The Brazilianist Magazine - The Internationalization of Amazônia

...I've received this text by e-mail from at least 5 different sources during the last month or so, and there were always with positive words attached to it. So, I've decided to share it with other "Brazilianists". Here it is.

During a debate in an American University, the ex-governor of the Federal District, Cristovam Buarque, was questioned on his thoughts on the internationalization of Amazonia. The young American man introduced his question by saying he expected the answer of a humanist and not of a Brazilian.This was the answer of Mr.Cristovam Buarque:

"In fact, as a Brazilian I would simply speak against the internationalization of Amazonia. As much as our governments have neglected this patrimony, it is ours.

As a humanist, assessing the risk of environmental degradation of Amazonia, I can contemplate its internationalization, as well as of everything else that is of importance to humanity.

If Amazonia, in the point of view of humanist ethics, must be internationalized, the world oil reserves should also be internationalized. Oil is as important to the well-being of humanity as is Amazonia. Despite that, the owners of the oil reserves feel they have the right to increase or decrease oil production and manipulate its price.

In the same fashion, the financial capital of the rich countries should be internationalized. If Amazonia is a patrimony for all human beings, it should not be burnt based on the decision of one owner, or of one country.

The burning of Amazonia is as serious as unemployment caused by arbitrary decisions of global speculators.

We cannot allow financial reserves to be used to burn out entire countries in the aftermath of speculation. Before the internationalization of Amazonia, I would like to see the internationalization of all the great musems of the world.

The Louvre should not belong only to France. Each museum is a guardian of the most beautiful pieces produced by human intellect.

One should not allow this cultural patrimony, in the same way as the natural patrimony of Amazonia, to be manipulated and destroyed by an act of a single owner or country.

Not long ago, a Japanese millionaire decided to have a painting of a great master buried alongside him.
Prior to that decision, the painting should have been internationalized.

At present, the United Nations are hosting the Forum of the Millennium but some heads of state had problem attending due to difficulties with immigration. For this reason, I think that New York, as the location of the United Nations headquarters, should be internationalized. At least Manhattan should belong to all Humanity.

The same way as Paris, Venice, Rome, London, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Recife, each city with its unique beauty, its world history, should belong to the whole world.

If the United States wants to internationalize Amazonia to avoid the risk of leaving it in the hands of Brazilians, let us also internationalize the nuclear arsenals of the United States.

The United States have shown that they are capable of using nuclear weapons, which cause destructions thousand times greater than the unfortunate destruction caused by the burning of the forests in Brazil.

During political debates, the current candidates to the presidency of the United States have defended the idea of internationalizing the world forest reserves in exchange for foreign debt. The foreign debt could be used to guarantee that each child of the World is allowed to EAT and attend school.

We should internationalize children, treating all of them, regardless their country of origin, as patrimonies that deserve to be preserved by the whole world.

They are more deserving than Amazonia.

When the heads of state start treating the poor children of the world as patrimonies of humanity, they will not allow these children to work when they should be studying, to die when they should live.

As humanist, I accept to defend the internationalization of the world.

But as long as the world treat me as a Brazilian, I will fight to keep Amazonia ours.

Ours alone!