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Mendes played a central role in the creation of the National Council of Rubber Tappers in the mid-1980s.<ref>{{cite book|author=Barbosa, Luiz C.|title=The Brazilian Amazon rainforest: global ecopolitics, development, and democracy|publisher=University Press of America|year=2000|isbn=9780761815228|page=115|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=G6O1wbp3Yx8C&pg=PA115}}</ref>
Mendes played a central role in the creation of the National Council of Rubber Tappers in the mid-1980s.<ref>{{cite book|author=Barbosa, Luiz C.|title=The Brazilian Amazon rainforest: global ecopolitics, development, and democracy|publisher=University Press of America|year=2000|isbn=9780761815228|page=115|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=G6O1wbp3Yx8C&pg=PA115}}</ref>

When the first meeting of this new union was held in 1985, in the capital, [[Brasilia]], rubber tappers from all over the country came. Many had never been outside their local area before. He succeeded in educating many about the issues of deforestation, road paving, cattle ranching, and the threats to their own livelihoods. The meeting also had the effect of catching the attention of the international environmentalist movement, and highlighting their plight to a larger audience. He chose to align himself and the union with environmentalism, rather than [[Marxism]]. In November of that year, [[Adrian Cowell]], an English filmmaker, made a documentary about Mendes.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}


Mendes believed that relying on rubber tapping alone was not sustainable and that the ''seringueiros'' needed to develop more holistic systems that utilized a variety of forest products such as nuts, fruit, oil, and fibers; and that they needed to focus on building strong communities with quality education for their children.<ref>{{cite book|author=Smouts, Marie-Claude|title=Tropical forests, international jungle: the underside of global ecopolitics|publisher=Palgrave-Macmillan|year=2003|isbn=9781403962034|page=38|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=bBGRvHOlpnsC&pg=PA38}}</ref>
Mendes believed that relying on rubber tapping alone was not sustainable and that the ''seringueiros'' needed to develop more holistic systems that utilized a variety of forest products such as nuts, fruit, oil, and fibers; and that they needed to focus on building strong communities with quality education for their children.<ref>{{cite book|author=Smouts, Marie-Claude|title=Tropical forests, international jungle: the underside of global ecopolitics|publisher=Palgrave-Macmillan|year=2003|isbn=9781403962034|page=38|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=bBGRvHOlpnsC&pg=PA38}}</ref>
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Mendes won several awards for his work, including the [[United Nations Environmental Program]] Global 500 Roll of Honor Award in 1987, and the [[National Wildlife Federation]]'s National Conservation Achievement Award in 1988.<ref>{{cite book|author=Devine, Carol|chapter=Mendes, Chico|editors=Devine, Carol & Poole, Hilary|title=Human rights: the essential reference|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1999|isbn=9781573562058|page=202|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4NjST_gT9WIC&pg=PA202}}</ref>
Mendes won several awards for his work, including the [[United Nations Environmental Program]] Global 500 Roll of Honor Award in 1987, and the [[National Wildlife Federation]]'s National Conservation Achievement Award in 1988.<ref>{{cite book|author=Devine, Carol|chapter=Mendes, Chico|editors=Devine, Carol & Poole, Hilary|title=Human rights: the essential reference|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=1999|isbn=9781573562058|page=202|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4NjST_gT9WIC&pg=PA202}}</ref>

In 1988, Mendes launched a campaign to stop rancher Darly Alves da Silva from logging an area that was planned as a reserve. Mendes not only managed to stop the planned deforestation and create the reserve, but also gained a warrant for Darly's arrest, for a murder committed in another state. He delivered the warrant to the federal police, but it was never acted upon.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}


== Assassination==
== Assassination==

Revision as of 17:26, 22 June 2011

Chico Mendes
File:Chico Mendes.jpg
Born(1944-12-15)December 15, 1944
Xapuri, Brazil
DiedDecember 22, 1988(1988-12-22) (aged 44)
Xapuri, Brazil
Cause of deathAssassination
OccupationSocial activist
ChildrenAngela Mendes
Elenira Mendes
Sandino Mendes

Francisco Alves Mendes Filho[1], better known as Chico Mendes (December 15, 1944 – December 22, 1988), was a Brazilian rubber tapper, trade union leader and environmentalist. He fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest and advocated for the human rights of Brazilian peasants and indigenous peoples. He was assassinated by a rancher on December 22, 1988.

Early life

Francisco "Chico" Alves Mendes Filho was born on December 15, 1944 in the town of Seringal Santa Fé, outside of Xapuri. He was the son of a second generation rubber tapper, Francisco Mendes, and his wife Irâce.[2] Chico was one of seventeen siblings -- only six of whom survived childhood.[3]

At age 9, Chico began work as a rubber tapper.[4]

Activism

Chico Mendes with his children

At first I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon rainforest. Now I realise I am fighting for humanity.

— Chico Mendes[5]

The Xapuri Rubber Tappers' Union was created in 1970, and Chico was elected as its president.[6]

Mendes played a central role in the creation of the National Council of Rubber Tappers in the mid-1980s.[7]

Mendes believed that relying on rubber tapping alone was not sustainable and that the seringueiros needed to develop more holistic systems that utilized a variety of forest products such as nuts, fruit, oil, and fibers; and that they needed to focus on building strong communities with quality education for their children.[8]

In March of 1987, the Environmental Defense Fund and National Wildlife Federation, flew Mendes to Washington, D.C. in an attempt to convince the Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank, and U.S. Congress to support the creation of extractive reserves.[9]

Mendes won several awards for his work, including the United Nations Environmental Program Global 500 Roll of Honor Award in 1987, and the National Wildlife Federation's National Conservation Achievement Award in 1988.[10]

Assassination

On the evening of Thursday, December 22, 1988, Chico Mendes was assassinated by gunshot at his Xapuri home by the son of a local rancher, Darly Alves da Silva. The shooting took place exactly one week after Mendes' 44th birthday, where he had predicted that he would "not live until Christmas". Mendes was the 19th rural activist to be murdered that year in Brazil.[11]

In December, 1990, rancher Darly Alves da Silva, his son Darly Alves da Silva Jr., and their ranch hand, Jerdeir Pereia were sentenced to 19 years in prison for their part in Mendes' assassination. In February, 1992, they won a retrial, claiming that the prosecution's primary witness (Chico's wife) was biased. The conviction was upheld, and they remained in prison. In 1993 they escaped from jail, along with 7 other prisoners, by sawing through the bars of their prison window. All were recaptured, except for Darly Jr., who was as of 2004 still at large.[12]

The murder of Chico Mendes made international headlines, including the front page of the New York Times. Thanks in part to the international media attention surrounding the murder, the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve was created in the area where he lived. There are more than 20 such reserves now, along the same lines as Mendes had proposed, covering more than 8 million acres (32,000 km²).[citation needed]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Filho" is the equivalent to "Junior"; "Chico" is an abbreviative nickname for "Francisco" in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries
  2. ^ Revkin (2004), pp. 63; 67
  3. ^ Introduction to International and Global Studies. UNC Press Books. 2011. p. 378. ISBN 9780807871751. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Place, Susan E. (2001). Tropical rainforests: Latin American nature and society in transition. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 176. ISBN 9780842029087.
  5. ^ "United Nations Environment: Programme Environment for Development". Retrieved 2010-10-01.
  6. ^ Palmer, Joy A. (2002). "Mendes, Chico". International encyclopedia of environmental politics. Taylor & Francis. p. 320. ISBN 9780415202855. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Barbosa, Luiz C. (2000). The Brazilian Amazon rainforest: global ecopolitics, development, and democracy. University Press of America. p. 115. ISBN 9780761815228.
  8. ^ Smouts, Marie-Claude (2003). Tropical forests, international jungle: the underside of global ecopolitics. Palgrave-Macmillan. p. 38. ISBN 9781403962034.
  9. ^ Keck, Margaret E. (2001). "Social Equity and Environmental Politics in Brazil: Lessons from the Rubber Tappers of Acre". In Domínguez, Jorge I. (ed.). Mexico, Central, and South America: Social movements. Taylor & Francis. p. 68. ISBN 9780815336952.
  10. ^ Devine, Carol (1999). "Mendes, Chico". Human rights: the essential reference. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 202. ISBN 9781573562058. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Hall, Anthony L. (1997). Sustaining Amazonia: grassroots action for productive conservation. Manchester University Press. p. 101. ISBN 9780719046988.
  12. ^ Switzer, Jaqueline Vaughn (2003). "Chico Mendes (1944-1988)". Environmental activism: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO. p. 166. ISBN 9781576079010.

Bibliography

Further reading

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