Let's also register the attrocities perpetrated against our Goan activists with the RLA. AdeT
To: [email protected] Subject: RLA Foundation condemns murder of Brazilian activist Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2013 15:36:14 +0100 From: [email protected] Email not displaying properly? Click here to view it in your browser Award Laureates Propose a Candidate Support the Award February 1st 2013 Condemning the murder of Cícero Guedes, leader of the Brazilian Landless Workers’ Movement MST The Right Livelihood Award Foundation strongly condemns the murder of Cícero Guedes, a leader of the Brazilian Landless Workers’ Movement MST. The MST received the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”) in 1991. Cícero Guedes dos Santos, coordinator of the Landless Workers’ Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais sem Terra, MST) of Brazil was killed by gunmen on Friday, January 25th. He received some twelve shots to the head while he was bicycling away from a settlement of landless families in the vicinity of the Cambahyba sugar plant, in the municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes in Rio de Janeiro. It is yet unclear who is responsible for the murder. The MST received the Right Livelihood Award Foundation in the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm in 1991 "for winning land for landless families and helping them to farm it sustainably". Ole von Uexkull, Executive Director of the Foundation, said: "The Right Livelihood Award Foundation strongly condemns this crime and calls on the state of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian government to protect the Landless Movement and their activists." Other Laureates of the Right Livelihood Award from all over the world expressed their solidarity and support to the family and colleagues of the murdered activist. The Paraguayan educator and human rights advocate Martín Almada (RLA 2002), lamented that "violent actions continue to claim the lives of Latin American leaders and advocates for the environment and sustainability." On their website, the MST explains that Cícero Guedes, who was a sugar-cane cutter, coordinated the occupation of a complex of seven farms with 3,500 hectares (8,600 acres) located in the State of Rio de Janeiro. 14 years ago, this large estate was subject to expropriation by the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA). However, the process continued only recently, when it was approved by the Federal Court in August 2012. Although 11 years ago he had already managed to acquire land and become a "settler" himself, Cícero Guedes dos Santos remained a tireless advocate of agrarian reform. He taught organic farming techniques to families occupying estates and would always argue that the products obtained from ecologically sound agriculture are "superior" to those sold in supermarkets. His colleagues and family say that nature "was his source of inspiration.” Cícero Guedes leaves behind five children. More information For more information, please see: Autoridades lamentam assassinato de coordenador do MST no Rio Cícero Guedes, coordenador da ocupação na Usina Cambahyba, é assassinado no RioMST Laureate page on www.rightlivelihood.org Contact Nayla Azzinnari Spanish Press Office Right Livelihood Award Foundation Mobile +54 9 11 5460 9860 Phone: +54 3543 422 236 Email: [email protected] Skype: nayla.az Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais sem Terra Email: [email protected] Skype: mstbrasil http://www.mst.org.br/ Ole von Uexkull Executive Director Right Livelihood Award Foundation + 46 8 70 20 337 Email: [email protected] Martín Almada Right Livelihood Award 2002 Phone: +595 21 425 345 Email: [email protected] About the Award Founded in 1980, the Right Livelihood Awards are presented annually in the Swedish Parliament and are often referred to as ‘Alternative Nobel Prizes’. They were introduced “to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today”. Jakob von Uexkull, a Swedish-German professional philatelist, sold his business to provide the original funding. Since then, individual donors have financed the Award. There are 149 Right Livelihood Award Laureates from 62 countries. You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to the Right Livelihood Award Newsletter If you wish to unsubscribe from our e-news, please click here The Right Livelihood Award Foundation PO Box 15072, 104 65 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 (0) 8 702 03 40 or 702 03 39; Fax: +46 (0)8 702 03 38 [email protected] www.rightlivelihood.org
