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Eco Activist Murdered

paige ,

Dorthy Stang
Dorthy Stang

74 year old American missionary Sister Dorothy Stang was assassinated on Saturday (February 12) in the Amazon state of Para, Brazil. Sister Dorothy was travelling to a sustainable development project in Anapu with some colleagues when she was shot three times by two gunmen.

This tragedy occurred 16 years after the murder of Chico Mendes, who was also a defender of rural communities. Mendes was also a colleague of the current Minister for the Environment Marina Silva. Marina Silva is in Anapu meeting with State authorities, following the news of Sister Dorothy's death.

"Like Chico Mendes, Sister Dorothy refused to be intimidated and she paid an enormous price," said Paulo Adario, Greenpeace Amazon co-ordinator. "She selflessly worked for many years supporting the rights of rural workers, and defending the Amazon from reckless deforestation and we can't let her death be in vain."

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, US, Sister Dorothy was a Brazilian citizen and has worked in the Amazon for the past 37 years, living in Anapú since 1972. For 56 years she has been a member in good standing in the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, an international Catholic religious order of approximately two thousand women who work on five continents. She opposed land grabbers and illegal loggers who use intimidation, violence and guns to force small landowners off their land. She worked in an area that is remote and lawless and she has received many death threats.

"She had been on a death list for years, yet the State government of Para has failed to protect her. She was not alone either, as there are many others fighting against the forest destruction and the rights of local communities, whose lives are in danger", said Adario. "The violence and intimidation must stop. We cannot accept more martyrs in the Amazon."

Para is the Amazon state with the highest murder rate related to land disputes. According to the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), a Catholic organisation campaigning for landless people and the poor, 1,237 rural workers died in Brazil from 1985 to 2001, and 40 percent of these occurred in Para.

Para State is responsible for approximately one-third of the deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and plays a leading role in both environmental abuse and human rights violations.

For more information, go to this Greenpeace article: Nun assassinated defending Amazon

[article.to_original.homepage.prefix]: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/02/310735.shtml

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massacre in brazil:call to action march4th
by brad will at 28.Feb.2005 12:44

There was a massacre during an eviction of a huge urban squatting encampment in Goiania, Brazil on Feb16th. Over 12,000 people were evicted. No one is sure how many killed and disappeared. The squatters have called for an international day of action this Friday, March 4th. Stand up and show your solidarity with the poorest people of the americas.
(call in english,spanish,portugese,swedish)

you can find contacts for your local consulate (if you are in a major city in the states) by going to the following website: www.brazilhouston.org/ingles/jurisdic.htm. At the bottom of the webpage is the Brasilian Embassy in Washington, D.C. You may want to contact them first and then the consulate nearest you.
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massacre in brazil:call to action 3/4/05
En / Pt / Es / Se
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This is a call to action. There was a massacre here on february 16th at a squatters encampment eviction. The squatters community is calling for a global day of action, this friday on march 4th. They will march here for justice for the disappeared and to reclaim their lost land. The constitution of Brazil promises housing for the people and makes it illegal to leave land abandoned and in speculation. The occupation was a fufillment of that promise. People from all over the world will be acting autonomously at Brazilian consulates and embassies. Any action will be helpful no matter the size. Have everyone call, fax, email. Enter and demand to be heard. Protest outside against the police action and the cover up that followed. They have bulldozed the entire community, destoryed almost 3000 homes, erased important evidence, possibly corpses. These people acted spontaneously and autonomously outside of political parties and organizations to occupy urban blighted land. Please act together in solidarity with the poorest people of Brazil who have risked their lives for a simple home.
www.midiaindependente.org
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Este é um chamado para uma ação. No último dia 16 de fevereiro aconteceu um massacre em uma ação de desalojo de uma ocupação urbana en Goiânia, Brasil. A comunidade local e os desalojados/as convocam uma ação global na próxima sexta-feira, dia 04 de março. Em Goiânia haverá uma marcha exigindo justiça, a desapropriação da terra em favor dos/as sem-tetos e denunciando a violação dos direitos humanos. A contituição brasileira garante o acesso a moradia a toda população e considera ilegal que terras permaneçam abandonadas e estejam sob o jugo da especulação imobiliária. A ocupação do Sonho Real nada mais foi a busca da realização desta promessa constitucional. Pessoas de todo o mundo podem fazer ações autônomas na embaixadas e consulados do Brasil. Qualquer que seja o ato poderá ajudar muito, não importa seu tamanho nem o que seja feito. Podem ser enviados mails e faxes, além de telefonemas exigindo justiça. Podem ser realizados atos do lado de fora contra a violência policial e denunciando como toda esta situação está sendo banalizada no Brasil. A imprensa corporativa levou a cabo uma enorme campanha de criminalização do movimento e o geverno estadual destruiu mais de 3.000 casas, apagando evidências de crimes e possíveis corpos de desaparecidos. As pessoas que ocuparam o Sonho Real se organizaram espontâneamente e autônomamente, sem a participaçaõ de partidos políticos e movimentos de sem-teto. Estavam na área há 9 meses. Pedimos a solidariedade com os/as desabrigados/as e com todas as pessoas pobres no Brasil que têm posto suas vidas em risco por uma simples moradia. O caso pode ser melhor acompanhado na página do Indymedia Brasil -  http://www.midiaindependente.org
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Este es um llamado para una acción. En el dia 16 de febrero hubo un masacre en una acción de desalojo de una ocupación urbana en Goiânia, Brasil. La comunidad de los/as desalojados/as convoca un dia de acción global en el próximo viernes, 4 de marzo. Aqui acontecerá una marcha por justicia, denuncia de violaciones de los derechos humanos y para reclamar la tierra a los/as desalojados/as. La constituicion de Brasil garante el acceso a casa para toda la poblacion y considera ilegal que tierras permanezcan abandonadas y sofriendo especulación inmobiliaria. La ocupación nada más fue que la busca de esta promesa constitucional. Gente de todo el mundo puede hacer actos autónomos en las embajadas y consulados de Brasil. Qualquier que sea el acto podrá ayudar mucho, no impuerta su tamaño. Pueden ser enviados mails, faxes e llamadas telefónicas. Protesten de fuera en contra de la violenta acción policial y en contra de como todo esto está siendo banalizado. La prensa corporativa ha criminalizado todo el movimiento y el gobierno ha destruido más de 3.000 casas, borrado evidencias de crimenes y posibles cuerpos de desaparecidos. El pueblo que ocupó el Sonho Real se organizó espontanea e autonomamente, sin la participación de partidos políticos u organizaciones de ocupacion urbana. Pedimos la solidariedad con los desalojados/as y toda la gente pobre de Brasil que han puesto sus vidas en riesgo por una sencilla vivienda. En breve enviaremos más informaciones. Pueden seguir lo que pasa mirando la página de Indymedia Brasil -  http://www.midiaindependente.org
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Global aktionsdag i solidaritet med de taklösa i Brasilien. En markockupation i Goiânia, Brasilien avhystes brutalt den 16 februari av militärpolisen (  http://indymedia.se/newswire/display/56534/index.php). Nu kallas det till en global aktionsdag. De taklösa i Brasilien har kallat till en global aktionsdag pa fredag den 4de mars. I Goiânia kommer folk att demonstrera för rättvisa och för rätten till bostad. Rätten till bostad är grundlagsskyddat i Brasilien, grundlagen säger även att det är olagligt att låta mark stå övergiven eller att spekulera med mark. De taklösa menar då att ockupationen var således sanktionerad av grundlagen. Folk i olika delar av världen kommer att agera den 4de mars vid brasiliens konsulater och ambassader. De taklösa säger att alla aktioner välkommnas oavsett hur stor den är eller antalet människor som deltar. Organisationen uppmanar även privatpersoner från hela världen att faxa, ringa eller e-posta till den lokala ambassaden eller konsulatet och kräva rättvisa. Man kan även kontakta: Governador do estado de Goiás (Guvernören i delstaten Goiás) Marconi Ferreira Perillo Júnior Telefon (62) 213-1456 ank. 231 Fax (62) 213-1479 eller 213-1481 E-mail: governador (at) palacio.go.gov.br Secretário de Segurança Pública (Sekreterare för Allmän säkerhet) Jonathas Silva Telefon (62) 265-1000 eller 265-1050 Fax (62) 265-1001 eller 265-1002 E-mail: Isabela (at) go.gov.br och framföra sina krav. Vid avhysningen förstörde polisen mer än 3000 hem, bevis på polisbrutalitet försökte de undanröja och det finns fortfarande anklagelser om att folk har försvunnit och kropparna begravits i hemlighet. De taklösa agerar autonomt och utan kopplingar till politiska partier eller andra organisationer, de ockuperar mark och byggnader som står tomma. Agera i solidaritet med de fattigaste människorna i Brasilien som riskerar sitt liv för ett hem. Comitê de apoio ao Sonho Real e-mail:  [email protected] Homepage:  http://brasil.indymedia.org