By Bishop Marinez Bassotto
Bishop of Anglican Diocesis in the Amazon
“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature” Job 12:7-10
We are living very challenging times in the Amazon region, which has always needed investments and public policies but has seen as aggravation of the situation since last presidential elections. The only attention given to the Amazon by governments is caused by greed and extractive interests, never towards preservation or appreciation of life. We had been suffering the withdrawal of rights and lack of investments since the beginning of this new government, but the situation was aggravated in 2019 with the worst wave of fires in the last period. Since then the Amazon concentrated 52,5% of fire focuses in Brazil, which last until current days. Reports from the National Space Research Institute (INPE) alert to the continue increase of fires in the region, specially in the states of Pará and South Amazonas.
We all know the fires in the Amazon are not just result of draughts in the region, nor from any natural causes. They are largely caused by orchestrated actions from people linked to agribusiness farms, illegal land grabbers and miners. They are also the result of the dismantlement of socio environmental policies and environmental protection institutions, as well as inappropriate choices of people for the Ministry of Environment. Added to this are the violation of rights and the death of indigenous people and the suffering of riverside and quilombola communities. In other words, the populations that had already been suffering with the lack of protective measures and policies to attend their needs became even more vulnerable over the last 2 years. The pandemic of Covid-19 blatantly exposed existing inequalities in the Amazonic region, and I mean inequalities in all aspects. There is a huge number of unemployed people, and a growing number of hungry ones. Covid-19 reached the most isolated indigenous communities and caused the death of many people, especially elderly and leaders, who in their tradition carry knowledge and wisdom. This means that, on top of all difficulties, there is the sense of loss of identity and orphanhood.
Indigenous peoples in urban areas are also in great vulnerability. They lack food, medicine, hygiene and protection supplies, and various leaders died this year without due assistance. The situation is alarming. According to the website of APIB (Coordination of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil), in October 26th there were 37.777 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among indigenous people, 862 died and 158 communities were affected until that date. The state with the largest number of indigenous people infected and also the largest number of deaths is the state of Amazonas.
According to the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), the death rate in quilombola communities of the Amazonic region is of 17%, while the world average is between 0,9 and 1,2%. This sheds light over the fact that irresponsible discourses and attempts to undermine the consequences of Covid-19, as well as the lack of rapid actions, have a direct impact over the lives of impoverished communities.
The data above denote a process of necro-politics (death politic) aimed to symbolically and physically eliminate vulnerable populations. As if it wasn´t enough, we are at the doors of the trial of Marco Temporal (Time Frame)[1] by the Federal Supreme Court. We need more than ever to be conscious that what is at stake is the recognition of denial of the right to land, which is the most fundamental right for indigenous peoples. This decision will impact the future of hundreds of indigenous populations, and may hinder even more the legal access to lands, indispensable to the survival of indigenous populations. The trail draws nearer, and we know that the attempts to undermine the consequences of a favorable trial to the thesis defended by agribusinessman are a systematic strategy of a government that defends the flexibilization of laws and ignores violence resulting from illegal land invasions and activities, such as land grabbing, mining and logging in protected areas.
As a result of this scenario the world watches fires consume part of the forest that contains the largest biological and cultural diversity of the planet, as well as the death of forest peoples.
As a Christian church rooted in this Amazonic ground, the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, through the Anglican Diocesis of the Amazon, repudiates this death scenario, denounces all attitudes of socioenvironmental disrespect, and seeks to testify with words and work the experience of love and search for full life to all peoples, according to Christ’s commandment. The Church seeks to solidarize with pain and suffering of Amazonic peoples, being a friendly presence and comfort for bereaved indigenous families and for communities in extreme vulnerability. This means having the courage and braveness to put ourselves as prophetic voices in defense of life, adding forces so that the rights of the most vulnerable populations are respected and accompanying these communities in a friendly and solidary way.
That is what happened during the funeral of an indigenous leader that passed away for complications of Covid-19 in the surroundings of Manaus. Mister Paulino, of Karapãna ethnicity, was a member of a different church and his pastors refused to accompany his family at the funeral due to the distance – the body needed to be taken to his village to be buried there, in the jungle, eight hours trip up the Negro River. But the brother Iuri Lima, Anglican from Manaus, full of missionary passion, offered to go, pray with his family, comfort them and be a sign of Anglican presence in that moment of sadness. Finding and contemplating the divine life in the deepest reality is a mission of hope, trusted to Anglicans.
The presence and mission of the Anglican Diocesis of the Amazon make us understand that the Amazon is a land of suffering and redemption. Being with the people of God is an experience of following the Christ who carries the cross. This means we should open ourselves, as He, to all kinds of thirst that afflicts humanity today. Christ is the nutriment by excellence, the answer to every hunger and every thirst. It is the bread of life that, by quenching the hungry ones, congregates them and put them in communion. Next to Jesus no one is hungry. And he calls us, sends us to the poor and orders: “You give them something to eat!” (Luke 9. 13).
On 31st August, the Anglican Community in Manaus, with the support of Canterbury Archbishop Fund, the mediation of the Anglican Diakonie Service of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil and the logistic support of the Anglican Diocesis of the Amazon, delivered food supplies to indigenous families in the surroundings of the city, who are still suffering with the impacts of the pandemic of Covid-19. With this social and missionary action, the Anglican service in Manaus managed to contemplate families of 5 different ethnicities: Indigenous Women Association of Rio Negro, Indigenous Community Wotchimaücü (Tykuna), Park of Tribes (Tarumã), Indigenous Community of Tarumã-Açú (Gavião and Yupurangá Villages) and some indigenous families living around the region of Cuieiras River.
The Anglican mission in the Amazon assumes the service of faith and the promotion of justice; never one without the other. People need food, shelter, love, truth, relationships, meaning for their lives, promise, hope. Human beings need a future in which they can assure their full dignity. This is already present in the core of Christ’s mission, which, as particularly evident in His healing ministry, was always more than physical. Our mission of Anglicans in the heart of the Amazon finds inspiration in this ministry of Jesus. Following Jesus, we feel convened not only to bring direct aid to people who suffer, but also to restore people’s integrity, rejoining them in the community and offering pastoral support. This is where, aided by grace and putting all our available capabilities, gifts and talents into action, we seek to offer ourselves completely to God, to His greater service.
[1] Legal thesis under dispute in Brazil Justice Court, according to which indigenous lands would only have their right acknowledged in case of occupations prior to October 5th, 1988, date of promulgation of the Constitution.