Meeting with Distinguished Indigenous Leaders from the Amazonian Xingu area in Brazil

In partnership with WZB Berlin Social Science Center, the RIFS invites you to a Meeting with Distinguished Indigenous Leaders from the Amazonian Xingu area in Brazil as part of their International Campaign for the Protection of the Amazon Forest. The scientific and public debate aims to bridge these leaders’ knowledge and perspective with the Berlin academic and activist community.

The event will be held on Tuesday, 16.05.23 at 18:00-20:00 in WZB Berlin Social Science Center (A300), Reichpietschufer 50, 10785 Berlin in English and Portuguese.

Please register at communication [at] foretvierge [dot] org.

The Amazon’s biosphere is essential to life on the planet. It is one of the largest terrestrial carbon sinks and home to unparalleled biodiversity. But not only the Amazon faces deforestation and destruction. The indigenous peoples that inhabit it and are essential to its protection are under constant threat. Much of the conserved Amazon rainforest today exists thanks to their ceaseless and courageous struggles to defend their rights and livelihoods on the ground and in the political spheres.

Distinguished indigenous leaders from the Amazonian Xingu area in Brazil are now on a European tour for the protection of the Amazon rainforest with the theme “Objective Zero Deforestation”, organized by the French Rainforest Organization AFV. The work of the delegation members was and is essential for the Xingu region - one of the largest protected rainforest territories in the world equivalent to a third of Germany. It includes the Kayapo territories represented by Chief Raoni and the Xingu Park (TIX) home to 16 indigenous peoples now federated and represented by Chief Tapi.

Delegation members:

Chief Raoni Metuktire

• Chief of the Kayapo people
• World famous indigenous leader and environmentalist with a central role for the creation of the Xingu reserve in 1993
• Nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize

Chief Tapi Yawalapiti

• Great leader of the 16 tribes of the Upper Xingu (TIX)
• President of the Aritana Institute, Social and Environmental Scientist

Chief Watatakalu Yawalapiti

• Coordinator of ATIX Missions for the women of the indigenous territory of Xingu
• Member of the Movement of Women of the Indigenous Territory of Xingu (MMTIX)
• Co-founder of the National Movement of Indigenous Women Warriors of the Amazon (ANMIGA)

Chief Bemoro Metuktire

• President of the Kayapó indigenous health council

Agenda:

• Opening of the event, WZB Berlin Social Science Center (5min)
• Welcome words, Rainforest Organization AFV (5min)
• Introduction to the Importance of the Xingu Reserve and the Historic Indigenous Fight for its Protection, Dr Cecilia Oliveira, Research Group Leader “Democratic Governance for Ecopolitical Transformations”, RIFS Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (10min)
• Speeches by the delegation (60min)
• Q&A (40min)