<nettime> Fwd: The Amazon Forest [sharp!]

["Gustavo Barbosa" <gustavo.listas@iname.com>]

>quote<

The BR Portuguese original text can be found below the English version.
O original em portugues encontra-se abaixo do texto em ingles.

***

The World for All
by Cristovam Buarque

In a recent debate which took place in the United States I was asked what
was my opinion on the internationalisation of the Amazon forest.  The young
man started the question saying that he expected the answer of a humanist,
not a Brazilian.  That was the first time a felow debater chose the humanist
viewpoint as the starting point of one of my replies.

Truth is that, as a Brazilian, I would indeed just talk against the
internationalisation of the Amazon forest.  Even though our governments show
a careless attitude towards this patrimony, it is still ours.

I replied saying that, as a humanist, being aware of the risk of
environmental degradation which the Amazon forest is undergoing,  I could
accept it's internationalisation as well as the internationalisation of
everything else that is important to humankind.

If the Amazon forest, under a humanist viewpoint, should be
internationalised, let us then internationalise the petroleum reserves of
the whole world.  The petroleum is as important to the well-being of
humanity as the Amazon forest to our future.  However, what we see is the
owners of the reserves having the right to increase or decrease the
extraction levels and to increase or not it's price according to their
financial interests.  The rich of the world have the right to burn this huge
patrimony of humankind.

In an equal manner, the financial capital of the rich countries should also
be internationalised.  If the Amazon forest is a reserve for all human
beings it cannot be burned according to the will of a single owner or
country.  Burning the Amazon is as critical as the massive unemployment
caused by arbitrary decisions of global speculators.  We cannot let the
financial reserves cause the fall of entire countries subjugated by the
greed of financial/market speculation.  Before the Amazon forest I would
like to see the iternationalisation of all the greatest museums of the
world.

The Louvre should not belong only to France any longer.  Each museum of the
world is the guardian of the most beautiful pieces produced by the human
genius.  Such cultural patrimony, as well as the Amazon, cannot be
manipulated and destroyed while under the control of a single owner or
country.  Not a long time ago a japanese millionaire decided to have a great
master's painting buried with him – before that, the piece should have been
internationalised.

During the conference where I was asked that question, the United Nations
were organising the Millenium Forum, but some of the presidents had problems
to attend due to embarrassments at the USA customs/borders.  Therefore I
suggested that New York, as the official host and HQ of the United Nations,
should be internationalised.  At least Manhatan should now belong to the
whole humankind as well as Paris, Venice, Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro,
Brasilia, Recife.  Each city with it's own beauty, it's own part of the
world history, should belong to the world.

If the USA wish to internaltionalise the Amazon forest not to run the riskof
letting it in the Brazilian people's hands, let us then internationalise all
the nuclear arsenal of the USA.  Particularly because they have already
proven that they are well able to use those weapons, being responsible for
damages infinitely superior to the unfortunate burning and cutting down of
trees carried out in Brazilian forests.

During the recent presidential elections debates, the north-american
candidates have strongly argued in favor of the internationalisation of
forestal reserves of the world against the absolution of each country's
external debt.  Lets start by using such debt to assure that every child of
the world has the chance to go to school.

Lets then internationalise the children and treat them all, regardless
country of birth, as a patrimony that deserves worldwide care.  Even more
than the Amazon itself should deserve.

When the world dirigistees [G8] decide to treat the impoverished children of
the world as a humankind patrimony they will not allow them to work while
they should be in school or to die when they should live.

As a humanist I accept to argue in favor of the internationalisation of the
world.  But as long as the world treats me as a Brasilian I will fight for
the Amazon to be ours, the brasilians. Only ours.

Cristovam Buarque is a professor with the UNB (Universidade de Brasilia –
University of Brasilia) and author of the book "A cortina de ouro" (The
Golden Curtain)

This is a free translation to English of an article published in Portuguese
by the Brasilian newspaper "O Globo", on the 23rd of october, 2000.

The original article can be found below.  The reference to the G8 as
dirigistees was not in the original text.  It was added by the translator in
the lack of a better word as "dirigistees" is a bit unusual.

Please pass the word on if you consider it worthwhile.

**************

Original text :

**************

O Globo
23/10/2000
Opiniao
O mundo para todos
CRISTOVAM BUARQUE

Durante debate recente, nos Estados Unidos, fui questionado sobre o que
pensava da internacionalizacao da Amazonia. O jovem introduziu sua
pergunta dizendo que esperava a resposta de um humanista e nao de um
brasileiro. Foi a primeira vez que um debatedor determinou a otica
humanista como o ponto de partida para uma resposta minha.

De fato, como brasileiro eu simplesmente falaria contra a
internacionalizacao da Amazonia. Por mais que nossos governos nao
tenham o devido cuidado com esse patrimonio, ele e nosso.

Respondi que, como humanista, sentindo o risco da degradacao ambiental que
sofre a Amazonia, podia imaginar a sua internacionalizacao, como tambem de
tudo o mais que tem importancia para a Humanidade.

Se a Amazonia, sob uma otica humanista, deve ser internacionalizada,
internacionalizemos tambem as reservas de petroleo do mundo inteiro. O
petroleo e tao importante para o bem-estar da humanidade quanto a Amazonia
para o nosso futuro. Apesar disso, os donos das reservas sentem-se no
direito de aumentar ou diminuir a extracao de petroleo e subir ou nao o
seu preco. Os ricos do mundo, no direito de queimar esse imenso patrimonio
da Humanidade.

Da mesma forma, o capital financeiro dos paises ricos deveria ser
internacionalizado. Se a Amazonia e uma reserva para todos os seres
humanos, ela nao pode ser queimada pela vontade de um dono, ou de um pais.
Queimar a Amazonia e tao grave quanto o desemprego provocado pelas
decisoes arbitrarias dos especuladores globais. Nao podemos deixar que as
reservas financeiras sirvam para queimar paises inteiros na volupia da
especulacao.  Antes mesmo da Amazonia, eu gostaria de ver a
internacionalizacao de todos os grandes museus do mundo.

O Louvre nao deve pertencer apenas aa Franca. Cada museu do mundo e
quardiao das mais belas pecas produzidas pelo genio humano. Nao se
pode deixar esse patrimonio cultural, como o patrimonio natural amazonico,
seja manipulado e destruido pelo gosto de, a um proprietario ou de um pais.
Nao faz muito, um milionario japones, decidiu enterrar com ele um quadro
de um grande mestre. Antes disso, aquele quadro deveria ter sido
internacionalizado.

Durante o encontro em que recebi a pergunta, as Nacoes Unidas reuniam o
Forum do Milenio, mas alguns presidentes de paises tiveram dificuldades em
comparecer por constrangimentos na fronteira dos o EUA. Por isso, eu disse
que Nova York, como sede das Nacoes Unidas, deveria ser
internacionalizada. Pelo menos Manhatan deveria pertencer a toda a
Humanidade. Assim como Paris, Veneza, Roma, Londres, Rio de Janeiro,
Brasilia, Recife, cada cidade, com sua beleza especifica, sua historia do
mundo, deveria pertencer ao mundo inteiro.

Se os EUA querem internacionalizar a Amazonia, pelo risco de deixa-la nas
maos de brasileiros, internacionalizemos todos os arsenais nucleares dos
EUA. Ate porque eles ja demonstraram que sao capazes de usar essas armas,
provocando uma destruicao milhares de vezes maior do que as lamentaveis
queimadas feitas nas florestas do Brasil.

Nos seus debates, os atuais candidatos a presidencia dos EUA tem defendido
a ideia de internacionalizar as reservas florestais do mundo em troca da
divida. Comecemos usando essa divida para garantir que cada crianca do
mundo tenha possibilidade de ir a escola.

Internacionalizemos as criancas tratando-as, todas elas, nao importando o
pais onde nasceram, como patrimonio que merece cuidados do mundo inteiro.
Ainda mais do que merece a Amazonia.

Quando os dirigentes tratarem as criancas pobres do mundo como um
patrimonio da Humanidade, eles nao deixarao que elas trabalhem quando
deveriam estudar; que morram quando deveriam viver.

Como humanista, aceito defender a internacionalizacao do mundo. Mas,
enquanto o mundo me tratar como brasileiro, lutarei para que a Amazonia
seja nossa. So nossa.

CRISTOVAM BUARQUE e professor da UNB, autor do livro " A cortina de ouro"

************

>unquote<

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