Yesterday my team met with environmental human rights defenders and indigenous leaders of the Yanomami indigenous peoples in Brazil, Mr. Davi Kopenawa and Mr. Dario Kopenawa.
I listened with great concern to my colleague’s reports of the violent attacks faced by the Yanomami indigenous peoples in the context of illegal mining in their territories. I was also concerned to hear that even though they have reported the attacks, killings and harassment against them, they still face death threats and violent land invasions. As Mr. Davi Kopenawa shared:
We have one world and it is our duty to protect it and to protect each other
The meeting concluded with a discussion on the ways that we could provide provide support to them and their communities. I hope to receive more information from them in due course.
The meeting was facilitated by Right Livelihood.
