Comment: As the Earth heats and biodiversity declines, ecocide must be brought against those who profit from the destruction.
All I know and love is a result of the knowledge passed to me by my ancestors.
My age is only 25, but my people have lived in this rainforest for at least 6,000 year. I live according to our ancient traditions, which allow us to live in harmony and protect the rainforest where we live.
When corporations look at my home in the Amazon rainforest, they don’t see the intricacies of the trees’ roots, the way they weave their way in and out of rich soil. They don’t pay attention to the sound of raindrops as they hit leaves, small and large. They don’t see a land capable to sustain life on Earth, a protected land, or a sacred place. Instead, they see commodities.
Today, my peoples’ mission to protect nature is becoming impossible. The climate is warming quickly, animals are disappearing, and flowers aren’t blooming as they used to.
We are trying to protect the environment from the powers that is. bullied, harassed,Sometimes even even murdered.
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Ari Urueu-wauwau, my childhood friend, was murdered because he protected the forests against illegal loggers and farmers. His story is told in a documentary I produced called The Territory. It was co-produced jointly by the Indigenous Uru–Wau–Wau tribe and chronicles their struggle against the land on which Ari’s ancestors lived for millennia.
The MurderThis is not an isolated incident. It’s a tragedy that there are so many other cases like this..
My husband is also a journalist, based in Amazonia, and has been threatened with death for reporting on illegal activities. My father, My motherMany of my friends are also subject to constant intimidation and threats in defense of their ancestral land.
Justice must extend beyond those who have guns that are killing Earth defenders. We want Brazil’s leaders whose actions or lack thereof, are allowing this violence to go rampant, to be held to account too.
Three years ago, President Jair Bolsonaro was elected to Brazil’s presidency. His administration has made it a priority for the country to reduce environmental protections. The government agency supposed to protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, was turned against us. This has led to a grim record of Brazilian deforestation.
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Despite the government’s pledges at Cop26 to End and reverse deforestation by 2030The Brazilian Amazon saw.A 64% jump in deforestation within the first three month of 2022 compared to the previous year – which was already up from the year before that.
Although international pressure from companies and countries which buy agricultural products from Brazil has increased, We cannot ignore the fact Many multinational corporationsBrazil’s anti-environment legislation and anti-indigenous legislation are still being used to their advantage.
That’s why my father, the great Chief Almir Suruí, together with Chief Raoni Metuktire of the Kayapo people, presented a formal request to the International Criminal Court in The HagueThe investigation into the Brazil crisis began last year. They are demanding that the perpetrators of crimes against humanity be held accountable.
As we wait for a decision, we wonder: will our evidence be taken seriously? Will the countries that have promised to uphold human rights, and protect the Earth, keep their word? How many people will be killed in an unjust war on the environment?
And much like we must protect peoples’ rights, we need to defend the ecosystems that support us. I appeal to the international community to ask the International Criminal Court for recognition of ecocide. All courts around the world have claimed for years that they want to combat environmental crimes. They now have the opportunity to put their words into action and recognize the attacks on my Amazonian home as ecocide.
I ask the Global North’s leaders: Are you ready to give up your life here on Earth? Why do indigenous peoples have to protect more than 80% of the world’s biodiversity with so little support while the rich dream of colonising other planets?
It is a heavy responsibility to learn from the mistakes that led us to this climate crisis. It is not possible to escape it. We can still fight! Join us to support the indigenous land defenders.
I was raised to understand that harmony on this planet is possible only if we listen to the stars, moon, wind, animals, and trees. Listen to the Earth. She is speaking and her message to us is clear: there is no time for waste.
Txai Suruí is an Indigenous leader and activist from the Brazilian Amazon. She leads the Rondônia Indigenous Youth Movement and the Kanindé Association and is the executive producer of the award-winning documentary The Territory.
Source: Climate Change News
