August 8, 2009 The dust is not settling in the Peruvian Amazon

August 8, 2009 The dust is not settling in the Peruvian Amazon

Hallo,
wie ihr wisst gab es in Peru Ausschreitungen nach den Demonstrationen wo
einige Menschen ums Leben kamen. Die Regierung will den Regenwald an
Konzerne verkaufen. Ein sehr großer Schatz für die Menschheit und der
Lebensraum für viele Leute würde verlorgen gehen für Öl und andere
Bodenschätze. Die Indios sind davon natürlich direkt betroffen, da sie
im und vom Regenwald leben. Sie würden dabei enteignet werden. Daher
versuchen sie sich zu organisieren und gemeinsam eine Organisation zu
gründen die ihnen eine starke Stimme gibt und der Regierung Alternativen
zum Verkauf anbieten kann.
Mir persönlich liegt sehr viel daran dass dort wieder Ruhe herrscht und
der Wald in den Händen der dort lebenden Leuten ist. Vielleicht mag ja
der eine oder andere Spenden, damit sich die Shipibo-Konbio überhaupt
treffen können und in weiterer Folge organisieren können..
August 8, 2009
The dust is not settling in the Peruvian Amazon. Following the June massacre, the Peruvian
Government is now seeking to criminally try more than 100 indigenous leaders and indians
involved in the protests against the government’s illegal decrees to hand over more than 70% of the
Peruvian Rainforest to multi-national oil, mining, timber, and mass agricultural interests. Amnesty
International and even relatives of killed police are questioning the Peruvian Governments unfair
treatment of indigenous protesters. The UN Special Rapporteur has recommended that the Peruvian
Government drop criminal charges against protest leaders as well.
The 2nd Congress of the Shipibo-Konibo is now scheduled for October 16-18, 2009 in
Pucallpa, Peru. The Shipibo-Konibo are continuing work on forming their own government in
order to gain more authority to confront the threats to their Amazonian territories, their traditional
medicines, their culture and way of life. The global implications of Amazonian Rainforest
destruction are disastrous and the social injustice being imposed on Amazonian indigenous tribes
who have lived sustainable in the rainforest is unacceptable.
We still need donations to support the upcoming 2nd Congress of the Shipibo-Konibo. Remember,
you are contributing at a grassroots level, directly to the Shipibo-Konibo tribe. To that end, I have
set up a PayPal account for donations that will be sent to the Shipibo-Konibo organizers of the 2nd
Congress. Go to www.PayPal.com and use my email address, [email protected] to
make a donation. If you do not have a PayPal account it is very easy to set up. All transfer fees
are being paid for by myself so that 100% of your donation will go to the Shipibo-Konibo. If you
would like to make a direct donation through Guillermo Arevalo in Peru, please contact me for
bank information.
Below I have added the original call for action. I hope this will touch your earth spirit and
indigenous soul to contribute your energy in a donation and prayers to the Shipibo-Konibo. The
importance to the planet of the Shipibo-Konibo’s connection to the rainforest and their traditional
knowledge of the Amazon’s healing pharmacopeia is invaluable! Please help.
Con Espiritu, Mershona Parshall
July 4, 2009
A CALL TO ACTION
THE SHIPIBO-KONIBO INDIANS OF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON
“We steal the future by selling the present.” Paul Hawken
BACKGROUND
On June 5, 2009, Amazonian indigenous demonstrators were massacred by Peruvian special forces
while protesting the governments plan to open at least 73% of the Peruvian rainforest to multinational corporations. President Alan Garcia used special powers to implement nine decrees he
claimed necessary to meet agreements the Peruvian Government made in the Free Trade Agreement
with the United States in 2007. These decrees would allow international corporations to exploit the
Peruvian Amazon for gas, oil, logging, mining, and massive agricultural development for bio fuels.
Amazonian Amerindians had been demonstrating against these decrees that disregard indigenous
rights, and would destroy ancestral territories for months prior to the outbreak of violence.
PRESENT SITUATION
As a result of the violence and international outrage towards the Peruvian Government’s handling
of the situation in the Amazon, two of the nine most egregious decrees were revoked. The Peruvian
Government agreed to dialogue with Amazonian indigenous tribes regarding its intention to exploit
resources in the Amazon rainforest. While this is a temporary reprieve, President Alan Garcia will
continue to push his political agenda to open up the Peruvian Amazon to multi-national
corporations that want to extract it’s resources regardless of indigenous rights and environmental
consequences.
THE SHIPIBO-KONIBO AMAZONIAN INDIANS
The Shipibo-Konibo are a large Amazonian indigenous tribe living along the Rio Ucayali in
hundreds of villages in the Pucallpa region of Peru. The Shipibo-Konibo maintain a strong tribal
identity and are known world wide for their art and powerful indigenous healing traditions. Master
curandero and spiritual leader of the Shipibo-Konibo, Guillermo Arevalo, has joined with other
leaders of the Shipibo-Konibo to proactively respond to the threats against their ancestral lands and
traditional way of life. A meeting was held in June 2009 in Pucallpa, Peru of Shipibo-Konibo tribal
leaders to begin the process of organizing their own self-government. The Shipibo-Konibo believe
this is critical to defending their tribal rights, for establishing sustainable economic development,
protecting their lands, protecting the biodiversity of the rainforest, their culture, and their traditional
way of life.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
Immediate need:
1. The next meeting of Shipibo-Konibo leaders will be held in Pucallpa, Peru in October 2009. The
Shipibo-Konibo need immediate seed money to help cover logistical costs for the October meeting
to bring together tribal leaders. The need is for $5,000.00 dollars.
Future needs:
2. The Shipibo-Konibo will need legal assistance and expertise from international organizations to
assist them in their efforts to self-govern.
3. The Shipibo-Konibo will need international organizations to help with financial support for
nation building.
4. The Shipibo-Konibo need the prayers of all those who are concerned about the social injustice
against indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon and the impending environmental catastrophe
should the Peruvian Government proceed with it agenda to sell off the rainforest to multi-national
corporations.
If you are able to help with individual, group, or organizational donations for immediate needs
please contact:
Mershona Parshall at [email protected].
100% of donations will be sent to the Shipibo-Konibo via Guillermo Arevalo. I am personally
covering transfer fees for donations I receive. If you prefer direct electronic transfer of funds to
Guillermo Arevalo in Peru, you may also contact me for bank information.
The environmental consequences of destroying the rainforest while ignoring the human rights of
indigenous peoples for short term gain is unacceptable.
Now is the time to act.
….the rainforest is the lungs of the mother earth.