ANOTHER URGENT ALERT
We've been following Brazil's moves toward creating legal titles for the huge amount of Amazon land that is now privately occupied. The Provisional Measure 458 started out well-intentioned, as a way to protect small farmers who need legal title to their land. Soon, however, it was manipulated by agrobusiness interests, many of whom violently and illegally have seized this land.
We have only 24 hours to convince President Lula to veto a bill that will privatize millions of acres of the Amazon and give most of the land to agrobusiness.
Send a message to Lula now!
Here's the full background fro AVAAZ.org:
Two weeks ago, Avaaz sent out an alert about the bill -- and 14,000 of us jammed President Lula's phone lines urging him to veto the bill's dangerous provisions. Within 48 hours the President stated publicly that he would do the right thing. Since then, however, the President has been under serious pressure from agrobusiness, and has made worrying statements about development in the Amazon.
We have 48 hours left to keep him to his word. We know that our voices together can influence him, and public pressure at this crucial time could tip the balance to save the Amazon. Click here to send a message to Lula NOW and send this on to friends and family - it will only take two minutes:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/lula_prazo_final
The Provisional Measure 458 started out well-intentioned, as a way to protect small farmers who need legal title to their land. Soon, however, it was manipulated by agrobusiness interests, many of whom violently and illegally have seized this land.
If the bill is passed in its current form, the richest land owners will benefit most.
We are asking Lula to do three things:
Veto indirect occupation and exploitation, so that legal titles only go to those who live on the land
Veto land titles for businesses so that only individuals are allowed regulation of the land; and
Add a clause which prohibits the commercialization of regulated land for 10 years, from the proposed 3 years, to avoid land speculation.
If thousands of people send him this message -- we could safeguard our forest.
Click here to send a message to Lula using our easy tool:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/lula_prazo_final
The fate of the Amazon will be drastically defined by the end of this week.
This certainly won’t be our final battle to defend our Amazon, but its an important one – lets keep the pressure up and show that Brazilians care!
With hope and conviction,
Alice, Graziela, Ben, Ricken, Luis, Paula, Pascal, Iain, Paul, Brett, Ben, Raj and the entire Avaaz team
Read more about this issue:
Amazon bill controversy in Brazil:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8113952.stm
Brazil: Land reform or deforestation boost for the Amazon
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/06/04/brazil-land-reform-or-deforestation-boost-for-the-amazon/
Brazil mulls over controversial bill to legitimize land-grab in Amazon
http://www.breakingtweets.com/2009/06/04/brazil-mulls-over-controversial-bill-to-legitimize-land-grab-in-amazon/
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