us to
start a campaign to bring international attention to the
situation. We need the support of our friends from around the
world to make this campaign a success. Our campaign will
involve a group letter, weekly faxes to Judge Pedro Rotta
informing him of the progress of our campaign, mass postcard
mailings to Judge Pedro Rotta, and a press conference held at
the Brazilian Consulate (here in New York City) on July 27
where we will present the group letter. We also will be
raising money to provide the Guarani with the basic
necessities, which due to threats of violence from the
ranchers, they have been unable to produce themselves.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
1. PLEASE sign on to our group letter which follows, and fax
it back to us ASAP. We need at least 100 organizations to join
us. Please distribute this document to other organizations.
The group letter will be presented to the Brazilian Consulate
on July 27.
2. Amanaka'a will be printing 10-15 thousand postcards for
mailing to Judges Pedro Rotta. Please let us know if you would
like to participate. We would like the Judges to receive these
postcards from all over the world. Let us know how many you
would like to receive, also, we would greatly appreciate any
donations to help with the cost of printing and mailing these
postcards to you. You could also start your own mailing. The
postcards will be printed on the week of July 18.
3. Send a fax to Judge Pedro Rotta stating your concern with
the situation and your support for the Guarani. You can fax to
(5511)35-3994/0496. State that you are part of an
international campaign for the Guarani. Request a response
from him as to why he has not yet made a decision. If he
doesn't respond, fax him again, and again, every week until he
decides in favor of the Guarani.
4. Distribute information. We can provide you with
information packets which we will be printing in July that will
contain any information you may need regarding the Guarani.
Furthermore, you may contact us any time for up-to-date
information.
5. Help us raise money to provide staple goods to the 35
families in need in Jaguapire. We are in the process of
planning how to go about this part of the Campaign, and would
appreciate your suggestions.
There is a lot to do in the next months, and we hope that you
will join us. It is extremely important that your organization
sign the group letter, which will be presented to the Brazilian
Consulate on July 27. One of us will be calling you over the
next few days to discuss the Guarani Campaign. Thank you in
advance for your time and effort.
Sincerely,
Christine Halvorson
Carol Kalafatic
Jessica Roff
Shane Caraveo
For the Guarani Campaign
Amanaka'a Amazon Network
584 Broadway #814
New York, NY 10012
Phone (212)925 5299
Fax (212)925 7743 (after 7/5/94)
P.S. Please note our new address!
You may also contact us through Shane Caraveo on the Internet:
smc@pipeline.com or Amanaka'a directly at amanakaa@igc.org
GROUP LETTER
DR. ITAMAR FRANCO
President
Federal Republic of Brazil
FAX 011 55 61 226 7566
Exmo. Sr.
DR. PEDRO ROTTA
Tribunal Regional Federal da 3a Regico
Rua Libero Badars, no 39 - Centro
01009-000 Sco Paulo, SP
Brazil
FAX 011 55 11 35 3994/0496
Exmo. Sr.
DR. JEAN MARCOS FERREIRA
Juiz Federal da 1a Vara no Mato Grosso do Sul
Rua Quatorze de Julho, no 356
79004-392 Campo Grande, MS
Exmo. Sra.
Dra. Suzana Camargo
2a Vara Federal
Justica Federal
Campo Grande - Mato Grosso do Sul
Fax: 011 55 67 726 3223
Dear Sirs:
We the undersigned are writing to express our concern
regarding the present situation of the Guarani-Kaiowa
communities of Mato Grosso do Sul. We represent xx
international non-governmental organizations with a membership
of over xxx.
We were relieved that the eviction of the community of
Jaguapire, scheduled for January 29, 1994 was suspended, but
fear for their future. Their right to occupy their traditional
lands was recognized by the Executive Branch of the Brazilian
government in 1992. This right is being threatened by a
decision issued by the judge of the 1st Federal Court in Campo
Grande last November. The Federal Prosecutors Office has
appealed this decision, but Judge Pedro Rotta continues to
delay his decision in this case. On November 25, 1993, the
Guarani-Kaiowa community of Jaguapiri issued a letter to the
regional administrator of FUNAI affirming that the community
has chosen to commit suicide rather than be expelled from their
lands once again.
The situation in Jaguapire is very serious, yet it is only one
of many Guarani areas in conflict in the state of Mato Grosso
do Sul. Another example is the community of Takuaraty, which
returned to its lands on June 24, 1994. Although their lands
were ratified by presidential decree, the Guarani Kaiowa of
Takuaraty were evicted from their lands by rancher Terezinha
Barreto Coimbra, and are now threatened with eviction for the
seventh time. They have been living in conditions of absolute
misery, and three children have recently died of hunger. Over
the past five years 300 Guarani have committed suicide because
of expulsion from their lands and mistreatment by local
landowners. We see the lack of attention to these matters as a
demonstration of the blatant disregard of the rights of
indigenous peoples by the Brazilian government.
We call for an immediate decision in favor of the
Guarani-Kaiowa communities to end their needless suffering and
to avert any further tragedy. A decision against them may
cause the genocide of an entire people and set a standard
policy for dealing with other indigenous communities throughout
Brazil. It is time for all levels of the Brazilian government
to support the basic human rights of all Brazilians,
particularly those to whom those rights are so frequently
denied: the indigenous peoples.
Sincerely,
(RAN in NY has already signed on, we've only sent out very few
of these, if you would like to know who else is signing on,
call amanaka'a or email us)