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title: Voice of the Rainforest
tags: [Gaia]

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tags: Gaia
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# Voice of the Rainforest
In the [[Governance of Gaia]], and on stage at GaiaFest in November 2021, we have been [[Asked by Gaia]] to give the rainforests a voice. The question is how?

## How
How should we give the rainforests, particularly the Amazon Rainforest a voice? The challenge, the need is to actually answer this question - that is propose a way to do this, and then to implement it. We are seeking proposals. Gaia (and for now that means the governing body of GaiaFest) needs a decision on this and proposals presented at GaiaFest as to how to do this will be decided upon at this event. For now we ask for ideas.

## Rob de Laet
Rob is thinking about this question... Hi David, thank you for opening this space to help form ideas about giving a voice for the Amazon and other rain forests. South-America and the Amazon are experiencing ecocide of a forest that started its life sixty million years ago and is the most biodiverse area in the world. The peoples who live there have been subject to genocide since the start of colonialism five centuries back. They are the guardians, the stewards of the forest and are interwoven with its nature. The forest is at a tipping point of self-amplifying dieback that, if not reversed, is catastrophic for South-America, for the world food situation and catastrophic for the global climate system as the carbon released from the die-back will increase global heating substantially within decades. 
The first expressions should be of hurt, anger, pain. A video like this perhaps? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32zx1W1SOWE
Two well expressed voices of indigenous leaders are Marina Silva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Silva and Davi Kopenawa, who's face is visible at the end of the youtube video: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davi_Kopenawa_Yanomami
A voice of reconnection needs to be added, possibly my brother Haru Kuntanawa, leader of the Kuntanawa tribe in Acre, Brazil. http://www.kuntanawa.org/
The voice of science and reason should be that of any of the Nobre brothers, Carlos, Ismael or Antonio, all eminent professors, who have a model for a sustainable Amazon bioeconomy Amazonia 4.0 here presented by him in this lecture by Carlos Nobre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwgtRdTjJE0 
Lastly I would like to be the foreign voice for the Amazon as only a plan that matches the size of the problem has a chance of turning the situation around, avoid die-back and opening up a sustainable future for coming generations. 
I will produce a video later this month, but here is a powerpoint presentation to give a first impression: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IJ2jJQ6cgEEfGB2kvjV06JBiAIJYJn1D/edit#

