Remembering Some of the Earth Defenders Who Were Killed in 2019

Here are some of the brave souls who gave their lives in 2019 in defense of the environment. There have been an increasing number of environmental activists murdered in recent years. Many of the murders in 2019 took place in Brazil which is currently being ruled by far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. In Brazil a total of 56 defenders were assassinated in 2017 alone. At least eight land defenders were killed in 2018 in the Brazilian state of Para alone.

The Rising Toll of Murdered Environmental Activists

Each year environmental activists are killed for trying to defend the natural world. It is fitting that we start the year by remembering the brave souls who are on the front lines of efforts to protect their land, water or local wildlife. For every environmental activist killed hundreds more were assaulted. This includes the indigenous activists in Brazil who had their hands cut off with machetes by ranchers. To add insult to injury the perpetrators of these villainous acts are almost never caught.

Suspected Assassins of Berta Cáceres Arrested in Honduras

On May 11th the Honduran government arrested four men and charged them with the murder of indigenous environmental activist Berta Cáceres. She was killed because of her opposition to the Agua Zarca hydropower project in the Gulacarque river basin. Men affiliated with Desarrollos Energéticos S.A. (DESA), the Honduran company building the dam, are implicated in her murder.

The shots that killed Berta echoed around the globe. The world was outraged that the winner of the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, was savagely gunned down for what can only be described as her noble efforts to defend the rights of her people and protect the land on which they live.

The Slaughter of Innocents: Our Complicity in the Murder of Environmentalists

All around the world, people who are on the front lines of efforts to protect our planet are murdered for their eco-advocacy. They put their lives on the line, and they are being slaughtered while the world does not appear to notice. Many other environmentalists are subject to intimidation, violence, stigmatization and criminalization. As revealed in a 2012 article, environmentalists are persecuted and killed all over the world. In 2012, there were a total of 147 environmentalists murdered. Although these heinous crimes are getting more media coverage, the frequency of these killing appears to be accelerating.

Activists Opposing Illegal Logging Murdered in Peru

The persecution and murder of environmental activists is an all too common event in our world, now four more people have been added to that list. The murders took place on September 1, 2014, near the Peruvian border with Brazil. All indications are that the four Asheninka natives were killed by illegal loggers. The Ashaninkas are Peru's leading Amazon ethnic group and they have been subject to growing violence.

One of those killed was the prominent anti-logging campaigner, Edwin Chota. Chota had been repeatedly threatened before his assassination and had asked for protection from Peruvian authorities. He was the leader of Alto Tamaya-Saweto, a community in Peru’s Amazon Ucayali region. He has fought for his people’s right to gain titles to their land and expel illegal loggers.

Environmentalists Continue to be Murdered or Silenced by Courts All Around the World

If the killing of environmentalists were not enough, courtrooms all around the world are actively silencing environmental protest. Seven hundred advocates have been murdered in the last ten years and countless others are being silenced by courts. A recent report by human rights organization Global Witness documents the murders of more than 700 environmental and indigenous-rights activists over the last ten years. That translates to an average of more than one murder each week over the last decade.

The Global Witness data does not include those who are being jailed, assaulted, intimidated, harassed, or otherwise abused. We must support those who are persecuted for admirable activities like protecting wildlife, resisting illegal logging, or protesting against destructive corporate activities. It is unconscionable that people should be subjected to such treatment, it is even worse that the world often ignores the sacrifices they make for their noble endeavors.

Video - The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela (PBS Frontline)

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Nelson Mandela: "It Always Seems Impossible Until it is Done"

We who struggle with issues of social and climate justice can draw great inspiration from Nelson Mandela, a man who personified the plight of the powerless against seemingly impossible odds. Mandela was a prisoner who became more than the leader of a nation and a continent, he was the moral center of the world. Do not succumb to tepid dreams which fail to soar, like Madiba strive for what is right no matter how hard the road may seem.

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This stirring tribute from 350.org draws on the inspirational words of Nelson Mandela to make the point that no matter how difficult it may see we can defeat climate change.

"It always seems impossible until it is done"
-Nelson Mandela

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Nelson Mandela: In His Own Words

Despite being silenced by a racist regime for almost three decades, Mandela demonstrated the overwhelming power of words to augur change. His statements will endure for posterity.

The eulogy offered to Mohandas Ghandi also apply to Mandela: "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this, has ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

Here is a brief collection of several Mandela quotes that should inspire those of us who are engaged in the struggle against the global injustice of climate change.

The Climate Movement's Debt of Gratitude to Nelson Mandela

The world's leading champion of social justice and one of the greatest men history has ever known has died. After a protracted illness, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is dead at the age 95. He was born on July 18, 1918 in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa and he died peacefully at his home in Johannesburg on December 5, 2013.

I had the honor of hearing him speak when he came to Montreal in 1990. I remember standing with people from all walks of life as we crowded onto the Champ-de-Mars for his speech. Like so many others, I was inspired beyond words. That day planted a seed that would bear fruit several years later. Thanks in part to Mandela, I have now invested the whole of my life to the struggle for climate justice. 

Cambodian Environmentalist Murdered

A prominent environmental activist was murdered in Cambodia and that nation's military police have closed the investigation. According to police, there will be no further investigation into the shooting death of Chut Wutty because the officer who shot him then took his own life.

The Persecution of Environmentalists

Environmentalists risk harassment, torture and even death, simply for standing up for the Earth. Reports of injustice perpetrated against environmentalists may sound like medieval tales of brutality, but these horror stories are taking place today in countries all around the world.

Environmental Problems and Activists Struggling Against Abuse

Some members of NGOs and their leaders are persecuted or even killed for their environmental work. The Jesuit nun Dorothy Stang she was killed at Brazilian Amazon rainforest defending the indigenous peoples rights. Unfortunately the list of abuses is long. This video was created by Amnesty International and many progressive freelance filmmakers. This is the story of main environmental rights activists. They are protecting and defending the defenseless minorities, indigenous people their rights against the powerful multinational companies and arrogant power structure of government who don’t care the principles of human rights and the rights of people and environment.

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Another Amazon Environmentalist Killed (Video)

In 2011 Brazilian police reported that yet another Amazon environmental campaigner had been killed. Adelino Ramos was known for openly denouncing those who illegally cut the rainforest. His is just the latest in a long line of murders of such environmental activists. How many will have to die before we do what is right in defense of our Earth?

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Environmentalists Murdered for Protecting the Amazon

Brazilian environmentalists Jose Claudio Ribeiro da Silva and his wife were killed in an ambush in an Amazonian nature reserve in 2011. These murders are but two examples of many around the world. Like so many other brave souls, Ribeiro da Silva and his wife were true heros who persevered despite the dangers of protecting the Amazon.


© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Murder of Two Environmentalists in the Amazon

Two rainforest activists were gunned down in May 2011. Activists claim that the murders are linked to the ongoing battle that pits environmentalists and small farmers seeking to protect the Amazonian rainforest, against landowners who want to expand their crops and cattle ranching there. José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva and his wife, Maria do Espírito Santo, were killed on 24 May, six months after Ribeiro da Silva had predicted during an international environmental conference that he could be killed at any time. The activists were known for their vocal stance against illegal loggers, cattle ranchers and charcoal producers operating in Praia-Alta Piranheira, a remote Amazon settlement in Brazil's Para state, where they lived.

Who Bombed Judi Bari? (Video Trailer)

Here is the Movie Trailer for a feature length documentary on the persecution of two California environmentalists. Who Bombed Judi Bari? is a suspenseful story about people who risked their lives to save the California redwoods and took on the FBI for trampling their freedom of speech. It shines a light on an amazing protest movement that succeeded against all odds - with creativity, music, and humor. In 1990, a bomb blew up in the car of two redwood activists, Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney. They were accused of bombing themselves, but twelve years later they won a landmark lawsuit against the FBI, proving that officers falsified evidence and intentionally tried to frame them. To date, the real bomber has never even been searched for and remains at-large. For more information about the film click here.

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