From 24 to 28 April 2023, the 19th edition of the Free Earth Camp (the largest indigenous mobilisation in Brazil) was held in Brasilia, the first since the end of Jair Bolsonaro's mandate and the creation of a Ministry of Indigenous Peoples by President Lula.
We were present as part of a coalition made up of the Leopold III Fund (represented by its president, Princess Esmeralda of Belgium), Planète Amazone (represented by its president, Gert-Peter Bruch), FEPHAC (represented by its president, the cacique Ninawa Huni Kui), the explorer and former president of FUNAI, Sydney Possuelo, and his wife, Rosita Watkins, Stop Ecocide Foundation (represented by co-founder and Executive Director Jojo Mehta and Stop Ecocide International, Americas Director, Rodrigo Lledo).
Our delegation came to present the film 'Amazonia, The Heart Of Mother Earth', which will be launched in the autumn with an international impact campaign, and to offer the country's indigenous, legal and political authorities, as well as numerous civil society organisations, support for the defenders of the Amazon and threatened Brazilian ecosystems.
Context
Since the start of President Lula's third term in office, which began on 1 January 2023, environmentalists have once again been able to engage in dialogue with the Brazilian government. After four years of unprecedented attacks during the Bolsonaro administration, this 19th Free Earth Camp, organised shortly after the first hundred days of the new Lula presidency, was expected to be a particularly important moment, with the Brazilian head of state having repeatedly affirmed his desire to make indigenous peoples and the environment the priority causes of his term in office. In fact, for the first time in history, the camp was graced with a visit from a sitting president, who signed the demarcation decrees for 6 indigenous lands in front of an electrified assembly.
The aims of our mission
Our mission had two main objectives:
to develop a joint strategy with those we met with and to help indigenous peoples obtain the demarcation of their lands;
to present the legal initiative for international recognition of the crime of ecocide, and mobilise local networks around this issue.
In addition to these two objectives, our presence on site was also aimed at finding support and partners to prepare for the release of the film 'Amazonia, The Heart Of Mother Earth', and the associated impact tour, the first part of which is scheduled for Europe in autumn 2023.
High-level meetings and dialogue
Throughout the Free Earth Camp, our delegation was able to meet a large number of indigenous representatives, civil society players, parliamentarians and political authorities.
First of all, our delegation was personally invited to the National Congress on 24 April by the only indigenous deputy in the Lower House, Célia Xakriabá, to take part in the launch of a new parliamentary front in support of indigenous peoples. During a special session in the Chamber of Deputies, Jojo Mehta was able to personally present the project for international recognition of the crime of ecocide to the Minister for Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara.
Her ministry also took part in the presentation of our film at the Belgian embassy and in a meeting with representatives of Brazilian civil society organisations.
On 27 April, our delegation was received by the President of FUNAI (National Indian Foundation), Joenia Wapichana, who was particularly interested in our projects and welcomed our proposals for future collaboration in favour of the demarcation and permanent protection of indigenous territories.
On the morning of 28 April, our delegation was invited to attend President Lula's speech at the Free Earth Camp and the signing of decrees certifying 6 new indigenous lands. That afternoon, Environment Minister Marina Silva received our delegation for an hour, and was receptive to dialogue on the issue of the criminalisation of ecocide. Our coalition put forward a proposal for collaboration in the run-up to COP30, to be held in Belem, in the Amazon, in 2025.
Our projects were also presented directly to the indigenous communities. In particular, we spoke with the cacique Raoni Metuktire and other representatives of the Kayapo people, with representatives of indigenous communities in the state of Acre (thanks to the support of the cacique Ninawa Huni Kui) and with representatives of the Munduruku, Kaingang, Yanomami and Guarani-Kaïowa peoples.
As for the local organisations, the exchange was particularly positive with the CIMI (Indigenous Missionary Council) and with Osservatorio do Clima, Ecoe Brazil and the Memorial dos Povos Indigenas.
Our events
In addition to numerous meetings, our coalition organised three events in Brasilia during the Free Earth Camp.
At the Belgian Embassy in Brazil, on 26 April, thanks to the support of Ambassador Peter Claes and the commitment of Princess Esmeralda of Belgium, a magnificent event was held to present an unfinished version of the film 'Amazonia, The Heart Of Mother Earth', directed by Gert-Peter Bruch and Esmeralda of Belgium. The screening was attended by around twenty indigenous representatives, including the cacique Raoni Metuktire and his delegation, the Val Munduruku representative, Thalyne Karaja, Juma Xipaya and Vanda Witoto, who were all very moved during the screening. The French ambassador to Brazil, Brigitte Collet, and Brazilian officials also honoured the event with their presence. The film was particularly well received, and was followed by moving speeches from Raoni Metuktire, Tuira Kayapo and Jojo Mehta.
Our coalition also organised a particularly rich public debate on 27 April at the Memorial dos Povos Indígenas, on the issue of the criminalisation of ecocide, in which lawyers and members of parliament took part.
A second screening and debate on the film 'Amazonia, The Heart Of Mother Earth' was also held on 29 April in São Paulo at the Espaço Itaú cinema, in partnership with Documenta Pantanal and with the exceptional participation of the family of the famous indigenous activist Orlando Villas-Bõas, a pioneer in the demarcation of indigenous lands in Brazil. The audience, some of whom were personalities from the world of cinema and the arts, gave a warm welcome to the film and to the members of our delegation.
About the film
Mainly shot in Brazil, the film 'Amazonia, The Heart Of Mother Earth' summarizes the extraordinary but still unfinished fight of four generations of indigenous leaders - including the legendary chief Raoni Metuktire - for the protection of the indigenous territories of Brazil. It is also a powerful call for the recognition of ecocide as a crime.
Major Brazilian and international figures also contribute to the film through exclusive interviews, including President Lula, explorer Sydney Possuelo (former President of the National Indian Foundation) and Jojo Mehta (co-founder and Executive Director of Stop Ecocide International), who remind us that saving the Amazon has been a shared story for over 60 years.
