Jose Claudio Ribeiro da Silva and Maria do Espirito Santo, Forest Protectors in Brazil - Portrait 8

Charcoal on paper by Liz Peterson, study for a painting. Original Photograph by Filipe Milanez

Jose Claudio Ribeiro da Silva (nicknamed Ze Claudio) and his wife Maria were outspoken activists trying to protect the Amazon rainforest from rapid deforestation by logging and agricultural companies. The couple also owned a sustainable nut farm in the state of Para in Northern Brazil. 

Ze Claudio was very active in the campaign to protect the forest and was invited to speak at a TED confererence in 2010. In this TED talk, he denounced the abuse of power leading to the demise of the forest and it's diversity, noting that the biodiversity of plant life in his forest had dwindled from 85% to 20% since the arrival of logging companies. He also alluded to the danger of his activism, and predicted he may be killed:

“I live from the forest. I will protect her by any means. For this … I live with a bullet in my head at any time…I can be here today talking with you, and a month from now you know what could happen to me..disappeared. Ask me if I’m afraid. I am a human being – I have fear. But my fear does not silence me...these trees that we have in Amazonia are my sisters. I am a son of the forest. I live from them. I depend on them. I am part of them. It is life for me who lives in the forest. It is life for all of you in urban centres because she is purifying the air. She is giving something to us.”

Just a few months after his speech, his prediction came true when he and Maria were gunned down in a settlement near their home in Para. Due to media coverage, their murders were investigated by the Brazilian authorities and two men have since been charged for pulling the trigger. However, strong evidence and former threats suggest that Jose Rodrigues Moreira (called Ze Rodrigues) hired the two hitmen, one of which was Rodrigues' brother, to kill the couple. Ze Claudio was protesting the forced eviction of several farmers on property owned by Ze Rodrigues at the time of his death. Last year, Rodrigues was acquitted due to lack of evidence. 

There are connections between the destruction of the Amazon forest and the U.S. supply chain. Some of the big players in deforestation are cattle ranchers, who are increasingly supplying beef to U.S. importers. Charcoal companies are also responsible, and their product is used to make pig iron, a component of steel that is also imported to the U.S. 

Sources:

Ze Claudio's TED talk

Interview with Maria's Sister, Laisa Santos Sampaio

Documentary about Maria and Ze Claudio 

Smithsonian Article

http://www.vice.com/read/the-death-of-ze-claudio-and-maria-0000041-v18n11?Contentpage=3

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/protests-erupt-in-brazil-after-landowner-jose-rodrigues-moreira-is-acquitted-in-amazon-activists-murder-case-8562428.html

Prajob Nao-opas, Investigated Toxic Dumping and Water Pollution in Thailand - Portrait 7

Pen on paper by Liz Peterson, study for a painting

Prajob Nao-Opas was one of the villagers of the Cachoengsao Province of Thailand who wanted to know why the farm animals were dying. He began to expose and lead protests of an epidemic of illegal waste dumping by industrial estates into ponds in the area. This illegal disposal was creating a carcinogenic cesspool in the farmland and waterways, where testing revealed pollution at 30 times the legal limit. 

In the year prior to his death, his efforts had garnered national attention and local action. However, Prajob began to sense that he was being followed and photographed by men on motorcycles. When he brought his concerns to the police, they informed him that his activism was likely putting his life at risk, but they did not investigate or attempt to protect him. On February 25, Prajob was shot and killed by two men on motorcycles while he was waiting for his car to be serviced. His three alleged killers, one of which is a government official, are currently on trial. 

Sources:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Slain-village-leader-fought-firms-dumping-industri-30200829.html

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/26/thailand-investigate-murder-environmentalist

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/news/thailand-called-on-to-investigate-environmentalists-murder

http://www.occupy.com/article/killing-environmental-activists-rises-globally-–-few-convicted

Jairo Mora Sandoval, Sea Turtle activist in Costa Rica - portrait 6

Acyrlic on canvas, painting in progress by Liz Peterson

Jairo Mora was a biology student who worked for an animal rescue center and also volunteered with the NPO Widecast, which monitored and protected the leatherback sea turtle population. He regularly patrolled the Moin Beach at night to prevent the theft of sea turtle eggs by poachers, who sell the eggs on the black market. In part due to Mora's efforts, Widecast was able to collect and protect over 1500 leatherback turtle nests from Moin Beach, the highest volume of nests collected on any beach in Costa Rica. In order to collect these nests, he would directly confront the poachers, who were often armed, and attempt to negotiate. Police officers used to accompany the environmentalists on these walks, but their assistance dropped off dramatically in 2013, so that volunteers such as Mora were required to patrol alone. About one month before his death, Mora requested the support of the community to rally the police for help, asking them to "send messages to the police so they come to Moin Beach. Tell them not to be afraid but to come armed. We need help and fast." 

On the evening of May 30, 2013, Mora and a group of four volunteers were ambushed by a group of masked men as they were making their way to the beach. The other volunteers were able to escape, but Mora was killed by asphyxiation due to blunt force trauma to his head. Mora had received many recent death threats from poachers and most believe his killers were acting out of revenge for his attempts to thwart their poaching. 

Mora's death is one of the few cases in which an environmentalists' murder has received international attention - it prompted a reaction by the UN and many worldwide environmental organizations to ask the Costa Rican government to crack down on poachers in the country. 

A full-length feature story about Mora, "Blood in the Sand," was published in Outside Magazine in January. 

Uma Singh, Journalist for Human Rights in Nepal - Portrait 5

Portrait by Lucy Grady, marker on paper

*Bloggers caveat: My daughter, Lucy, was helping to create portraits a few nights ago. She researched names on the list of slain environmentalists on the Global Witness website and chose to complete a portrait of the journalist Uma Singh of Nepal from the list. However, I was not able to find direct information about any environmental advocacy by Ms. Singh. Though she may not have been an environmental activist, I am choosing to include her story here because Lucy was inspired by her and because she was courageously reporting on women's rights issues which may have played a role in her murder.

Day 5 - Uma Singh, Nepal

Uma Singh was a 27 year-old radio reporter in Janakpur who covered issues such as communal violence and women's rights. She was also vocal in her opposition to local maoist groups that she felt were responsible for the abduction of her brother and father in 2005.

In 2009, 15 people stormed Singh's apartment and stabbed her to death. Two people have been arrested in the case, including a Maoist leader in the region.

Sources:

http://www.wavespr.com/2010/03/international-women’s-day-article-19-affirms-the-rights-of-women-with-the-right-to-free-expression/

Sister Valsa John, Advocate for the Poor Against Mining in India - Portrait 4

Day 4 - Sister Valsa John, India

Acrylic on paper by Liz Peterson, study for canvas painting

Helping the poor and disadvantaged was the lifelong work of Sister Valsa John of India. According to a friend, she chose to become a nun after being inspired by the stories of charitable missionaries. She worked initially as a teacher, then as a social activist among various tribes in the state of Jharkhand. She educated and motivated the tribal residents to become active in political decision, and was particularly dedicated to empowering women to participate in forums in which they were typically excluded. 

When she discovered that a group of mining companies were attempting to displace the Santal residents of Jharkhand, she began to mobilize them to resist their advances through political action and peaceful resistance. Though they were unsuccessful in preventing the mining companies from taking over the land, her efforts did lead to the creation of a contract between the tribes and the companies involved (conglomerate named PANEM). When she began to protest new encroachments in on the Santal land by PANEM, she reported receiving intimidation and death threats. 

On November 17, 2011, a group of over 30 Santal tribesmen broke into her home and brutally murdered her. Though several of her killers confessed to the crime, most locals who knew her and the situation believe the men who killed her were either misled about her intentions or paid by members of PANEM. 

In a tribute to her life, Sister Valsa's friend Ivy Imogene Hansdak said "only her body has been interred. Her spirit will live forever in the hearts of the poor and the oppressed. It will live in the hearts of all the people of goodwill." 

Sources:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/activist-nun-who-fought-indian-mining-companies-brutally-murdered/article4200811/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15769996

Jorge Grando, Voice for the Iguazu River in Brazil - Portrait 3

charcoal on paper by Liz Peterson

Day 3 - Jorge Grando, Brazil

Jorge Grando was a voice for the Iguazu River which is bordered by Brazil and Argentina. He founded an environmental protection group for the river and surrounding environment of Serra do Mar, as well as a celebration called River Day. Grando also tried to alleviate poverty through training local residents in sustainable basket weaving as a means of gaining financial independence without harming the environment. His latest effort was an attempt to create a corridor of protected land between an existing ecovillage and the Serra do Mar. 

Jorge and his brother Luis Antonio, and three other friends were shot at his farm in Piraquara on April 22, 2011. Jorge had one five-year old son. This crime is unsolved, but there is speculation that it was carried out by someone who knew Grando because of the nature of his death. 

Brazil is the deadliest place for environmental activists, with 448 known killings in the country over the past decade, according to the Global Witness. 

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/25/jorge-grando-killed-dead_n_853179.html

http://rasca.com.br/noticia/79/rasca-participa-de-ato-em-homenagem-a-jorge-grando

http://blogdojorgegrando.blogspot.com/

http://rasca.com.br/noticia/92/rasca-cobra-solucao-para-assassinato-de-jorge-grando

http://blogs.estadao.com.br/fernando-gabeira/2011/04/23/chacina-leva-sergio-grando-no-parana/

Petrona Moran Suc and Sebastian Xona, Defenders of Indigenous Land Rights in Guatemala - Portrait 2

pen and pastel on paper by Liz Peterson, study for acrylic painting

Day 2 – Patrona Moran Suc and Sebastian Xona

Patrona Moran Suc, 72, and Sebastian Xona, 82, were the memory keepers and oldest members of the “La Primavera” community of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, according to a document by Guatemalan writer Alessandro Di Battista. This community includes 400 families of indigenous pocomchi who have occupied and farmed the area for over 100 years, but are currently threatened with eviction, harassment and intimidation by the private security guards of businesses that have interest or dubious investment in the land. Mrs. Suc and Mr. Xona were killed in the middle of the night of Jan. 26, 2012. Though there were no witnesses, community members believe they were murdered by a hitman hired by one of the companies. Di Battista notes that contract killing in Guatemala is easy money for some in a land struck by poverty and impunity of crimes (98% of murders are unsolved)

The drawing above is a quick conceptual study which will be the basis for an acrylic painting. Below is a photo of Patrona Moran Suc and Sebastian Xona.

Sources:

http://www.pbi-guatemala.org/los-proyectos/pbi-guatemala/noticias/spanish-news-holder/?no_cache=1&L=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3302&cHash=0df06cb73a25a4353bb73ac0d8948d74

http://www.beppegrillo.it/2012/07/il_mestiere_del_sicario_in_guatemala.html

An excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh's beautiful book, "The Art of Communicating," his response when asked by a reporter how to tell the truth about terrible events. I'm bookmarking this here because I'm sure to need the reminder as I'm telling these stories: 

"We can tell the truth, but we must help people understand. When people understand, their anger will lessen. They don't lose hope, they know what to do and what not to do, what to consume and what not to consume in order not to continue this kind of suffering. So my message that morning was that we should reflect and discuss events in a way that will not increase the despair and the anger in people. Instead, we can help them to understand why things happen, so their insight and compassion increase. We can make a big difference with the practice of looking deeply. The solution isn't to hide the truth." 

Chut Wutty - Anti-logging Activist in Cambodia - Portrait 1

Gouache on paper by Liz Peterson

Chut Wutty was the Director of an environmental organization in Cambodia called the Natural Resources Protection Group, where he investigated and reported on the military involvement in  illegal logging and land takeovers. According to the advocacy group Global Witness, the Cambodian government has leased over 75% of arable land to industrial agriculture companies. The leasing of land by the government often occurs in secret without the involvement of the community, resulting in forced evictions and deforestation.

On April 26, 2012, Wutty was shot and killed by a security guard of a logging company that he was investigating in the Koh Kong province. He was accompanied by two journalists, one of whom wrote an account of the event for Newsweek magazine shortly afterwards (Death of a Forester, 8/26/12)
Wutty's killer, Ran Boroth, was put on trial after a short investigation and charged with "accidental murder."He was released from jail after several weeks and remains free.

Soon after Wutty's death, there have been two additional murders of Cambodian citizens during conflicts over land, including the brutal murder of reporter Hang Serei Oudom and the shooting of 14 year-old Heng Chantha.

Chut Wutty was married and had three children.  A friend and fellow human rights activist Chhim Savuth noted that Wutty was well aware of the dangers of his work, saying "That is our lives and we know it's ugly, but we still do it because we love the trees, we love the natural resources." (http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/activist-chut-wutty-foresaw-tragic-end) 

Dateline broadcast a documentary about Chut Wutty's activism and murder soon after his death: http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/watch/id/601472/n/Death-in-the-Forest

If you're stopping by to look at the portraits, please take a moment to read the article which inspires this blog.

http://www.globalwitness.org/deadlyenvironment/#report

Portraits to be published beginning April 22 2014 (Earth Day)

Tomorrow is Earth Day. For the past few years, I shrugged my shoulders at Earth Day, because it seemed like a futile cause, a green-washed celebration. But after reading several headlines last week about courageous individuals who are fighting with their lives for environmental protection, I realized this attitude of defeat is a reckless and cowardly surrender.  Shame on me.  

So, today, I’m putting aside my cynicism and partisanship for a moment to start a hopeful project.

A lot of people around the world are working to defend the natural resources of our planet at extreme personal risk for themselves and their families. I have started this blog and facebook page to celebrate a handful of the people who have been killed defending the land and oceans over the past decade. Starting tomorrow, I will post the story of one activist a day for 30 days, along with a portrait of each.  

These portraits are likely to be unfinished, hastily written and full of broken facts, due to time constraints. But you could help make them better. I would love for other people to add to these stories. So, I’m soliciting all of you talented and passionate people to add to the project. Seeking writing, art or film contributions, as well as advice and fact-checking from activists. Why? To learn about the people who have died. To tell their stories and see the connections between their sacrifice and our own livelihood here in the U.S. Because “issues” are remote, but people and their stories are harder to ignore. Together we can shine a small light that will grow into a larger awareness and more pressure against abuses of land and water.

This isn't a political issue that should only matter to hippies and liberals.  This is not a project for fringe radicals. This affects any person who has children, who likes clean air and water, who has “liked” a picture of a sea turtle, mountain vista or cute baby, who enjoys seafood and who cares at all about the dignity of all forms of life.

Here are a few of the individuals I will be profiling:

Jose de Silva, Joire Mora, Chut Wutty, Doc Ortega and many others.

Know of someone else that should included? Please email me or leave a comment. 

If interested in contributing a story or portrait, or to ask any questions, please contact Liz Peterson at sundewstudio@gmail.com