Struggle for the Amazon: capitalist project x worker and local communities project

Jan 2009

This document compiles texts from scholars and social militants, covering some of the issues about the Amazon, which we are interested in spreading, discuss and look at the facts in depth about this reality.
The texts present the interests, dispute and the consequences of the struggle between two large political and economic projects for the Amazon region. On one hand, the project of capital, which has been perpetuated since the Brazil - Colonial; and on the other, the historical project from traditional populations, who have their lives and routes in the Amazon.
In the last few decades, with the offensive of the so called neo-liberal globalization, there was a true avalanche of transnational corporations taking control of the natural resources in the region, literally promoting a theft of the wealth which belongs to the Brazilian people and humanity as whole. Seeking easy, quick and astronomical profits, transnational corporations promote an irrational environmental exploitation and aggravate even further the already shameful poverty existent in the region.
On the other hand, there is a project that does not seek profit at all cost, but rather the peaceful coexistence between human beings and nature, preserving our cultural riches and towards the construction of a sustainable society grounded on the principles of solidarity, social justice and equality. The greed of capital has been aggravated with neo-liberalism, but there was also resistance from indigenous, quilombolas [traditional afro-descendent communities], peasants and ribeirinhos [communities living along rivers], who engage in social struggles to face the spoliation of our natural resources.
With the studies presented here and from the understanding of the social, economic, political and environmental reality, we believe that we will be in a better position to understand the interests at stake. By doing so, we will be better equipped to understand the interests that are involved in the dispute. Therefore we have a clearer understanding to actively participate in the decisions that define the policies over this enormous heritage of the Brazilian people and of common interest to humanity as a whole.

By: MST – Landless Rural Workers Movement

 
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