Entire tribe threatens to commit mass suicide after Brazil court rules they must leave sacred burial land

A court in Brazil ruled that the Guarani-kaiowa tribe of Mato Grosso do Sul must leave their sacred land. The tribe of 170 aboriginals have decided not to leave their sacred burial grounds and threatened to commit mass suicide as their last resort.The tribe first protested by putting crosses into the lawn at the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia. The whole tribe vowed to commit suicide if their land is taken, but the court only decreed a fine of 150 Euros for each day the tribe stays on the land. For more information, check out this article.

Protest at the Esplanade of Ministries in Brasilia

This brings up an interesting dilemma; should the Brazilian government be in favor of the aboriginals keeping their land, or letting a rich ranch owner exploit the land? I personally believe the aboriginals should keep their land because it threatens their sovereignty. Colonists have already taken most of their land to exploit, and left them with few places that they can express their culture to the fullest. Thus, eliminating a whole tribe to give way to agricultural development is utterly senseless! If the government actually lets the ranch owner take the land, they will be faced with the guilt of being responsible for an ethnic cleansing.

By Alexis Pelletier 

 

Brazil's biggest city feels comfortable years after taking a huge decision

Five years after banning every advertising sign in Sao Paolo, people very appreciate the decision the government has taken. Even though it felt like a pretty risked decision, by estimating a loose of an average of 20 000 net jobs and a revenue loss of 133 million, the mayor of Sao Paolo still considered passing the “Clean City Law”. This causes to remove every Mc Downald sign, Coca-Cola banner or even clear names on business. Therefore, the loss of net jobs and revenue, has been make up with artist jobs and removal of all this, plus they now have to be more creative to build new structures instead of metal recovered with huge signs.

Residents of the 11 million people town liked the idea of no ads and felt like it created a whole new identity to the city. So instead of referring a certain place with a huge advertisement on a wall, they now see a piece of art to refer to.

The ban of advertisement in Sao Paolo reminds the world that it is possible and we don’t have to rely on ads to make a town alive.

 

Here is a video to explain some of the effects on the city and the ban itself.

http://www.newdream.org/resources/sao-paolo-ad-ban