Rabu, 20 Juni 2012

1500 People Form Human Banner to Protest Against the Belo Monte Project


Soon after 300 locals expressed their disapproval of the plans to build a hydro-power plant on the Xingu River by destroying a temporary earthen dam, five times as many people took a similar stand and formed a human banner on a beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Their goal: to get the attention of the world leaders presently gathered at the Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil.

The said human banner illustrated an indigenous person reaching out towards the sun, and the words “Rios para a vida” (“Rivers for life”) were written beneath it.

Apparently, artist John Quigley helped the local communities in coming up with the concept.

As their motto â€" “Rivers for life” â€" suggests, the locals here are not in the least willing to accept the plans of erecting dozens of dams in the Amazon basin, since this would lead to the destruction of the natural ecosystems here and would also put an end to their traditional lifestyle.

Thus, countless fish species would see their migration routes blocked, thousands of acres of rainforest would be flooded and the local fishing industry would be heavily affected.

Mongabay.com reports that those in charge of organizing this peaceful, yet meaningful protest explained that the banner “symbolized the important role of indigenous knowledge and a strong preference for meeting our collective energy needs through renewable sources like solar power.”

They also added that “Rivers should be dedicated to supporting the life of the millions of humans who depend on them and should remain undammed.”

Seeing how the main focus of this year's Rio+20 Earth Summit is precisely sustainable development, it is quite likely that due consideration will be given to the message these 1500 people are trying to send to the world.

More so since the aforementioned international conference presumably places special emphasis on the collaboration between heavily industrialized nations and local communities whose lifestyle hasn't changed in ages.

Via: 1500 People Form Human Banner to Protest Against the Belo Monte Project

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